The OpenGroup ArchiMate language provides a graphical language for representing enterprise architectures over time, including strategy, transformation and migration planning, as well as the motivation and rationale for the architecture. The standard has been designed to be as compact as possible, yet still usable for most enterprise architecture modeling needs. The figure below shows the elements of the ArchiMate Core framework.
The ArchiMate Specification is a modeling language that enables Enterprise Architects to describe, analyze and visualize relationships among architecture domains using easy to understand visuals representations. It also helps enterprise architects to:
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Draw NowThe ArchiMate language consists of the ArchiMate core language, which includes the Business, Application, and Technology Layers, along with elements to model the strategy and motivation underlying an architecture, as well as its implementation and migration. The Figure below shows a simplified mapping of how the ArchiMate language can be used in relation to the phases of the TOGAF Architecture Development Method (ADM).
Core Layers
The Business, Application, and Technology Layers support the description of the Business, Information Systems, and Technology Architecture domains defined by the TOGAF framework, as well as their interrelationships.
Strategy and Motivation Layers
The strategy and motivation elements in the ArchiMate language can be used to support the Requirements Management, Preliminary, and Architecture Vision phases of the TOGAF ADM, which establish the high level business goals, architecture principles, and initial business requirements. They are also relevant to the Architecture Change Management phase of the TOGAF ADM, since the phase deals with changing requirements.
Implementation and Migration Layers
The implementation and migration elements of the ArchiMate language support the implementation and migration of architectures through the Opportunities and Solutions, Migration Planning, and Implementation Governance phases of the TOGAF ADM.
The core layers have been there since the beginning of ArchiMate. It is what ArchiMate makes an Enterprise Architecture language in the first place, because you can model all these different aspects in a single coherent model. A layered view provides a natural way to look at service-oriented models. The higher layers use services that are provided by the lower layers. ArchiMate distinguishes three main layers:
Layers
The first dimension core entities are assigned to are the different layers of an enterprise architecture model. In the new ArchiMate, the enterprise architecture model is split into six layers:
With regards to the graphical representation of single entities, the layer an entity belongs to is indicated using different colors.
Higher layers use services provided by lower layers. The Business layer offers products and services to external customers which are realized by business processes performed by business actors. Application layer supports the business layer with application services which are realized by (software) applications. Technology layer offers infrastructural services (e.g., processing, storage and communication services) needed to run applications, realized by computer and communication hardware and system software.
Aspects
The second dimension is made up of three aspects, which the core entities are allocated to. In the graphical representation of elements, the assignment of an element to an aspect is visualized using different shapes.
Motivation Extension
The Motivation Extension (Drivers, Goals, Requirements, Principles, etc.) has been introduced in ArchiMate 2. The Motivational concepts are used to model the motivations, or reasons, that underlie the design or change of some enterprise architecture. The motivation extension adds motivational concepts such as goal, principle, and requirement. It corresponds to the “Why” column of the Zachman framework
Motivation elements assigned to this aspect are depicted using boxes with diagonal corners but are also color coded, indicating that it also constitutes a layer.
As shown the Figure above, the main reasons for enterprise architect to adopt ArchiMate are as follows:
A layered view provides a natural way to look at service-oriented models. The higher layers use services that are provided by the lower layers. ArchiMate distinguishes three main (Core) layers:
The ArchiMate Motivation elements enable the modeling of stakeholders, drivers for change, business goals, principles and requirements.
The ArchiMate Implementation and Migration elements enable the modeling of project portfolio management, gap analysis and transition and migration planning.
ArchiMate example – All layers
In the example ArchiMate model below, you can see the integration of the various ArchiMate layers.
ArchiMate diagram example – Information Structure
This example is comparable to the traditional information models created in the development of almost any information system. It shows the structure of the information used in the enterprise or in a specific business process or application, in terms of data types or (object-oriented) class structures. Furthermore, it may show how the information at the business level is represented at the application level in the form of the data structures used there, and how these are then mapped onto the underlying infrastructure; e.g., by means of a database schema.
ArchiMate Diagram example: Infrastructure
This example contains the software and hardware infrastructure elements supporting the application layer, such as physical devices, networks, or system software (e.g., operating systems, databases, and middleware).
More ArchiMate Diagram examples: