Hi,
I would answer it depends of what you want to do with because it can have a indirect huge impact on other objects like descriptors.
The only useful purpose of using variation is:
- to reduce the number of objects in your repository.
- to keep trace of differences between as-is and to-be by using an easy way
- keep history in your repository about which object has been removed, which one has been added and which one has been replaced (you keep the history of which object replace which object).
In the case you have written descriptors parsing the tree for documentation, keep in mind that you need to add a specific code for managing variations (to retreive the objects from the varied objects and so on). You descriptor can be at the end more complex to create and to maintain, and the template of your document much harder to build especially if you want to build a generic template.
For sure if you duplicate, you have no trace about the differences. But these information can be written in the comment tab.
If I can give you advices:
- use variations only if you have few differences between As-Is and To-be. If you have to change a lot of things duplicate your as-is to create your to-be.
- use variations only at one level of details. DO NOT use variations at several levels of details (N-1, N-2, N-3.....). Too many variations nested one inside the other (variations tree) becomes unmanageable as it can have impact at the upper level and lower level at the same time.
- Keep in mind that retreiving information from the N+n (where n>=2) parent in a variation tree is not so easy (descriptors can be very difficult to write and can drive you crazy ;o) )
- If you are close to the ower level of objects hierarchy (Application, Database, Artifact), you can use variations without any issue.....but if you are at higher level in your hierarchy of object as : Resource Architecture > Resource Architecture > Resource Architecture > Artifact > Application...... think twice.
In your case, I would say that you can use variation.
I hope it will help you.
Emmanuel
