Create an Enterprise Architecture Blueprint

Enterprise Architecture Blueprint

This visualization shows an example enterprise architecture blueprint. An overview like this is necessary in any organization.

dragon1 create enterprise architecture blueprint

Creating an Enterprise Architecture Blueprint.

You will create this blueprint by using one web application on Dragon1: The Visual Designer.

You will take the following steps:

  • Create a dossier structure
  • Enter Data
  • Create process and application models, using the data
  • Create links between the process and application models
  • Create process and application views, using the models
  • Create links between views
  • Create a visualization, using the views
  • Publish the visualization to the Viewer to have it commented on by stakeholders

Step 1. - Create a Dossier Structure

First we are going to create a dossier structure in a cabinet to store our data.

To create a dossier structure

  • Go to the Architecture Repository
  • Create or open a Cabinet
  • Select the cabinet in the Explorer treeview
  • Create a dossier
  • Create four folders in the dossier: Data, Model, View, and Visualization
dragon1 cabinet with created folders

Screenshot of a cabinet with created folders.

Step 2. - Enter Data

On Dragon1 you can enter data by dragging shapes to a folder.

To enter data

  • Go to the Visual Designer
  • Create or open a Cabinet
  • Select a folder
  • Insert shapes from the Draw Archifact or Draw Entity dropdown menu
    • For the process-application landscape choose the shapes for three layers:
    • Business Layer: Group, Function, Process, Activity
    • Information Layer: Information Object
    • Application Layer: Application, Database, Interface, Service
  • Select a shape in the treeview
  • Select the shapes' icon on the canvas
  • Change the name of the shape at the right top in the text attributes of the Inspector
dragon1 cabinet with entered data

Screenshot of a cabinet with entered data.

Step 3. - Create a Model, using the data

To create a model

  • Go to the Visual Designer
  • Create or open a Cabinet
  • Select a folder
  • Insert models from the menu bar
    • Create models for the process-application landscape for every entity class you have used
    • Process model, Service model, Application model, etc...
  • Enter a name for the model
  • Optionally choose a type for the model
  • Insert shapes like processes and applications for the model by clicking on Draw Archifact or Draw entity and drag the shape onto the canvas
  • You can change the color and size of the shapes
  • Draw connections between the shapes using the smart tools of a selected shape.
dragon1 cabinet with model

Screenshot of a cabinet with a model.

Step 4. - Create links between models

To create a link between models:

  • Select a model in the Explorer treeview
  • Select a shape in the model
  • Enter a link to another model in the LinkURL field of the text attributes

Step 5. - Create a View, using the model

To create a view

  • Go to the Visual Designer
  • Create or open a Cabinet
  • Select a folder
  • Insert views from the menubar
    • Create views for the process-application landscape for each model you created:
    • Functions view, Process view, Activities view, etc...
  • Enter a name
  • Select the model to use
  • Enter a viewing rule for the model data:
    • Rule Event: onload
    • Rule Condition: Class=Process;Name=Sales;Relation=FirstLevel
    • Rule Action: Show(name)

Step 6. - Create links between views

To create a link between views:

  • Select a view in the Explorer treeview
  • Select a shape in the view
  • Enter a link to another view in the LinkURL field of the text attributes

Step 7. - Create a Visualization, using the views

To create a visualization

  • Go to the Visual Designer
  • Create or open a Cabinet
  • Select a folder
  • Insert a visualization from the menubar
  • Drag a shape on the canvas. You will use this shape to generate the view data on the canvas.
    • For the process-application landscape use three shapes:
    • One for Functions, Processes and Activities.
  • Save the visualization
  • Select one of the three view shapes
  • Enter the following view rules in the data attributes panel of the inspector.
    • Rule Event: onload
    • Rule Condition: Class=Process
    • Rule Action: Show(name)

Do this for all three view shapes

With this rule you will only see the processes from the view data. You can also show the whole view with Rule Condition = *.

Step 8. - Publish the visualization

To publish a visualization:

  • Select a visualization in a folder
  • Click on the Share button in the menubar
  • Enter the correct data in the dialog
  • Click on the share button in the dialog
  • Now go to the Viewer and search for your visualization by its title
  • Add a comment to the visualization
  • Filter the visualization on certain values

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