An InformationFlow shows the requirement for information in the symbol of the connection. The request for information in fx Business Function or Information System is based on the functionality of those components.
An InformationFlow can show several types of information that is floating.
An InformationFlow that relates two BusinessFunctions shows the messages or continous information passed from one function to the other. It is triggered by events inside the organization or outside.
It can relate a BusinessFunction and an InformationSystem showing the information floating from the system to a function and back. This type of information must be handled by the InformationSystem and presented to the user in a friendly manner. This presentation should be described on the InformationFlow.
Finally an InformationFlow can flow between two InformationSystem. This is a very important kind of information since the description and handling of it can influence both functionality an performance in the InformationSystems and the flexibillity and autonomy of the systems. If this kind of informationFlow is kept and modelled like messages between autonomous InformationSystems instead of updates of replicated information the flexibllity of the organisations overall system strategy increases dramatically.
InformationFlow properties
The InformationFlow tab
| Property | Metamodel name | Description |
| Short Description | ShortDescription | Short verbal description. |
| Frequency | Frequency | Number of times the information flows per time unit. |
| Response Time | ResponseTime | The required response time for the information. |
| Max. age | MaxAge | Maximum age for the information at time of use. |
| per | FrequencyUnit | Time unit for the frequency. Choices are: second minute hour day week month year |
| Size | Size | The size of the information. |
| Accessible | Accessible | The time interval where the information must be accessible. |
| Security | Security | The security level for the information. |
| Breaks Down To | BreaksDownTo | Relations to components describing this InformationFlow. Links to: Attribute, Business Object, Business Object Model, Class, Class Diagram, Conceptual Data Model, Information Concept, Data Entity, Data Model Diagram, Dialog Layout, Information Flow, Report Layout, Use Case. |
The Access tab
| Property | Metamodel name | Description |
| Call command | CallCommand | System command used to save or fetch this information. E.g a SOAP command |
| Return value (If different from the flow) | ReturnValue | Return values when this information flow is delivered. |
| Call seq.-no. | CallSequenceNumber | Indication of the sequence in which the information flows are executed |
| Calling Component | CallingComponent | Links to: Information System. |
| Message type | MessageType | The type of message used to deliver this information Choices are: |
| Uses interface | UsesInterface | Links to: Interface. |
The Transformations tab
| Property | Metamodel name | Description |
| Source | Source | Links to source files for this flow. E.g. XML-files Links to: Document, External Document. |
| Transformation | Transformation | Links to code that transforms the source format to the target format. E.g. XSLT-files Links to: Data Mapping Diagram, Document, External Document. |
| Target | Target | Links to target files for this flow. E.g. XML-files Links to: Document, External Document. |