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Please note : This help page is not for the latest version of Enterprise Architect. The latest help can be found here.

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ArchiMate

The MDG Technology for ArchiMate®3 is one of the business modeling tools integrated with Enterprise Architect.

ArchiMate® is an open-standard enterprise architecture language from The Open Group, based on the IEEE 1471 standard. It offers a common language for describing the construction and operation of business processes, organizational structures, information flows, IT systems and technical infrastructure, that can be used by Enterprise Architects to describe, analyze and clearly visualize the relationships between business domains.

Access

For the selected Package, open the Model Wizard, select the required Viewpoint and Pattern, then click on the Create Patterns button. Open the ArchiMate diagram, which automatically opens the appropriate ArchiMate pages in the Diagram Toolbox.

Ribbon

Design > Model > Add > Model Wizard : Perspective | Enterprise Architecture | ArchiMate

Other

Choose perspective button. > Enterprise Architecture > ArchiMate

ArchiMate Integration

Aspect

Detail

See also

ArchiMate Toolbox Pages

There is a large range of ArchiMate elements, but you can use two ways to filter the appropriate source and target elements and relationship types to model your enterprise architecture:

  • When you create a diagram, select the appropriate View within each diagram type (which refines the model elements provided in the Toolbox pages)
  • Use the Quick Linker arrow on each element (which limits the connector types and target elements to those appropriate to the source element)

Within the Toolbox, for each of the Business, Application and Technology diagram types, the Toolbox pages show separate categories of elements - such as Information, Behavior and Structure - which provides clear differentiation between elements in different layers; for example, Business Service, Application Service and Infrastructure Service.

Similarly, there are separate connector pages - Structural, Dynamic, and Other - although the connectors have parallels with standard UML connectors.

The ArchiMate integration provides two further diagram types:

  • Motivation
         -  For modeling stakeholders, drivers for change, business goals,
            principles and requirements
         -  Contains additional elements - Stakeholder, Driver, Assessment,
            Goal, Requirement, Constraint and Principle
         -  Contains an additional relationship - Influence
  • Implementation and Migration
         -  Supports project portfolio management, gap analysis, and
             transition and migration planning
         -  Contains additional elements - Work Package, Deliverable,
             Plateau and Gap

You can modify the appearance of elements by toggling the 'Advanced | Use Rectangle Notation' context menu option on the element in a diagram.

  • For Artifact, Process, Function, Interaction, Service, Event, Actor, Role, Collaboration, Interface, Component, Node and Device elements:
         -  Select 'Use Rectangle Notation' to show a rectangle with a
            decoration in the top corner
         -  Deselect 'Use Rectangle Notation' to show the iconic
            representation of the element
 Rectangle Notation

ArchiMate in Enterprise Architect

Developing ArchiMate diagrams is fast and simple using the ArchiMate MDG Technology. The ArchiMate facilities are provided in the form of:

  • Several ArchiMate diagram types, accessed through the 'New Diagram' dialog
  • A comprehensive set of ArchiMate pages in the Toolbox, for each diagram type
  • ArchiMate element and relationship entries in the 'Toolbox Shortcut' menu and Quick Linker

Enterprise Architect currently supports integration with releases of ArchiMate up to and including ArchiMate 3.

 Add New Diagrams Toolbox Shortcut Menu The Quick Linker

Generate Model Exchange File

You can export any model created using the built-in MDG Technology for ArchiMate 2 or ArchiMate 3 in Model Exchange File Format.

 Generate Model Exchange File

Import Model Exchange File

If you have a valid ArchiMate 2 or ArchiMate 3 Model Exchange File, you can import it into an Enterprise Architect project as a UML model.

 Import ArchiMate Model Exchange File

Notes

  • ArchiMate® is a Registered Trademark of The Open Group
  • Enterprise Architect also supports ArchiMate and ArchiMate 2; if necessary, you can migrate your ArchiMate model to ArchiMate 2, or ArchiMate 2 to ArchiMate 3

Learn more

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