OIAm Tool

Dragon1 is perfect to use as an OIAm Tool. You can create any OIAm diagram with it.

oiam logo

What is OIAm?

OIAm stands for Open Infrastructure Architecture Method and is a vendor-independent modeling language for infrastructure

Definition for Infrastructure Architecture

OIAM defines Infrastructure architecture as follows: Infrastructure architecture is the complete, consistent, and coherent set of methods, rules, models, and tools that guides the (re)design, migration, and implementation of the technical infrastructure of an organization according to a vision.

The main principle: Functionality before Construction

OIAm sees 'Functionality before construction' as the main principle. The repository website states: 'Before the architects can think about which products and technologies can solve a presented problem, they first have to determine what it is that will solve the problem. The core of an infrastructure facility is its behavior and its functionality. Thus, OIAm states that the architects must decide on infrastructure functionality before any work can be done on designing the actual construction.'

OIAm Workflow

Below, you see the design approach that OIAm promotes: first, create a functional design, then a technical design, and then realize the infrastructure.

Usage of OIAm

OIAm is primarily used to model an organization's infrastructure with a focus on services, patterns, and functions.

Types of Diagrams


OIAM recognizes the following types of diagram to create:

  • OIAM Data View: To model infrastructure, a view on data is required to help model the right properties of the infrastructure.
  • The Infrastructure Landscape: A set of generic patterns
  • Generic Functions Overview
  • Generic Patterns Overview
  • Generic Services Overview
  • Functional Overview and Integration View of a Pattern

*) ArchiMate Modeling is used here to model functions and services.

The Meta-Model

Below, the relationships between the entity classes of OIAm are shown:


Currently, there are two versions of this model:

  • https://www.infra-repository.org/index/File:OIAm_Information_Model.png
  • https://www.infra-repository.org-2013/index/File:OIAm_ontology.png

List of Entity Classes

Here, all the official entity classes of OIAm are listed. OIAm calls these 'OIAm Dimensions'.

There is currently no glossary of defined terms for OIAm. For service, functions, and patterns, the ArchiMate definitions are followed.

  • Infrastructure Sectors - A grouping for Patterns. An infrastructure sector is a segment of an abstract infrastructure landscape: Business Support, Commons, Core, Operations, Undefined
  • Working Area - This signifies a logical grouping of infrastructure facilities (Infrastructure Functions) that offer a similar kind of functionality and may be managed with similar infrastructure expertise. OIAm recognizes the working areas: Client Realm, Middleware, Network, Security + Support, Server, Storage
  • Functions: Generic Functions (GF) - currently 47 generic functions are recognized
  • Patterns: Generic Patterns (GP) and Applied Patterns (AP) - currently 17 patterns are recognized
  • Services: Generic Services (GS) - currently 18 generic services are defined

OIAM modeling on the Dragon1 platform

Dragon1 is an online Enterprise Architecture Tool to support OIAm. You can model your infrastructure using the icons that OIAm recognizes and create overviews of functions, patterns, and services of your infrastructure. Read also this wiki page: OIAm Repository

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