How to Draw ArchiMate 3.0.1 Diagram?

ArchiMate is a modeling technique for describing enterprise architectures. It divides architecture into three layers - business layer, application layer and technology layer. The business layer offers products and services to external customers. The application layer supports business layer and the technology layer offers infrastructural services for application layer.

A part of a sample ArchiMate diagram

Creating ArchiMate diagram

1. Select Diagram > New from the application toolbar.
2. In the New Diagram window, select ArchiMate Diagram.
3. Click Next.
4. Enter the diagram name and description. The Location field enables you to select a model to store the diagram.
5. Click OK.

ArchiMate Notations

ArchiMate Business Layer Notations

ArchiMate Business Layer Notations

Name Representation Defiintion * Business Actor A business entity that is capable of performing behavior. Business Role The responsibility for performing specific behavior, to which an actor can be assigned, or the part an actor plays in a particular action or event. Business Collaboration An aggregate of two or more business internal active structure elements that work together to perform collective behavior. Business Process A sequence of business behaviors that achieves a specific outcome such as a defined set of products or business services. Business Function A collection of business behavior based on a chosen set of criteria (typically required business resources and/or competencies), closely aligned to an organization, but not necessarily explicitly governed by the organization. Business Interaction A unit of collective business behavior performed by (a collaboration of) two or more business roles. Business Event A business behavior element that denotes an organizational state change. It may originate from and be resolved inside or outside the organization. Business Service An explicitly defined exposed business behavior. Business Interface A point of access where a business service is made available to the environment. Business Object A concept used within a particular business domain. Product A coherent collection of services and/or passive structure elements, accompanied by a contract/set of agreements, which is offered as a whole to (internal or external) customers. Contract A formal or informal specification of an agreement between a provider and a consumer that specifies the rights and obligations associated with a product and establishes functional and non-functional parameters for interaction. Representation A perceptible form of the information carried by a business object.

ArchiMate Business Layer Notations

ArchiMate Application Layer Notations

ArchiMate Application Layer Notations

Name Representation Definition * Application Collaboration An aggregate of two or more application components that work together to perform collective application behavior. Application Component An encapsulation of application functionality aligned to implementation structure, which is modular and replaceable. It encapsulates its behavior and data, exposes services, and makes them available through interfaces. Application Service An explicitly defined exposed application behavior. Application Function Automated behavior that can be performed by an application component. Application Interaction A unit of collective application behavior performed by (a collaboration of) two or more application components. Application Interface A point of access where application services are made available to a user, another application component, or a node. Application Process   A sequence of application behaviors that achieves a specific outcome. Application Event   An application behavior element that denotes a state change. Data Object Data structured for automated processing.

ArchiMate Application Layer Notations

ArchiMate Technology Layer Notations

ArchiMate Technology Layer Notations

Name Representation Definition * Node A computational or physical resource that hosts, manipulates, or interacts with other computational or physical resources. Device A physical IT resource upon which system software and artifacts may be stored or deployed for execution. System Software Software that provides or contributes to an environment for storing, executing, and using software or data deployed within it. Technology Interface A point of access where technology services offered by a node can be accessed. Technology Function A collection of technology behavior that can be performed by a node. Technology Service An explicitly defined exposed technology behavior. Technology Collaboration   An aggregate of two or more nodes that work together to perform collective technology behavior. Technology Interaction   A unit of collective technology behavior performed by (a collaboration of) two or more nodes. Technology Event   A technology behavior element that denotes a state change. Technology Process   A sequence of technology behaviors that achieves a specific outcome. Artifact A piece of data that is used or produced in a software development process, or by deployment and operation of a system. Communication Path A link between two or more nodes, through which these nodes can exchange data or material. Network A set of structures that connects computer systems or other electronic devices for transmission, routing, and reception of data or data-based communications such as voice and video.

ArchiMate Technology Layer Notations

ArchiMate Physical Elements' Notations

ArchiMate Physical Elements' Notations

Name Representation Definition * Equipment One or more physical machines, tools, or instruments that can create, use, store, move, or transform materials. Facility A physical structure or environment. Distribution Network A physical network used to transport materials or energy. Material Tangible physical matter or physical elements.

ArchiMate Physical Elements' Notations

ArchiMate Strategy Elements' Notations

ArchiMate Strategy Elements' Notations

Name Representation Definition * Resource An asset owned or controlled by an individual or organization. Capability An ability that an active structure element, such as an organization, person, or system, possesses. Course of Action An approach or plan for configuring some capabilities and resources of the enterprise, undertaken to achieve a goal.

ArchiMate Strategy Elements' Notations

ArchiMate Motivation Elements' Notations

ArchiMate Motivation Elements' Notations

Name Representation Definition * Stakeholder The role of an individual, team, or organization (or classes thereof) that represents their interests in the outcome of the architecture. Driver An external or internal condition that motivates an organization to define its goals and implement the changes necessary to achieve them. Assessment The result of an analysis of the state of affairs of the enterprise with respect to some driver. Goal A high-level statement of intent, direction, or desired end state for an organization and its stakeholders. Outcome   An end result that has been achieved. Principle A qualitative statement of intent that should be met by the architecture. Requirement A statement of need that must be met by the architecture. Constraint A factor that prevents or obstructs the realization of goals. Meaning   The knowledge or expertise present in, or the interpretation given to, a core element in a particular context. Value   The relative worth, utility, or importance of a core element or an outcome.

ArchiMate Motivation Elements' Notations

ArchiMate Implementation & Migration Elements' Notations

ArchiMate Implementation & Migration Elements' Notations

Name Representation Definition * Plateau A relatively stable state of the architecture that exists during a limited period of time. Gap A statement of difference between two plateaus. Deliverable A precisely-defined outcome of a work package. Work Package A series of actions identified and designed to achieve specific results within specified time and resource constraints. Implementation Event   A behavior element that denotes a state change related to implementation or migration.

ArchiMate Implementation & Migration Elements' Notations

ArchiMate Relationships Summary

Structural Relationships

Name Representation Definition * Composition Indicates that an element consists of one or more other concepts. Aggregation Indicates that an element consists of one or more other concepts. Assignment Expresses the allocation of responsibility, performance of behavior, or execution. Realization   Indicates that an entity plays a critical role in the creation, achievement, sustenance, or operation of a more abstract entity.

ArchiMate Structural Relationships Summary

Dependency Relationships

Name Representation Definition * Serving Models that an element provides its functionality to another element. Access Models the ability of behavior and active structure elements to observe or act upon passive structure elements. Influence Models that an element affects the implementation or achievement of some motivation element.

ArchiMate Dependency Relationships Summary

Dynamic Relationships

Name Representation Definition * Triggering Describes a temporal or causal relationship between elements. Flow Transfer from one element to another.

ArchiMate Dynamic Relationships Summary

Other Relationships

Name Representation Definition * Specialization Indicates that an element is a particular kind of another element. Association Models an unspecified relationship, or one that is not represented by another ArchiMate relationship. Junction Used to connect relationships of the same type.

Summary of Other ArchiMate Relationships

Changing the appearance of some notations

Some of the ArchiMate notations support different ways of presentation. Take node in technology layer as example, to change to another presentation, right click on the node and select Presentation Options > Display Option, Show as Box/Symbol from the popup menu.

To change the presentation of a node

Node shown as box or symbol

 

* The definition of elements are extracted from ArchiMate 3.0.1 Specification.

Related Resources

The following resources may help you to learn more about the topic discussed in this page.

• What's New in ArchiMate 3? - An overview of changes in ArchiMate 3.0
• Full ArchiMate Viewpoints Guide (Examples Included) - A 'handbook' of ArchiMate Viewpoints, which lists and explains all to 23 example ArchiMate Viewpoints in detail
• ArchiMate 3.0.1 specification
• Learn more about Visual Paradigm's ArchiMate support
• Visual Paradigm on YouTube