How do I Protect Model?

At times you may want to prevent people from changing your model or even from looking at the logic you used to create the model. Model protection provides the ability to lock the model and hide all of the dialogs except the scenarios. Proprietary logic is hidden from view. Of course, you maintain the ability to modify the model by providing a password that unlocks the model.

When this feature is enabled, a working model can be delivered to a client, but they can not see or modify any of the information in Activities, Routings, Resources or Storages. They can not export the model to see proprietary information. If you set it up, the recipient can be allowed to have access to run scenarios. This completely protects your valuable process information.

Some of the ways that we have seen this used includes:

1. Locking the model so that Run-Time users can not change anything that you don’t want then to be able to change.
   • They can not add or delete graphical elements.
   • They can not change times or action logic.
   • They can change scenarios if you set it up.
2. Don’t release model detail to a client until they have paid for services rendered.
   • They can verify the model functionality.
   • They can verify the output.
   • They can not modify or see the details of how you set up the model.
   • Providing the client with a password unlocks the detail.
3. Releasing detailed models to a potential client without losing leverage of knowledge acquired.
   1. The client can exercise the model, seeing animation and output.
   2. The client can not see how you made the model handle complex situations.
4. Protecting sensitive information when files are transferred or left on a common computer.

Password Rules:

• The password is case-sensitive.
• The password has no minimum length.
• Spaces and other special characters may be used.

How To – Protect Model Data

1. Select Protect Document from the Tools menu.

2. Enter a password in the Protect Document dialog. Verify the password in the next field. Remember this password. There is no alternate recovery method.

3. Click OK.

Once you have set the password, new shapes can’t be added, the model can’t be changed and the data in the Properties dialogs can’t be seen. Your model is protected.

How To – Unprotect a Model

1. Select Unprotect Document from the Tools menu.

2. Enter the correct password.

3. Click OK.

The access to all aspects of the model is restored.