Templates | QualiWare Center of Excellence

Node ArchiMate

Nodes are active structure elements that perform technology behavior and execute, store, and process technology objects such as artifacts. For instance, nodes are used to model application platforms, defined by the TOGAF framework as: “a collection of technology components of hardware and software that provide the services used to support applications”.

Nodes can be interconnected by paths. A node may be assigned to an artifact to model that the artifact is deployed on the node.

The name of a node should preferably be a noun. A node may consist of sub-nodes.
Artifacts deployed on a node may either be drawn inside the node or connected to it with an assignment relationship.

Node properties

The Node tab

Property	Metamodel name	Description
Short description	ShortDescription
Implements	Implements	Links to: All templates.
BreaksDownTo	BreaksDownTo	Links to: All templates.

Node Relation

Used for connecting the symbols in a deployment diagram.

NodeRelation properties

The NodeRelation tab

Property	Metamodel name	Description
Show on diagram	ShowOnDiagram	Initial value is on.
Short description	ShortDescription

The Extensions tab

Property	Metamodel name	Description
Stereotype	Stereotype	Links to: Stereotype.
Constraints	HasConstraints	Links to: Constraint.
Tagged values	HasTaggedValues	Links to: TagDefinition.

The Ext From tab

Property	Metamodel name	Description
Stereotype	FromStereotype	Links to: Stereotype.
Constraints	FromConstraints	Links to: Constraint.
Tagged values	FromTaggedValues	Links to: TagDefinition.

The Ext To tab

Property	Metamodel name	Description
Stereotype	ToStereotype	Links to: Stereotype.
Constraints	ToConstraints	Links to: Constraint.
Tagged values	ToTaggedValues	Links to: TagDefinition.

Non Conformance

A Non-Conformance is used to document findings of discrepancies between a Regulation or a documented procedure and the actual situation or activity carried out in the organization.

A Non-Conformance can be related to one ore more object(s) in the repository.

Below is a web-view of an example of a Non-Conformance, showing the essential properties (this can be configured).

The Non-Conformance above is in state Verification, which is the last stage in the standard governance workflow for “Non-Conformances” (this flow can be configured if needed, click here to read more about governance workflows.)

NonConformance properties

The NonConformance tab

Property	Metamodel name	Description
Observation	Observation	The precise observation.
Explanation	Explanation	Why the observation is a non conformance.
Against	Against	Relations to standard or procedures not conformed to. Links to: Activity, BusinessConnection, FreeHandDiagram, InterestGroup, OrganizationUnit, Person, Position, Regulation, Role, WorkFlowDiagram, WorkModel.
Date	OriginatedDate	The date of origin for this NonConformance.
Originated By	OriginatedBy	Relation to the originater of this NonConformance. Links to: InterestGroup, OrganizationUnit, Person, Position, Role.
Priority	Priority	Priority for handling this NonConformance. Choices are:
Status	Status	Status for this NonConformance Choices are:
Responsible	HasResponsible	Link to party responsible for handling this non conformance Links to: InterestGroup, OrganizationUnit, Person, Position, Role.

The Recommend tab

Property	Metamodel name	Description
Rec. Date	RecommendedDate	CreationDate of this recommendation.
Recommended By	RecommendedBy	The Person/Group responsible for this recommendation. Links to: InterestGroup, OrganizationUnit, Person, Position, Role.
Due date	DueDate	Due date for action
Estimated Resource Requirement	EstimatedResourceRequirement	Estimated cost to carry out the corrective action
Recommended action	RecommendedAction	Recommended action for this NonConformance.

The Action taken tab

Property	Metamodel name	Description
Start Date	StartDate	Starting date.
End Date	EndDate	Ending date.
Action taken by	ActionTakenBy	Relation to person/group who executed the action. Links to: InterestGroup, OrganizationUnit, Person, Position, Role.
Cost of Non Conformance	CostOfNonConformance	Cost caused by the non conformance
Resources Spent	ResourcesSpent	Actual cost of corrective action
Corrective Action Taken	CorrectiveActionTaken	A description of the corrective action taken.
Closing date	ClosingDate	The closing date for this NonConformance

See more about management of non-conformances here.

Data Object

Data Objects provide information about what Activities require to be performed and/or what they produce, Data Objects can represent a singular object or a collection of objects. Data Input and Data Output provide the same information for Processes.

In BPMN, a Data Object is considered an Artifact and not a Flow Object. They are considered an Artifact because they do not have any direct effect on the Sequence Flow or Message Flow of the Process, but they do provide information about what the Process does. That is, how documents, data, and other objects are used and updated during the Process. While the name Data Object may imply an electronic document, they can be used to represent many different types of objects, both electronic and physical.

In general, BPMN will not standardize many modeling Artifacts. These will mainly be up to modelers and modeling tool vendors to create for their own purposes. However, equivalents of the BPMN Data Object are used by Document Management oriented workflow systems and many other process modeling methodologies. Thus, this object is used enough that it is important to standardize its shape and behavior.
As an Artifact, Data Objects generally will be associated with Flow Objects. An Association will be used to make the connection between the Data Object and the Flow Object. This means that the behavior of the Process can be modeled without Data Objects for modelers who want to reduce clutter. The same Process can be modeled with Data Objects for modelers who want to include more information without changing the basic behavior of the Process.
In other cases, the same Data Object will be shown as being an input, then an output of a Process. Directionality added to the Association will show whether the Data Object is an input or an output. Also, the state attribute of the Data Object can change to show the impact of the Process on the Data Object.

State is an optional attribute that indicates the impact the Process has had on the Data Object. Multiple Data Objects with the same name MAY share the same state within one Process. Examples of state could be: initiated, logged, registered.

The Uses Parameter field can be used to define specific parameters, values, or conditions that must exist to permit the DataObject to be created or used as input to a process/activity.

The Required for Start checkbox in QualiWare can specify whether or not the DataObject MUST exist for the Activity to start.

The Produced at Completion checkbox can be checked if the DataObject is output of an Activity and produced at the completion of the work associated with the Activity.

Data Flow

A DataFlow is connection on a DataFlowDiagram through which information flows. A DataFlow must always be connected to a Process in one end.

Data Entity

A DataEntity represent a logical group of information – a category of information.
In the early phases of a system analysis or even a business analysis a DataEntity is used to describe physical objects like ‘Customer’, ‘Order’ or ‘Product’. Or it is used to describe important concepts in the modelled system or its surroundings.

In a later phase a DataEntity will represent a smaller normalized informationgroup.

One of the most important characteristics of a DataEntity is, that it can be uniquely identified using a relation to a Key, and that it has got non-key Attribute describing its information content.

In QualiWare Lifecycle Manager the concept of a DataEntity includes a description of the operations performed on the DataEntity during its lifecycle – i.e. from it is created for the first time in the system, until it is deleted. This is accomplished by letting the user relate a DataEntity to a series of operations – here called Methods. This object oriented approach makes it possible for the designer to separate into small reusable groups related information and functions.

When a DataEntity is created it is good practice to give it a primary key. When this is done and the OK-button on the DataEntity dialog is pressed, the key attributes is automatically transferred to the attribute link list.

Note

The note object can be used to insert a text-field in a diagram.

You can choose among different note symbol, to change the appearance of the note, and you can change the background color of the note, or chose a sticky note symbol.

Default the name of the note is shown, if you add a description to the note, the description will be shown instead.

Database

Storage of data in an organization.

Object

An instance of a class.

Object properties

The Object tab

Property	Metamodel name	Description
Number	Number
Group
Persistent	IsPersistent	Initial value is on.
Transient	IsTransient	Initial value is off.
Static	IsStatic	Initial value is off.
Style	Style	Choices are: Hexagon Rectangle OMT
Property	Property	Choices are: Root Leaf Abstract
Active	Active	Initial value is off.
Display as	DisplayType	Choices are: Normal Anonymous All
Instance of	InstanceOf	Links to: Class, Actor, Component.
Show on diagram	ShowOnDiagram	Initial value is off.
Value instance	ValueInstance
Has object diagram	HasObjectDiagram	Links to: ClassDiagram.

The Extensions tab

Property	Metamodel name	Description
Stereotype	Stereotype	Links to: Stereotype.
Constraints	HasConstraints	Links to: Constraint.
Tagged values	HasTaggedValues	Links to: TagDefinition.

Object Association

Object association refers to the relationship between different objects or components within a system, where one object is associated or linked to another object. Object association can be used to represent various types of relationships, such as ownership, collaboration, or interaction between different objects or components.

For example, in a system where a customer places an order for a product, the object association might be illustrated through a line connecting the customer object to the order object, and another line connecting the order object to the product object. The lines would represent the associations between the objects, since the customer is associated with the order, and the order is associated with the product.

The ObjectAssociation tab

Property	Metamodel name	Description
Show	ShowShortDescription	Check to show short description on diagram Initial value is on.
Short Description	ShortDescription	Short verbal description of this relation
Role	FromRole	Verbal description of the role of the starting InformationConcept.
Show	ShowFromRole	Check to show role on diagram. Initial value is on.
Group
Role	FromRole	Verbal description of the role of the starting InformationConcept.
Show	ShowFromRole	Check to show role on diagram. Initial value is on.
Cardinality	FromCardinality	Min. and max. cardinality for the starting InformationConcept for each ending. Choices are: 0:1 1:1 0:M 1:M
Role	ToRole	Verbal description of the role of the ending InformationConcept.
Show	ShowToRole	Check to show role on diagram. Initial value is on.
Group
Role	ToRole	Verbal description of the role of the ending InformationConcept.
Show	ShowToRole	Check to show role on diagram. Initial value is on.
Cardinality	ToCardinality	Min. and max. cardinality for the ending InformationConcept for each starting. Choices are: 0:1 1:1 0:M 1:M