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Metamodel - real-world examples

Rows - layers of abstraction

Each of the seven rows represents a layer of abstraction (see rows).

The following ArchiMate relations are allowed between rows:

• realization - each abstraction needs to be 'realized' by entities in the layers below (i.e. realizations always occur 'downward' between the layers)
• specialization - some specializations are also realizations, in that they 'realize' an abstract class (such specializations also move 'downward' between layers - though note that unlike realizations, specializations may also occur within a layer)
• association - association is the general 'none of the above' relation in ArchiMate, with a semantic meaning that must be explicitly assigned - in some cases these may traverse between layers

Other ArchiMate relations (triggering, flow, aggregation, composition, assignment, used by, access) are allowed only within a row.

Columns and segments - primitives and base-composites

All of the columns are abstractions. True primitives within a column may exist in the higher layers (row-0 to row-2 and sometimes row-3), but as we move towards the real world even entities which exist within a single column must be linked with one or more appropriate category-segments as base-composites.

A primitive cannot be split any further; a composite may be recombined in other ways. Recombination enables redesign.

Assets

Functions

Locations

Capabilities

Events

Decisions

More composites

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[ OsEATools | MetaModel | Metamodel - real-world examples | Categories ]