Rational Software Modeler
| Company type | Software |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software development |
| Predecessor | Rational Rose, IBM Rational XDE |
| Founded | December 2004 |
| Founder | IBM Rational Software division |
| Defunct | 2015 |
| Fate | Marketing ceased in 2010; support ended in 2015; capabilities integrated into Rational Software Architect |
Area served | Global |
Key people | Grady Booch, James Rumbaugh, Ivar Jacobson (originators of UML methodology) |
| Products | Visual modeling and design application based on UML 2.0 standards, Eclipse plugin |
| Owner | IBM |
| Parent | IBM Rational Software division |
Rational Software Modeler (RSM), created by IBM's Rational Software division, is a visual modeling and design application grounded in Unified Modeling Language (UML) 2.0 standards. Leveraging the open-source Eclipse platform, RSM facilitates visual modeling and model-driven development (MDD) for building applications and web services. IBM ceased marketing RSM in 2010 and terminated its support by 2015, integrating much of its capabilities into Rational Software Architect.
Overview
The last significant edition, Version 7, of Rational Software Modeler included:
- Compatibility with UML version 2.1
- Capabilities for model-to-model transformations
- Tools for managing models during concurrent development and architectural restructuring, such as splitting, merging, comparing, and combining models and fragments
- Implementation of design patterns
RSM works seamlessly with IBM Rational products like ClearCase for configuration management and ClearQuest to handle defect tracking and change management.
As a plugin for Eclipse, RSM installs on Eclipse version 3.2 either as an extension or a standalone setup, supporting both third-party Eclipse plugins and Rational-specific add-ons.
History
The origins of Rational Software's application modeling trace back to the early 1990s when Grady Booch, James Rumbaugh, and Ivar Jacobson merged competing methodologies into what became the Unified Modeling Language (UML).
Their initial flagship product, Rational Rose, was a standalone visual modeling tool that incorporated API-level integration with external Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), allowing support across various programming languages and platforms.
Although Rational Rose advanced Model-driven development (MDD), widespread adoption was hindered as developers favored modeling embedded directly within their IDEs. To address this need, Rational introduced IBM Rational XDE in 2002, focusing on Java and Microsoft .NET platforms. XDE served as an evolution of Rational Rose rather than a replacement but supported fewer IDEs and technologies. The growing feature set resulted in complex point-to-point integrations that highlighted the limitations of this strategy.
In response, IBM created a new generation of MDD tools based on Eclipse technology, including IBM Rational Software Architect, IBM Rational Software Modeler, and IBM Rational Systems Developer. These solutions combined modeling, development, and code analysis into a more cohesive design environment.
IBM Rational Software Modeler versions
- v6.0: Launched December 2004; built on Eclipse v3.0 with UML v2.0 support.
- v7.0: Released December 2006; based on Eclipse v3.2 supporting UML v2.1.
- v7.5: Issued September 2008.
- v7.5.5.5: The final published version.