System Architect is known for having the best data modeling capabilities of tools in the Enterprise Architecture space. It has rich support for:
- Conceptual Data Modeling,
- Logical Data Modeling, and
- Physical Data Modeling.
In this article we focus on its Conceptual Data Modeling capabilities.
Overview
As its name suggests, Conceptual Data Modeling enables you to capture a conceptual view of your data. Conceptual Data Modeling has gained in usage and popularity in the last few years as organizations grapple with so many kinds of data that don’t fit into the traditional relational database world: videos, streams, images, social media posts — data being generated all over the place and at heavy volume; aka Big Data.
Artificial Intelligence has put an imperative premium on finding out how good your data is — where it came from, how it is transformed in your organization, how old it is, and if it is comprehensive.
Conceptual Data Modeling enables you to model all kinds of data, what its source is, and how it is used.
Turning on Conceptual Data Modeling
Unlike System Architect’s support for Logical and Physical Data Modeling, Conceptual Data Modeling is Not turned on individually and outside of any Enterprise Architecture (EA) Framework — instead it is tied to individual EA Frameworks.
So to turn on Conceptual Data Modeling, you turn on one of these Frameworks in the System Architect Properties dialog (opened by selecting Tools, Customize Method Support, Encyclopedia Configuration):
- DoDAF 2 (US Department of Defense Architecture Framework),
- UAF (Unified Architecture Framework),
- TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework), and
- Archimate.
Conceptual Modeling in DoDAF 2
At the core of DoDAF 2’s data-driven architecture approach is the DoDAF Metamodel version 2 — aka the DM2. If you follow the green highlighted boxes in the DM2 inheritance tree shown below, note that everything is a Thing, and that there are Types of Things (as well as Individual instances of things in orange boxes). Types of Things include Individual Types, which are broken down into many types — including Resources.
Information is a type of Resource, and Data is an elemental type of Information. (Other types of Resources are Performers, which do things, Material, and GeoExtentType aka Location).
DoDAF 2’s Data Information View 1 (DIV-1) is a Conceptual Data Model on which you model Information and the relationships between Information — specifically the Information (DM2) definition type. A Conceptual relationship is drawn between Information (DM2).
The DIV-1 in System Architect also allows you to model Services (DM2) that interact with the Information.
Mapping Conceptual to Logical
You can map Conceptual Information to one or more Logical Entities of the Logical Data Model in the Information (DM2) definition.
Conceptual Modeling in UAF
The Unified Architecture Framework (UAF) derives from DoDAF 2 — the Object Management Group (OMG) now owns both specifications and is responsible for advancing the metamodel. The latest UAF specification is version 1.2 released in July, 2022. The OMG currently have a beta of UAF 1.3 in the works.
The UAF 1.2 spec has a ‘domain metamodel’ (metamodel of the domain of DoDAF) that specifies the Information Model as follows:
You can see from the metamodel above that Data is an Information Kind. In the graphic below (Figure 8-88 in the spec), the InformationModel is enumerated into InformationModelKind that contains Conceptual, Logical, and Physical types. In addition, the InformationModel contains OperationalInformation that is implemented by ResourceInformation.
The Conceptual Data Model in UAF is called an St-If Strategic Information viewpoint. On it you model Information, along with Services, and Goals.
Like in DoDAF 2, you can map Conceptual Information to Logical Entities in the Logical Data Model.
Conceptual Modeling in TOGAF
The TOGAF 10 metamodel (shown below) introduced in version 10 a Business Information definition type (upper right), to go along with its existing support for Data modeled at the logical and physical level (Data Entity, Logical Data Component, and Physical Data Component, shown in lower left of metamodel figure below).
In System Architect’s TOGAF 10 support, you may model Business Information as a conceptual data type on a Conceptual Data Model.
Mapping Conceptual to Logical
You can map Conceptual Business Information to one or more Logical Entities of the Logical Data Model in the Business Information definition.
Conceptual Modeling in Archimate
A Data Object definition is specified for conceptual data modeling in the Archimate specification, and use any of the numerous relationship types — Association, Aggregation, Composition, Realization, Specialization, Triggers, and Flow — to relate Data Objects. In System Architect’s Archimate support, you may model all of this on a Conceptual Data Model.
Further Reading
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