XML-based management of test, diagnostic info on electronic control devices in Mercedes-Benz vehicles

Software AG has implemented a workflow-supported XML document management system for diagnostic data at DaimlerChrysler, making the global motor vehicle manufacturer the first in the industry to use XML for this purpose.

The system, which is being implemented at all DaimlerChrysler manufacture and assembly plants worldwide including SA, centralises diagnostic data and integrates it into existing test and diagnostic processes for the electronic control devices in Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The central server is located in Germany.

According to Software AG South Africa general manager, Joe Curran, the process previously used by DaimlerChrysler to manage diagnostic data was reaching the limits of its capabilities: data was becoming increasingly complex in structure and increasingly unmanageable in volume. The process, which was based on SGML and object-oriented database technology, also did not provide adequate document management functionality.

Curran said the XML-based solution also has applications outside the automobile industry and Software AG now intends to market it to other industries under the name xDWS (XML-based Document Workflow and Storage System).

The XML standard is also favoured in the ISO's ODX (Open Diagnostic Data Exchange) initiative for cross-enterprise provision of diagnostic data. The Software AG solution is used for exchanging diagnostic data between DaimlerChrysler group companies, in particular for shared components common to different makes.

Expanding on the critical function of the Software AG solution, Curran said testing and diagnosis of electronic control devices and the interactions between them is more important in modern automobiles than ever before. This is true at every stage of a vehicle's lifecycle, from the initial prototype through mass production and on to after-sales service.

Specialised diagnostic tools used by manufacturers' development, production and service departments therefore must have access to the relevant information about the specific control devices deployed. This data has to be managed centrally by the responsible engineers, be comprehensible wherever it appears and, once the go-ahead for series production of a particular model has been given, must be set to 'frozen' status in the binary code for the test devices, he said.

Briefly describing xDWS, Curran said, alongside standard database functionalities, the brief for the xDWS project also called for a modern process management solution allowing flexible definition of processes taking place over an indefinite period of time, with multiple sub-processes that may also run in parallel.

Automation of the entire document workflow was also needed. Another requirement was the deployment of the XML standard (eXtensible Markup Language) - this standard has enormous potential for the future development of DaimlerChrysler IT systems. The perfect solution was Software AG's Tamino XML Server, which offers excellent operational performance and stability thanks to its native XML implementation.

In addition to the central DIOGENES XML document for testing and diagnosis, xDWS allows DaimlerChrysler to manage, interlink and version-protect a whole range of other document types, such as specifications, test results and supplementary texts, in a document container defined for each individual control device. These containers can also hold technical graphics and images, as well as virtual views of information taken from a range of documents.

xDWS also manages all the metadata required for rules-based workflow control. A comprehensive access administration system with user, group and role definition was implemented, as was a connection to the global DaimlerChrysler group's central corporate directory. This integrated rights model means that specific users can be allocated access rights to individual document types within a container.

All workflow processes can be designed quickly and easily using a graphics tool and the finished process design is then fully mapped in XML. Users can find the processes and documents they need to work with in their personalized area on the xDWS intranet portal, allowing them to define specific control devices as their 'Favourites' for speedy access, he concluded.