Network maps for projects

Permissions and access

Minimum role: Researcher

In the CoBaseKRM web client, a network map is a visual framework for organizing data files and metadata by a project's activities and tasks. You can also create subprojects to represent meaningful groups of activities belonging to a parent project.

Network Map tab for a project

When you navigate into a project from the Projects view, the Network Map tab is displayed by default. The following screenshot shows the various components within the Network Map tab for a project.

A network map is structured by the following key objects:

• A node object represents an individual project activity, such as a research experiment that follows a prescribed set of process parameters. Data belonging to a single node are organized into records, which are saved when data files are uploaded to the database. Other metadata and relevant details in relation to a node are also saved. The following node types are supported:

  • A branch node represents a level within the data hierarchy of a path. The branch node at the top level of a path is created when a network map is created. You can create other branch nodes at other levels of a path.

  • A leaf node represents a child node that is created from a parent node within the same branch or level of the hierarchy of a path.

  Each node within a network map has only one set of managed observations and parameters. A node can contain any number of supplementary files, which are not version controlled. But data sets that are structurally different or ones that should be maintained separately for any logical reason should be associated to their own separate nodes, if they are being uploaded as managed observations.

• A node category is a general category for grouping nodes by a particular process or type of experiment. Each node category is defined with a hex color code to visually differentiate nodes that belong to it. The default, predefined node categories are:

  • Hypothesis - denotes a project activity that is related to a hypothesis and may be the root node of a given path of a network map
  • Experiment - denotes a project activity that is an experiment or scientific investigation using a prescribed method and may involve testing and data collection
  • Conclusion - denotes a project activity that involves reviewing, analyzing, and summarizing performance results and decision making for continuing with next phases of a project or concluding a project
  • JMP - denotes a project activity that involved uploading a JMP data table and/or models

• A connector is a connecting line between nodes that denotes a relationship.

• A path is a series of nodes that represents a group of related activities in the network map of a project. A project's network map can have more than one path.

View control buttons for a network map

The following view control icon buttons are used to help you view the details of a network map. They are positioned at the top right within the Network Map tab for a project.

Icon or Button	Tooltip	Description
	Expand nodes or collapse nodes toggle button	In the default view of a network map, the short versions of long node names are displayed. By clicking or tapping the Expand nodes toggle button, the display of the network map is reconfigured to display full versions of long node names. To revert to the default view of the network map, click or tap the Collapse Nodes toggle button.
	Full screen view	Expands the view of the Network Map tab to fullscreen to fill the tab of the browser window
	Normal screen view	Displays the normal view of the Network Map tab within the tab of the browser window
	Restores default view	Restores the default view dimensions of the Network Map tab
	Zoom in	Zooms in the dislay to show a closer view of the Network Map tab
	Zoom out	Zooms out the dislay to show a broader view of the Network Map tab

Create a network map and its root node

When you create a new project, the Network Map tab view is empty by default. Use the Create First Network Map button to create a first network map and its root node. If you want to create additional network maps, use the New Network Map (plus symbol) button.

To create a network map and its root node for a project:

1. Create either of the following:

   • a first path for a new project by clicking or tapping the Create First Network Map button

     

   • a new path in addition to one or more existing paths by clicking or tapping the New Path (plus symbol) button

     

     

2. In the Path Name field, type a name for the new network map.

3. In the Node Name field, type a name for the root node of the new network map.

4. In the Node Category field, select a node category that you want the root node to belong to.

   Note

   The Template field for the root node is automatically assigned the name of the default template assigned to the given project.

5. Optional: To assign a different template to the root node, other than the project-assigned template, for parameter matching, click or tap the Assign Template field and either select an existing template or create a new template.

6. Click the Create Node button.

   The new network map and its root node are displayed in the Network Map view.

Create a node within a branch

To create a node within a branch:

1. Click or tap the circle icon to the right of an existing node in a branch. From the menu, select the New node option.

   

   The New Node dialog appears.

   

2. In the Node Name field, type a name for the new node.

3. In the Node Category field, select a node category that you want the new node to belong to.

4. Optional: To assign a template to the node, select one of the following options:

   • To assign a project template to the new node, click or tap the Assign Template field and select a template name from the list.

   • To assign the same template that has been assigned to the preceding node, select the Copy the Template from the Parent Node checkbox.

5. Click or tap the Create Node button.

   The new node is created to the right of the preceding node of the same branch.

Create a branch node

A branch node is the first node of a new branch that stems from from an existing branch of a network map.

To create a branch node:

1. Click or tap the circle icon button to the right of an existing node in a branch. From the menu, select the New branch node option.

   

   The New branch node dialog appears.

   

2. In the Node Name field, type a name for the new node.

3. In the Node Category field, select a node category that you want the new node to belong to.

   Note

   The system turns on the Copy template from parent node checkbox and display a template preview by default to enable the new branch node to inherit the same template as the preceding node, but you have the option to assigning a different template.

4. Optional: To select and assign a different template to the new branch node, turn off the Copy template from parent node checkbox and click the Assign Template field to select a different template name or create a template.

5. Click or tap Create Branch Node button.

   The new branch node appears in the related network map, stemming from an existing branch.

Create a new template for a new node

This task is optional and is part of step 4 of the create a new node within a branch workflow and the create a new branch node workflow.

To create a template for a new node:

1. In the New Node dialog or New Branch Node dialog, if the Copy template from parent node checkbox is turned on, click to turn it off.

2. Click or tap the Assign Template field and from the drop-down list, select the Create Template option.

   

The New Template dialog appears.

1. In the Template Name field, type the name that you want to assign to the new template.

2. Optional: If you want to define a description for the new template, type it in the Description field.

3. In the list of parameters, select the checkboxes of the parameters that you want to add to the new template.

   The selected parameters are displayed on the left side in the Parameters to use in template section.

   Note

   If you want to preview the selected parameters in the new template, click or tap the Preview Template button to display the Template Preview window. To close the Template Preview window, click or tap Close Preview.

4. In the New Template dialog, click or tap Save Template.

   The New Template dialog disappears, and the new template name is listed in the Assign Template field of the New Node dialog or New Branch Node dialog.

Archive and restore functions

The web client supports the ability to archive network maps and nodes, which become inactive. Also supported is the ability to restore archived network maps and nodes so that they become reactivated.

Note

Because archived network maps and nodes are inactive, their names and IDs are not searchable in the Search view. If archived network maps and nodes are restored and become reactivated, their names and IDs become searchable once again.

More details about the archive and restore functions are outlined in the corresponding sections below.

Because nodes are connected by existing data object relationships, when a node is archived or restored, the web client will update affected relationships accordingly, as described in the corresponding sections below.

Archive a network map

When you archive a network map, all of its dependent objects also become archived and inactive. Therefore, details of an archived network map and its dependent objects will not be searchable in the Search view.

To archive a network map:

1. In the Network Map tab for a project, click the menu icon to the right of the name of the network map that you want to archive, and select the Archive network map option.

The Archive network map dialog appears, informing you of the resulting behavior if you proceed with the action.

- To cancel the archive action, click or tap **Cancel**.

- To proceed with archiving the given network map, click or tap **Archive**.

The web client removes the network map from the **Network Map** tab of the project. The network map name becomes listed on the **Archived Network Maps** tab for the project. In the listing, the name of the archived network map, created date, username of the user who created the network map, related node names, and archive date are also displayed.

![Archived Network Maps tab for a project](img/archived_network_maps_tab_for_project.png)

Archive a node

When you archive a node, it and all of its dependent objects will be removed from the related network map of a project, will become inactive, and will not be searchable in the Search view.

To archive a node:

1. On the Network Map tab of a project, right-click on a node that you want to archive and from the menu, select Archive node.

The Archive node dialog appears.

1. In the input field, which is case sensitive, type the exact name of the node.

2. In the Reason field, type a reason for archiving the node.

3. Click or tap Archive.

The node is removed from the given network map and becomes listed with its archive date on the Archived Nodes tab for the related network map.

The node has become an inactive object and is undiscoverable in the Search view. A direct node relationship is created between the preceding node and successive node where the archived node was formerly positioned in the related network map.

Restore an archived network map

When you restore a network map to a project, all of its dependent objects will also become restored as active objects. The restored network map becomes searchable once again in the Search view.

To restore a network map:

1. On the Archived Network Maps tab for a project, select the checkbox to the left of the name of the archived network map to be restored.

2. Click or tap the Restore button.

The name of the network map is removed from the Archived network maps tab. The network map is restored to be displayed on the Network maps tag for the given project.

Restore an archived node

When you restore an archived node, all of its dependent objects will also become restored as active objects. You have the option of reconnecting the restored node to its former preceding node and successive node, if desired, or connect the restored node to different nodes.

To restore an archived node:

1. On the Archived Nodes tab for a project, select the checkbox beside the name of the archived node to be restored.

2. Click or tap the Restore button.

   

The archived node is removed from the Archived nodes tab, and is displayed in its former position and branch on the Network Maps tab of the given project.