ArchiMate introduction
Wilbert Kraan
Overview
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ArchiMate background
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A little aside about Enterprise Architecture
ArchiMate motivation- what it's meant to do
ArchiMate application- what it's used for
How ArchiMate works
Tools
Experiences
Background
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Designed by a Dutch IT research group called Novay
(formerly the Telematica Instituut)
Currently used by many different organisations,
including practically all of Dutch HE, and 30 +
institutions in UK HE
Now an Open Group standard; i.e. vendor
independent
A little aside on Enterprise Architecture
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Architecture the thing:
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“The fundamental organization of a system embodied in its
components, their relationships to each other and to the
environment, and the principles guiding its design and
evolution.” (IEEE 1471)
Enterprise architecture the approach:
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“Continuous alignment of an enterprise’s assets and
capabilities with its mission and strategy.” (Fehskens, Open
Group)
“a coherent whole of principles, methods, and models that are
used in the design and realisation of an enterprise's
organisational structure, business processes, information
systems and infrastructure” (Lankhorst, Novay)
Motivation behind ArchiMate
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Enterprise Architecture modelling language
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i.e. It models:
 The organisation's structure
 Business processes
 Information systems
 Infrastructure
Resembles UML, but simpler and with a lot of added
enterprise architecture specific meaning
Complements BPMN and UML, doesn't replace them
Very good at modelling high level business entities
and processes, doesn't aim to model process itself in
detail
Application
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ArchiMate aims to ease communication between as
many different groups of people as possible (does not
necessarily capture everything)
Unified way of modelling EA
Offers a good drill down approach – describing,
analysing and visualising relations
A lot of experience with ArchiMate has resulted in
accepted, organisation-wide baseline models
How does Archimate work?
Information
(static)
Behaviour
Structure
(dynamic)
Business Layer
Application Layer
Infrastructure Layer
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How does Archimate work?
Behaviour
Business Layer
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How does Archimate work?
Information
Behaviour
(static)
Business Layer
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How does Archimate work?
Information
(static)
Behaviour
Structure
(dynamic)
Business Layer
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Insurance example: business layer
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Insurance example: business &
application layer
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Insurance example: application &
infrastructure layer
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Insurance example:
complete
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Summing up:
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Divided into sub layers
based on requirements
All three layers are
interdependent and
support each other
Views: you only ever
show a particular
audience the part that
they are interested in, in
the way that makes
sense to them
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Tools that support Archimate
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BiZZdesign Architect
IDS Sheer ARIS
Troux metis
Avolution Abacus
Sparxsystems Enterprise Architect
Templates for Microsoft Visio and Omnigroup
Omnigraffle
Some people have used generic UML tools
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Archi!
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Some experiences from the JISC
Enterprise Architecture projects
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Made users think in terms of business side rather
than the application/technical side.
Articulates the link between people, process,
information and systems.
Enhances the communication between different
stakeholders
Articulates the dataflow between systems and
services that can be depicted in a presentable and
understandable manner
Makes analysts consider the audience before drawing
activity diagrams
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Further information
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Archimate page of the Open Group:
http://www3.opengroup.org/subjectareas/enterprise/archimate
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Wilbert Kraan
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w.g.kraan@ovod.net
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First modelling exercise
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Tutorial sheet:
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http://tinyurl.com/archiTutorial
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Community Principles
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http://tinyurl.com/5r3e5jm
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