MDConnect uses DOORS COM APIs to connect to an active DOORS application, to retrieve or publish data as necessary. This is why MDConnect must reside in the same environment as the DOORS Application. If a DOORS client is accessed through Citrix, MDConnect (and its hosting application, either Eclipse or Rational Software Architect for example), must be installed in this Citrix environment as well.
All linking information between DOORS requirements and model elements is stored in DOORS, using regular formal and link modules. The modeling application (e.g. Rational Software Architect) is completely left untouched. User does not need write access in the modeling application.
To enable this linking, MDConnect need to have DOORS objects to represent each model element going to be linked to other DOORS requirements. Before linking elements, the user is requested to create a surrogate module, to create those DOORS object facades.
All modifications in MDConnect (a link added, a modified Object Heading, etc.) are made locally, disconnected from DOORS. At some point you need to commit the changes to DOORS. You are encouraged to synchronize quite frequently to DOORS, to ensure MDConnect is notified of modifications made by other users, and to ensure your changes are not based on stale data.
Synchronizing the DOORS Requirements
Creating a DOORS Surrogate Module for a Domain Model