Building the application component context diagram
A context diagram, as the name implies, is a diagram that shows the surroundings of a specific component. The main purpose of context diagrams is to provide a high-level introduction to an element such as an application component by answering the following questions:
- What is the element and why does it (or will it) exist?
- What does it provide to the enterprise?
- Who will be using it?
- Are there any other applications that interact or exchange data with it?
- What data is being (or will be) exchanged?
Context diagrams can be useful for describing existing elements (as is) and for describing targeted elements (to be). The same concept applies, and the same types of elements can be used in both cases. Before you roll your sleeves up, let's see how to establish your first diagram.
