RAD-IT Tool Training - Module 9 - INTERFACES 2017-06-13local.iteris.com/arc-it/training/radit/RADIT_TrngMod09.pdfImage description: A screen capture of the RAD-IT Interfaces tab. June

Welcome to overview of the Interfaces tab of RAD-IT Tool.

This training is designed for transportation professionals who want to understand how to use RAD-IT tool to create regional and project ITS architectures. The training discusses how to use the RAD-IT tool and provides a basic overview of the tools that has been developed to support ARC-IT use.

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RAD-IT Tool Training

In this Module, we will review the RAD-IT planning Interfaces tab and begin to use it. At the end of this Module, you will be able to:

Explain how to access the Interfaces Tab in RAD-IT Tool

Explain the key features of the Interfaces Tab

Be able to modify information on the Interfaces Tab

This module will take approximately 45 minutes to complete.

Let’s look at these topics first then at the end of the Module in a hands-on exercise, you will perform these activities in RAD-IT.

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For RAD-IT to be able to identify potential interfaces between ITS inventory elements (from the ARC-IT), the inventory elements must be listed. For RAD-IT to be able to assist in tailoring the interfaces, the ITS services that the elements will provide need to be identified. Inventory of ITS elements is discussed in Module 5 and selecting ITS services in Module 6 of this course.

Image Description: The diagram showing relationships between architecture components in RAD-IT is shown with the Interfaces box highlighted along with Inventory and Services boxes.

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Interfaces are identified on the eighth tab of RAD-IT, which is labeled as Interfaces.

Image description: A screen capture of the RAD-IT Interfaces tab.

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This is the top portion of the Interfaces tab. The Build button, located in the center, is used to construct an architecture by adding interfaces based on the inventory and services used. The interfaces are listed in the grid below the tool bar.

There are several ways to display the interfaces; we will explore all of the display options later. First, we will explore the build process.

Image description: A screen capture of the RAD-IT Interfaces tab.

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An interface is defined at two levels. An interface can be described as a single interconnect. An interconnect is a connection between two elements and does not indicate direction of flow. Each interconnect is comprised of a set of information flows including the information to be shared and the direction that information will flow. Information flows are also referred to as architecture flows.

In this example there is an interface or interconnect, between a TMC and Field Equipment. The interconnect is made up of three flows. Two flows direct information from the Field Equipment to the TMC and the other directs information in the opposite direction, from the TMC to the Field Equipment.

Image description: Illustration of information flows along interconnects between elements.

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RAD-IT builds potential interfaces of an architecture using selected inventory elements and services, based on their definition in the ARC-IT. This is really the power of RAD-IT. It can automatically create interconnects between your elements and can select architecture flows appropriate to your needs.

In other words, RAD-IT can help eliminate unrelated architecture flows from those available in the ARC-IT, thereby making the building of an architecture much more efficient.

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An architecture should be built after an inventory or service package selection has been modified. In order to keep the Interfaces tab up to date, you need to rebuild your architecture any time a change is made to the inventory or services. For example, if you add something to your inventory, you will have to perform another build to add the elements’ interfaces to the Interfaces tab.

The same is true if you decide to map an existing element to a differentphysical object. However, you don’t always have to rebuild. If you simply rename an element, the new name will automatically appear on the interfaces tab. If you are unsure whether a build is required, go ahead and build. It will not harm the architecture if a build wasn’t really necessary.

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To perform a Build, you select the Build button on the Interfaces tab. You are then given the option to view Inventory to Service Package Comparison Report. This is the same reconciliation report presented in the previous Module on Services (Module 6). Viewing the report is optional, so you can view it or skip it.

Notice that there is a Settings button which allows you set the Build settings. We will look at the settings in a few slides.

Image Description: A screen capture is shown of the RAD-IT Interfaces tab with a box around the Build button. A large arrow points from the Build button to the Add Interfaces window.

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Once you have looked at the reconciliation report, you continue with the build by selecting Yes. Depending on the size of the inventory and the speed (or lack thereof) of your computer, the Build may take a while. For very small architectures, a build only takes a few seconds. For a very large architecture, it may take several minutes. There are tips on keeping architectures small and manageable in the RAD-IT User Manual.

Image Description: A screen capture is shown of the Add Interfaces window with a circle around the Yes button.

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When the build is complete, a table is presented that includes all the changes that RAD-IT would like to make to the interfaces tab. The “Add to Architecture” flows are the existing and planned architecture flows. On the Interfaces tab, they will be checked/included in the architecture. The “Add to Interfaces tab” flows are the not planned architecture flows. On the Interfaces tab, they will not be checked/included in the architecture, but will be available to be checked/included by the user.

“Unsupported Flows” that are not selected will be removed from the Interfaces tab by the build process. “Unsupported flows” are flows that are not valid based on the current physical object mappings and architecture definition. This commonly occurs when an element is remapped (e.g., changed from Information Service Provider to Media) after a build has already been performed. In this example, a subsequent build would remove all the ISP related flows from the customize tab for the remapped element.

Additional Information:

RAD-IT will only remove flows from the Interfaces tab:

1- When asked to remove untailored, not included flows or flows unrelated to the SPs by the user by using the “Include on the Interfaces tab” build setting.

2- When the mapping of an element is changed, the inappropriate flows will be removed (when using the “Include on the Interfaces tab” build setting = All possible flows).

Flows that have been tailored will never be removed from an architecture by the build process, even if they are no longer supported by the element to entity mapping. There is an “Unsupported Flows” report that will identify these flows for you.

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Now that we have seen how the build process looks, let’s look at some of the build settings available to us.

At the first step of the build process, you have an option to change the build settings.

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The three Interfaces Tab Options, from top to bottom, are:

• Only Selected Flows - Flows will only show up on the tab if they have been selected to be included (i.e. given a status of something other than Not Planned) in the current architecture. On large regional architectures this may help sort out exactly what you are starting with and can then edit out what you don’t need.

• Related Flows – All flows that are somehow associated with the selected service packages will be shown on the Interfaces tab. This may result in some Not Planned flows being displayed which presents some additional options to consider. The clutter is minimized in that these extra flows are at least related to a service you have already selected.

• All Possible Flows – All possible flows based on the mapping of the elements will be shown on the Interfaces tab. The most architecture flows will be shown on the tab. This option may be useful for smaller architectures where you aren’t exactly sure what services you need and just want to see all the possibilities. This is not recommended for a large inventory as the number of flows could reach into the tens of thousands.

Image Description: On the left, three screen captures of the Interfaces Tab option on the Build Settings window are shown. The top is set to

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Only Selected Flows, the middle is set to the middle for Related Flows and the bottom is set to All Possible Flows.

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RAD-IT Tool Training June 2017

The various build options of Flow Selection range from Conservative to Aggressive. The assignment of flows as Planned/Existing vs. Not Planned is based on your service packages choices and this build setting. A conservative build will select everything as Not Planned. A moderate build will include flows in your architecture if elements on both sides of the flow are included in a given service package. This is probably the best build setting, depending on how careful you were in your service package mapping. The aggressive build will select all flows, even if only one of the two elements on either side of the interface is included in the service package. Tends to select too many flows for most applications, possibly useful for project architectures or where a very limited service package mapping has been performed.

You ask what should I do if I do a build and realize that the build algorithm is including way too many flows in my architecture when I preview the changes to be made to the interfaces tab?

The answer is: Don’t make the changes to the interfaces tab, change the build setting, and do the build again.

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Here is the connect view of the interfaces after the build.

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Interface view customization is a two-step process

First will review interconnects to select interfaces appropriate for the architecture

Second will review information flows to verify the flow status and add and delete flows as necessary

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There are many options on the interfaces tab which can be used to assist in customizing the interfaces. On the Interfaces tab just to the right of the Build button, there are two view options for the Interfaces tab. Then there are eight buttons for display options. When a button is selected, it is highlighted as white or light blue. To the left of the Build button is the element selection pull-down menu. Let’s look at each of these options now.

Image Description: A screen capture is shown of the RAD-IT Interfaces tab with curly braces around the two View Option buttons, eight Display Options buttons and the Element Selection Menu.

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The connects view of the Interface tab lists and allows editing of interconnects in the architecture. Every row in the table is an interconnect (or potential interconnect) in the architecture. Remember that an interconnect is non-directional so there isn’t a source or a destination. Each row just represents an interconnect between the two elements. A communication element (defined on the Inventory tab) can be related to an interconnect. This allows the communication system that is or will be used for an interface to be identified in the architecture.

To add an interconnect to the architecture, check the Include box. To remove an interconnect, uncheck the Include box. You can use the Select All to select all listed interconnects (i.e. check the include boxes) or Clear All to unselect them. As always in RAD-IT, you must accept or cancel any changes made.

Image Description: A screen capture is shown of the RAD-IT Interfaces tab with two arrows pointing to the Connected Elements, another pointing to the Include column of checkboxes, another to the Select All and Clear All buttons, another to the Apply button and another to the Cancel button.

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For a project architecture, the Connects view of the Interfaces tab is very similar but includes the additional In Region column. The In Region check boxes identifies the interfaces that are included in the regional architecture. This allows you to compare the project to the region at a glance. The In Region check boxes cannot be edited because that would be changing the regional architecture, and you are currently in a project architecture.

Image Description: A screen capture is shown of the RAD-IT Interfaces tab of a project architecture with an arrow pointing to the In Region column.

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In the Flows view of the Interfaces tab, every row in the table represents a single architecture flow. Since these are architecture flows going in a specific direction, there is a source element and a destination element. Each flow also has a status. To add a flow, you can select the Include check box or change the status to something other than Not Planned.

Image Description: A screen capture is shown of the RAD-IT Interfaces tab with arrows pointing to the Source Element, Flow Name, Destination Element and Status columns.

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As in the Connects view, for a project architecture the Flows view includes the In Region column.

Image Description: A screen capture is shown of the RAD-IT Interfaces tab of a project architecture with an arrow pointing to the In Region column.

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The Group button only changes the display by not repeating duplicate info in adjacent rows. The Group feature can be useful when customizing an architecture since it visually groups interfaces together.

Image Description: A screen capture is shown of the RAD-IT Interfaces tab with a box around the Group button and an arrow pointing to the Source Element column that has repeat entries hidden.

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There are three ways to sort the interface information on the Interfaces tab.

• You may simply click on a column header to sort the selected column first, and then all columns to the left.

• The Sort button offers the most commonly used sorts on a pull-down menu. The options depend upon the view and other options being used.

Image Description: A screen capture is shown of the RAD-IT Interfaces tab with an arrow pointing to Source Element column, a box around the Sort button and an arrow pointing to the Sort options pull-down menu.

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The Filter button allows the interfaces to be limited to certain categories. Filters provide a way to focus on particular types of entities (e.g., centers), interconnects (e.g., center to center), flows (e.g. to exclude request flows), or service packages (e.g. select a particular service package). These are the same filters used to tailor reports and diagrams so we will cover them in detail in Module 4. On the Interfaces tab, the Filters button is a toggle. You select it to filter the interfaces displayed and you select it again to deactivate the filter. When the filter is active, the button is highlighted (as blue). To set the filters you can right click on the Filters button.

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The Elements button can be used to show the interfaces of one or more elements of your choice. To select the elements, click on the Elements button to open the element selection window. This is the window used to tailor reports and diagrams. To tailor the interfaces shown on the Interfaces tab, you select the elements for which you want to see the interfaces between. If you want to see all interfaces for the element(s), not just the interfaces between the selected elements, you must select the Show All Interfaces checkbox at the top. For example, as in the Element Selection window shown, there are four elements selected. Since Show All Interfaces is not selected, only the six (or less) interfaces between the four elements will be shown. If I really want to see all the interfaces for the four elements, I need to select the Show All Interfaces checkbox.

Once the element selection is made, you must apply the Elements filter to the Interfaces tab by selecting (i.e. left clicking on) the Elements button. As with all of the buttons, the button is highlighted when the filter is active. To remove the Elements filter, you select the button again and the button will returns to gray.

If you only want to see interfaces for a single element, there is an easier way so let’s look at it now.

Image Description: A screen capture is shown of the RAD-IT Interfaces tab with a box around the Elements button. From the button, arrows lead to the Element Selection window.

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The Element Selection Menu item on the Interfaces tab allows interfaces for a single element to be displayed. The menu includes every element in the current architecture and an “All Elements” entry that is the default.

Image Description: A screen capture is shown of the RAD-IT Interfaces tab with an arrow pointing to the Element Selection Menu which has the Saucelito Event Clearinghouse element selected.

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The Limit button limits the displays to the interfaces that are selected (i.e. included in the current architecture.) As shown, without the Limit button selected, all interfaces are shown. With the Limit button selected, the Not Planned interfaces are not shown.

Image Description: Two screen captures are shown of the RAD-ITInterfaces tab each with a box around the Limit button. In the top image Limit is not selected so the button is gray and planned and not planned flows are shown. In the bottom image Limit is selected so the button is blue and only planned are shown.

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The New Flow button limits the display to only interfaces that were added to the architecture by the last build. The New button is particularly useful following conversion to a newer version of RAD-IT since the first build after conversion probably will add many new architecture flows that would be difficult to locate without the New button.

Image Description: A screen capture is shown of the RAD-IT Interfaces tab with a box around the New button.

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The Info button is only available in the Flows view. For a selected flow, the Info button opens the Supplemental Flow Information window that gives the description and type of the flow and lists the associated projects, Source/Destination Entities, Service Packages and Replacement Flows. It also allows a comment to be added.

This is the only place that a comment can be added for an architecture flow which could be used to define a property of the flow (such as via in-vehicle data terminal) or to explain the rationale for including or excluding the flow from the architecture.

Image Description: At the top, a screen capture is shown of the RAD-ITInterfaces tab with a box around the Info button. A large arrow points from the top flow (i.e. field equipment status going from City Operations Center to GARLIC Information System) to the Supplemental Flow Information window for the field equipment status flow.

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The Present (short for Presentation) button enlarges the font size of the interface text so that it is easier to read. This is useful when presenting the information in RAD-IT.

Image Description: Two screen captures are shown of the RAD-ITInterfaces tab each with a box around the Present button. In the top one, the Present button is not selected and the flows are shown in a small font size. In the bottom one, the Present button is selected and the flows are shown in a larger font size.

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Time for a knowledge check.

Match the button on the left with its function on the right.

(Click to display the first answer.)

The Group button hides repeating entries on the interfaces displayed.

(Click to display the second answer.)

The Sort button organizes the interface display by sorting based on a selected column, sorting the columns left to right or based for a common sort option.

(Click to display the third answer.)

The Filter button focuses on particular entities, interconnects, flows or Service Packages.

(Click to display the fourth answer.)

The Limit button shows the included interfaces only so it hides those that are Not Planned.

(Click to display the fifth answer.)

The New button shows interfaces that the last build added.

(Click to display the sixth answer.)

The Present button enlarges the font size so it is easier to read the interfaces.

Image Description: On the right from top to bottom are shown the Group, Sort, Filter, Limit, New and Present buttons.

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Defining the interfaces between ITS elements allows the applicable ITS standards for the interfaces to be identified. Identifying ITS standards is covered in the next Module (Module 10) of this course.

Image Description: The diagram showing relationships between architecture components in RAD-IT is shown with the Interfaces box highlighted with an arrow pointing from it to the Standards box.

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From output tool bar you are able to produce outputs for a completed or partially defined Regional or Project Architecture. To view the Interfaces output for an architecture, you select “Output” then “tables” from the tool bar at the top of the RAD-IT window. This opens the output tables window. You can traverse through the categories to find the Interfaces table under Interfaces & Standards Topics.

There are a number of interfaces related table available in RAD-IT.

In the Interfaces folder:

• Interconnect: Shows the interconnected elements and their status values for the interconnects in the current architecture, similar to the “Interconnect” diagram. It can also show what communications elements the interconnect is using.

• Information Flows - Shows the permutations of element interfaces included and not included in the architecture, as well as, subsystems, terminators, and information flows with optional designation of project and the elements that exist or are planned for the future. Use the Filters and Elements button to select what is included.

• Flow Definitions - presents the information flows and definitions for this architecture.

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Image Description: An image of the RAD-IT Output tool bar, with tables highlighted, is shown. A large arrow from the highlighted table selection points to a screen capture of a RAD-IT Output Tables dialog box.

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Use the top right arrow to select individual columns to include (they will then move to the Selected Columns area). You can also use the double right arrow to include all the columns.

To view the report, you select the “Open Application” button in the Output Tables window. The report opens in a new window from which you can view, print & save the report.

Image Description: A screen capture of the RAD-IT Output Tables dialog box is shown, with a box around the “Open Application”. A large arrow points from the Open Application button to a screen capture of the preview of a Interconnect table.

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To view the report, you select the “Open Application” button in the Output Table window. The report opens in a new window from which you can view, print & save the report.


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To view the report, you select the “Open Application” button in the Output Tables window. The report opens in a new window from which you can view, print & save the report.


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To create diagrams in RAD-IT, select Output and Diagrams from the menu bar. The Diagrams window will open. There are three types of diagrams, two of which are interface related.

• Subsystem Diagram: As we saw in Module 5 on inventory, this diagram shows the types of subsystems contained in the current architecture.

• Interconnect Diagram: Shows the selected interfaces between elements.

• Flow Diagram: Shows the selected architecture flows between elements.

To set up a diagram, you can use a filter, element selection and diagram settings. You can also create a “batch” of diagrams. We will look at these features in detail in Module 12 on Reports, Diagrams and Web Pages. To view a diagram, you select the Preview button.

Image Description: On the left, a screen capture of the RAD-IT Output-Diagrams menu is shown. A large arrow points to the Diagrams window.

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This is an example of an Interconnect diagram for Tomato Project. Note that RAD-IT is basing the status of the interconnects on the underlying architecture flows.

Image Description: An interconnect diagram showing eleven elements and the interconnects between them.

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This is an example of a Flow diagram (for the same interfaces of the interconnect diagram on the previous slide).

Image Description: A flow diagram for the same interfaces as shown on the interconnect diagram is shown.

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Time for an exercise on interfaces. This exercise will use the same database and architecture as in the previous exercises. If you need the database, click on the screen where indicted to download it.

If it is not already open, open the marinaraforexercises database in RAD-IT and select the Marinara County Regional Architecture.

Let’s look at the objective of the exercise before we complete it.

Image Description: A symbol identifying this slide as part of a hands-on exercise is shown.

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In this exercise we will add and begin to tailor interfaces for the Marinara County regional architecture.


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Now complete the exercise by performing the following steps.

On Interfaces tab, set the Build settings to show all possible flows on the interfaces tab and for a moderate build .

Perform the Build and add all recommended architecture flows to the architecture. Several flows are identified based upon the changes made to the inventory and services and many more potential flows will just be added as not planned.


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RAD-IT includes the MC Freeway Management Center currently providing resource deployment status to Saucelito Fire and Rescue Center AND MC Public Safety Communications and Dispatch Centers. In the foreseeable future Saucelito Fire and Rescue is the only system that receive information from the MC Freeway Management Center to MC Public Safety Communications and Dispatch Centers should be removed from the architecture (i.e. given a status of “not planned”).

Image Description: A flow diagram showing MC Freeway Management Center currently providing resource deployment status to Saucelito Fire and Rescue Center AND MC Public Safety Communications and Dispatch Centers.

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The interface between MC Freeway Management Center and Saucelito Fire and Rescue Center will be reflected on the interconnect in the architecture.


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For the Marinara County Regional Architecture, View the Interconnects and Information Flow tables and confirm that the tailored interfaces are includedappropriately.


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Let’s wrap up the exercise with a knowledge check.

What information does the SCDOT Loops and Controllers send to the SCDOT City Operations Center?

(Click to display the correct answer.)

By looking at the interfaces on the Interface tab, we see that the SCDOT Loops and Controllers sends “Traffic Flow” to the SCDOT City Operations Center. Using the Info button we can see the details information about this flow.

Image Description: A screen capture of the interfaces tab listing flows with the “traffic flow” flow from the SCDOT Loops and Controllers to the SCDOT City Operations Center highlighted. An arrow points from the flow to the Supplemental Flow Information window for the flow.

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You have completed Module 9: INTERFACES Tab. You are now able to:

Explain how to access the Interfaces Tab in RAD-IT Architecture

Explain the key features of the Interfaces Tab

Be able to modify information on the Interfaces Tab

Return to the training curriculum to select the next module. To close this window, select the "X" in the upper right hand corner of your screen.

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Documents

RAD-IT Tool Training - Module 9 - INTERFACES 2017-06-13local.iteris.com/arc-it/training/radit/RADIT_TrngMod09.pdfImage description: A screen capture of the RAD-IT Interfaces tab. June