HOW TO Create and Populate an Architecture Canvas with Data

This tutorial will introduce how to populate/fill the Architecture Canvas.

In the Workplace Task Board ( /workplace/home), you can find a task list for this tutorial that supports you in every step you take.

Architecture Canvas Example

This visualization below shows an example of an architecture canvas (the internal name of this template is Architecture_Canvas).

Example of the Dragon1 Architecture Canvas.

Dragon1 Viewer

Excel Sheet

Data Manager

A layout like this helps you to create and communicate your architecture data with stakeholders more effectively and efficiently. Measuring and improving your architecture data and their relationships is also important.

Common Entity classes to use on an Architecture Canvas are:

Stakeholders and Actors
Goals or Objectives
Concepts and Principles
Capabilities
Standards
Rules
Processes and Services
Data Objects
Applications
Interfaces
Servers

Steps in the Tutorial, Part I

To create a populated architecture canvas, you will take the following steps:

Create an Atlas and an Atlas page
Create a Visualization using the canvas template
Link the atlas page to the visualization
Create a model
Enter data such as processes, applications, and interfaces
Create relationships between the data, building up the model
Publish the atlas and visualization to the Viewer to have it commented on by stakeholders

In the steps, we will use the Collaboration application of Dragon1.

Another way of creating a visualization and populating the canvas with data is by using the Visual Designer application of Dragon1.

Step 1. - Create an Atlas and atlas page

First, we are going to create an atlas.

To create an atlas:

Go to the Collaboration application
Click the entity class Atlas
Click the Add button to add an Atlas
Enter a name in the name field
Click the Save button

Step 2. - Create an atlas page

Now, we are going to create an atlas page.

To create an atlas page:

Go to the Collaboration application
Click the entity class Atlas Page
Click the Add button to add an Atlas Page
Enter a name in the name field
Select a visualization in the Image field
Select an Atlas to link this Atlas Page to
Set the publication status to 'public' (so everyone logged into the account sees it).
Provide a weight to specify the rank in the order of atlas pages
If there is already a visualization created, select that visualization here.
If you want this atlas page to be shown as a folder icon in the atlas, enter Folder in the type field
Click the Save button

Step 3. - Create a Visualization

Next, we are going to a visualization.

To create a visualization:

Go to the Collaboration application
Click the entity class Visualization
Click the Add button to add a Visualization
Enter a name in the name field
Enter the name in a different language in the title field
Select a template: Architecture_Canvas
Select a Page Size. f.i. A3
If you set the visualization to published 'public', it will be shown as a separate visualization next to atlases in the Viewer's overview.
Add showLanguageButton(Translate) in the Action Script field.
Click the Save button

Step 4. - Watch the Visualization in the Viewer

Next, we are going to watch the visualization in the Viewer.

To watch the visualization in the Viewer:

Go to the Viewer application
Click on the Atlas image
Click on the Atlas page in the treeview of the Atlas
Click on the translate button to toggle between the diagram titles

Step 5. - Create a Model

To create a model:

Go to the Collaboration application
Click on the entity class Model
Add a name for the model
Click on Save
Go to the Collaboration application
Click on the entity class Visualization
Select the added model for the visualization (this will cause all the data that is part of the model to be shown on the canvas.
Click on Save

Step 6. - Add Stakeholders, Processes and Applications

To create add a process:

Go to the Collaboration application
Click on the entity class Process
Add a name for the process
Click on Save

Repeat this for other data you want to enter

Step 7. - Add Relationships

To create add a relationship:

Go to the Collaboration application
Click on the entity class Process
Select a process
Click on Add Relationship
Select the added model
Select an entity class and an entity instance
Click on Save

Repeat this for other data you want to create relationships for.

Step 8. - Watch the End Result

Go to the Viewer application again and watch the result.

task board to create an architecture canvas

Screenshot of a Task Board to create and populate an Architecture Canvas.