How to use Archimate to show the data integrations between systems - IT landscape

[TT]

Hi,

Today we have around 400 IT systems and some of them are documented/model in MS Visio, where you can see, what data integrations there are between the systems eg. HR system deliver employee data to Active directory. But we also have systems that are connected together with an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB). 

Visio is nice, but we really need to connect all these drawings into one model, so you don't have to open multiple visio files, and if your lucky, they actually fit together.

Do anyone of you use Archimate like this and can share a model or describe how you have model it? Im thinking about this kind of highlevel application/data landscape model. Are you just using two applications and connecting them together and having an data object between or...???

The main reason to have this view, is to know exactly how the dependencies are between the systems and what data are being transferred.  

Thanks.

[Mastering ArchiMate]

If your goal for modelling is explanation (just humans reading the views) you can use anything that makes it clear. If you want automatic analysis, you need to decide on a set of fixed patterns to model everything. Make sure you think beforehand about possible uses, because a minimally viable first set is a lot of work to expand later.

Modelling data transfers has become easier with ArchiMate 3 as you can link Flows to objects. Before that, you could use Access with Data Objects and let those Data Objects Realise Business Objects to tie the Flows together. But you need a tool that can do programmable analysis to really make use of such a model.

And yes, I’ve done this (modelling the entire landscape) with my team (>75,000 elements and relations in a single model, I know of larger models) and I’ve written a book about it :-) :-)

G

PS. Note that in landscpae modelling like this, there is not a single view (not really doable or usable), but there is (can be, there are uses where you ave multiple) a single model with multiple views. That is something that is not easy to do in Visio (you probably can with some extra tools that link Visio to a backend, but I’ve never done that).

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[Steven Mileham]

Hey TT,

  The BizzDesign guys have a presentation focused on GDPR readiness that touches on modelling of data flows between applications, it's only a basic example, but it might be useful?

http://offers.bizzdesign.com/webinar-are-you-prepared-for-gdpr-download

Cheers

Steve

[TT]

Thanks for the feedback. I know what im asking for, is very simple/holistic, but as the projects are changing the systems, they will be drawed in more detail.

This view will help us understand the relations between systems, what kind of data are being transferred - maybe we will add somekind of data classification so we can support the European GDPR, the integration are using an ESB (and not point to point) and what kind of authentication there are being used. 

Would the attached pattern be OK to start with or do you think we should change something in it, so it's a little more future proof?

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[Mastering ArchiMate]

I would probably use Technology Services for those authentications. It’s not quite clear, but I think you have both ESB and HR Data are Associated with the Flow. That looks fine, I would probably use a Technology Service instead of a Node, though.

There is much, much to say about choosing patterns (I’ve actually written a book about them :-)), but it seems fine for your purpose.

G

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