Part 2 - EA Modelling: ArchiMate, Views and Viewpoints, Analysis of EA Models Flashcards
What are the drivers of the need for an integrated architecture language?
Or why ARIS, BPMN, UML don’t fit:
- Poor definition of relationship between domains (views).
- Poor alignment of layers.
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Situation in paxis = no standard…
- leading to misunderstanding and usage of “own” languages.
What does the service concept and concept of layering mean and how is ArchiMate generally designed?
Which are the main layers and their respective purposes of ArchiMate?
- Business layer
- Application layer
- Technology layer
- Implementation & Migration layer
What are the ArchiMate modeling dimensions?
- External (services, interfaces) - Internal
- Collective (interaction, collaboration) - Individual
- Structural (active, passive) - Behavioral
What is the difference between structural and behavioral elements?
Structural elements can be active or passive and can represent business actors or data objects.
Behavioral elements (like processes, functions) represent the behavior performed by actors (active structural elements).
What are the main concepts on the different layers and what is their respective purpose?
Business layer:
- offers products and services to external customers, which are realized in the organization by business processes.
Application layer:
- supports the business layer with application services which are realized by (software) applications functions and components.
Technology layer:
- offers infrastructural services (e.g. processing, storage and communication services) needed to run applications, realized by computer and communication devices and system software.
How are the three layers of ArchiMate interconnected?
They are interconected through services.
What are the posibilites of modeling:
interconnection
cooperation
collaboration
between elements on each layer?
How can the (main) elements of ArchiMate be related to one another?
Relations can be done through (see picture):
- Association
- Access
- Used by
- Realisation
- Flow
- Triggering
- Specialization
- Assignment
- Aggregation
- Composition
- Grouping
Which elements and relations regard behavioural aspects and which regard structural aspects?
What are the two extensions to ArchiMate?
- Motivation Extension
- Implementation and Migration Extension
How does the meta-model of ArchiMate (in its entirety) looks like?
It depicts all the possible interactions between the elements of the Business, Application and Technology layers (see picture).
Regarding ArchiMate, what are views and viewpoints?
A view is governed by its viewpoint: the viewpoint establishes the conventions for construction, interpreting and analyzing the view to address concerns framed by that viewpoint.
A viewpoint is a specification of the conventions for constructing and using views.
For which purposes are viewpoints defined on an architecture?
A viewpoint is a specification of the conventions for constructing and using views.
How can viewpoints generally be classified?
How do the classification dimensions look like?
Viewpoints can be classified by:
-
Purpose:
- Designing
- Deciding = decision making
- Informing
-
Content:
- Details = one layer
- Coherence = multi layers or multi aspects
- Overview = multi layers and multi aspects
How do general guidelines for the creation of viewpoins look like?
A general guideline follows:
- Scoping
- Creation of views
- Validation
- Obtaining commitmen (if applicable)
- Informing
What application scenarios exist for model analysis?
What 8 analysis types does Niemann introduce?
- Dependency Analysis
- Coverage Analysis
- Interface Analysis
- Heterogeneity Analysis
- Complexity Analysis
- Compliancy Analysis
- Cost Analysis
- Benefit Analysis
From the 8 analysis types introduced by Niemann:
What is the aim of each type?
What are typical questions?
-
Dependency Analysis
- What elements will be affected when “X” is replaced?
-
Coverage Analysis
- Find redundancy or gaps in IT support (landscape map)
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Interface Analysis
- Interconnection of systems? Interfaces on standards?
-
Heterogeneity Analysis
- How many different technologies for the same problem exist?
-
Complexity Analysis
- How many ERP systems are deployed in total?
-
Compliancy Analysis
- Compliance with Government regulations?
- ——– Functional / Non-functional ——–
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Cost Analysis
- Cost for using “X”?
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Benefit Analysis
- Contribution of app “X” to the enterprise goals?
What are the (5) dimensions of analysis?
The 5 dimensions of analysis are:
- Body of analysis
- Time Reference
- Analysis Techniques
- Analysis Concerns
- Self Reference
How does a Gap analysis work?
What are the possible results of comparing two artifacts?
- Included
- Potential match
- Eliminated: intentionally, unintentionally
- Gap: to be deployed
Draw a general gap analysis matrix and explain its structure:
How do ArchiMate models have to be structured in order to perform a quantitative analysis?
(e.g. how does the general model structure looks like?)
- Norm to Sec
- Assumption: Services realized by exact one internal behaviour (e.g. function)
- Assupmtion: Internal behaviour elements (e.g. functions) can be assigned to max of one resource (e.g. application component)
Which quantitative input has to be provided in order to perform a quantitative analysis?
A quantitative analysis needs 3 inputs:
- Arrival frequency
- Service Time S
- Capacity R of resources
