Chapter 6: Modeling in the Technology Layer

One of the difficult tasks enterprise architects must tackle is describing technology environments at the correct level of abstraction. If the model is too detailed, as architects, we are seen as too prescriptive. If it's not detailed enough, we are being vague. Either of these conditions tends to lead to the ivory tower syndrome as we are seen as being too far from reality. Selecting the perfect level of granularity can sometimes seem like an art.

The creators of the ArchiMate® language recognized this fact and took it into consideration when designing the language. Each layer's elements are based on a small, core set of elements that have similar attributes across layers (see Figure 6.13 further on in this chapter). As you read through this chapter, you should see these similarities begin to appear. You should also begin to get a sense of the level of granularity necessary for architecture descriptions and how to create...