iArchiMate

iArchiMate is an enterprise modeling and analysis tool. It is a graphical tool based on iModeler created for building Enterprise Architecture models using ArchiMate as modeling language. iArchiMate allows analizing enterprise models, creating imperfect models, creating enterprise models based on drafts of models.

iArchiMate has a graphical editor. In this case, it is based on Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF), Graphical Modeling Framework (GMF) and EuGENia. Also, it allows importing models from the tool Archi. This function has been implemented to take advantage of the great amount of EA models already created using this tool. As a result, we do not need to create all elements in one existing model, but we do import the existing model while including some additional required information in the elements, attributes, and relations.

Next figure presents a screen shot of iArchiMate using the Business Process View of the Archisurance model. On the left side of the editor, we have the package explorer, which provides the list of models and model diagrams. On the right side, the palette provides the buttons:

1. Element, Group, and Relation for building models
2. AbsentElement, ImperfectRelation for adding these imperfect components
3. ModelExtension, Decision, Observation, facts through InstanceFact, RelationFact, and AttributeFact, and sources through Person, Meeting, and Document for including decision traces.

At the bottom, there is a properties view, which contains core and appearance features on elements and relations in the model. Through this view, modelers can select ArchiMate type of elements (e.g., BusinessProcess, ApplicationComponent, Device) and relations (e.g., UsedBy, Composition, Access). In addition, properties view includes the tab Attributes and ImperfectAttributes, which presents full information about elements’ and relations’ attributes.

1. ArchiMate
   
2. General features of iArchiMate
   
3. iArchiMate for Analyzing models
   
4. iArchiMate for Modeling Imperfection
   
5. iArchiMate for Modeling Drafts