| name | LAYER_05_TECH |
| description | Expert knowledge for Technology Layer modeling in Documentation Robotics |
| triggers | ["infrastructure","node","kubernetes","docker","server","database","technology service","network","cloud","terraform","archimate technology"] |
| version | 0.8.3 |
Technology Layer Skill
Layer Number: 05
Specification: Metadata Model Spec v0.8.3
Purpose: Describes the technology infrastructure including hardware, software, networks, and facilities that support applications.
CRITICAL: Valid Element Types
⚠️ Only 13 spec-defined types may be used in the technology layer.
VALID types (use exactly these strings in type: fields and element IDs):
artifact | communicationnetwork | device | node | path | systemsoftware |
technologycollaboration | technologyevent | technologyfunction |
technologyinteraction | technologyinterface | technologyprocess | technologyservice
INVALID types — these do NOT exist in the spec:
stack | framework | library | tool | runtime | cicd | deployment | protocol | worker
Element IDs MUST follow: technology.{valid-spec-type}.{kebab-name}
✅ technology.systemsoftware.react
✅ technology.artifact.react-flow
✅ technology.technologyprocess.github-actions
✅ technology.technologyservice.github-pages
❌ technology.framework.react (invalid — 'framework' is not a spec type)
❌ technology.library.react-flow (invalid — 'library' is not a spec type)
❌ technology.cicd.github-actions (invalid)
❌ technology.stack.react (invalid — 'stack' does not exist)
Layer Overview
The Technology Layer captures infrastructure and platform:
- COMPUTE - Nodes, devices, system software
- NETWORK - Communication networks, paths, interfaces
- STORAGE - Artifacts (databases, files, configurations)
- SERVICES - Technology services (IaaS, PaaS)
- AUTOMATION - Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Ansible, K8s)
This layer uses ArchiMate 3.2 Technology Layer standard with optional properties for Infrastructure as Code references, cloud provider specifics, and operational characteristics.
Entity Types
CLI Introspection: Run dr schema types technology for the authoritative, always-current list of node types.
Run dr schema node <type-id> for full attribute details on any type.
| Entity Type | Description | Key Attributes |
|---|
| Node | Computational or physical resource that hosts artifacts | Types: server, container, vm, kubernetes-cluster, serverless-function, database-cluster |
| Device | Physical IT resource with processing capability | Types: server, workstation, mobile, iot-device, network-device, storage-appliance |
| SystemSoftware | Software that provides platform for applications | Types: operating-system, database, middleware, container-runtime, web-server, message-broker |
| TechnologyCollaboration | Aggregate of nodes working together | Examples: HA Cluster, CDN Network, Service Mesh |
| TechnologyInterface | Point of access where technology services are available | Protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, UDP, WebSocket, AMQP, MQTT, SQL, gRPC |
| Path | Link between nodes through which they exchange | Types: network, vpn, direct-connect, internet, peering |
| CommunicationNetwork | Set of structures that connects nodes | Types: lan, wan, vpn, internet, cdn, service-mesh, zero-trust-network |
| TechnologyFunction | Collection of technology behavior | Examples: Load Balancing, Data Replication, Auto-scaling, Monitoring |
| TechnologyProcess | Sequence of technology behaviors (CI/CD, provisioning) | Automation: ansible, terraform, kubernetes, cloudformation, pulumi |
| TechnologyInteraction | Unit of collective technology behavior | Examples: Database Replication, Cache Synchronization, Failover |
| TechnologyEvent | Technology state change | Types: startup, shutdown, failure, scaling, maintenance, alert |
| TechnologyService | Externally visible unit of technology functionality | Types: infrastructure, platform, storage, compute, network, database, messaging |
| Artifact | Physical piece of data used or produced | Types: database, file, configuration, binary, log, backup, docker-image, helm-chart |
Technology Classification Guide
Given what you see in the codebase, which spec type does it become?
| What You See in the Codebase | Spec Type | Required Attribute | Example ID |
|---|
| Framework-grade npm library (see heuristic below) | systemsoftware | softwareType: middleware | technology.systemsoftware.zustand |
| Utility npm library (see heuristic below) | artifact | artifactType: library | technology.artifact.jszip |
JavaScript/CSS framework (react, tailwindcss) | systemsoftware | softwareType: middleware | technology.systemsoftware.react |
Language runtime (node.js, python, bun) | systemsoftware | softwareType: middleware | technology.systemsoftware.nodejs |
Container runtime (docker) | systemsoftware | softwareType: container-runtime | technology.systemsoftware.docker |
Build tool / compiler (vite, tsc, eslint) | technologyprocess | — | technology.technologyprocess.vite |
| CI/CD pipeline or workflow | technologyprocess | — | technology.technologyprocess.github-actions |
| Hosted platform service (GitHub Pages, npm registry) | technologyservice | serviceType: compute or storage | technology.technologyservice.github-pages |
| Browser JavaScript runtime environment | node | nodeType: container | technology.node.browser-runtime |
| Development server | node | nodeType: virtual-machine | technology.node.dev-server |
| Backend server | node | nodeType: virtual-machine | technology.node.dr-cli-server |
| Build output / distributable / npm package | artifact | artifactType: archive or library | technology.artifact.dist-embedded |
| Network protocol / communication channel | communicationnetwork | networkType: internet or lan | technology.communicationnetwork.websocket-channel |
| HTTP/WebSocket port or endpoint (access point) | technologyinterface | protocol: http/https/websocket | technology.technologyinterface.vite-dev-http |
| Infrastructure function (HMR, caching, bundling) | technologyfunction | — | technology.technologyfunction.hot-module-reload |
| Off-thread Web Worker | technologyfunction | — | technology.technologyfunction.off-thread-layout |
| Group of nodes/services working together | technologycollaboration | — | technology.technologycollaboration.ci-cd-suite |
Framework-Grade Library vs. Utility Library
When a package is an npm library, ask: does it fundamentally define the application's runtime capabilities (rendering engine, state management, routing, layout)?
YES — use systemsoftware (softwareType: middleware):
react, vue, angular, @xyflow/react, zustand, @tanstack/react-router, @tanstack/react-query, tailwindcss, elkjs, dagre, d3-force, @hpcc-js/wasm, libavoid-js
NO — use artifact (artifactType: library):
Utility helpers (lodash, date-fns), export utilities (jszip, html-to-image), markdown renderers (react-markdown), polyfills, adapters
The distinction: systemsoftware = runtime platform the app is built on; artifact = code the app uses for a specific utility capability.
Frontend / SPA Codebase Detection Patterns
These patterns cover the actual structure of browser-based React/TypeScript SPAs. Always map to valid spec types using the Classification Guide above.
Pattern: package.json dependencies
{
"dependencies": {
"@xyflow/react": "12.9.3",
"zustand": "5.0.8",
"react": "19.2.0",
"@tanstack/react-query": "5.51.0",
"libavoid-js": "0.5.0-beta.5",
"@hpcc-js/wasm": "2.30.0",
"jszip": "3.10.1",
"html-to-image": "1.11.13",
"react-markdown": "9.0.1",
"msw": "2.6.8"
},
"devDependencies": {
"vite": "7.2.4",
"typescript": "5.9.3",
"eslint": "9.x"
}
}
→ react → technology.systemsoftware.react (softwareType: middleware)
→ @xyflow/react → technology.systemsoftware.react-flow (softwareType: middleware — graph rendering engine)
→ zustand → technology.systemsoftware.zustand (softwareType: middleware — state management)
→ @tanstack/react-query → technology.systemsoftware.react-query (softwareType: middleware — server state management)
→ libavoid-js → technology.systemsoftware.libavoid-js (softwareType: middleware — WASM edge routing)
→ @hpcc-js/wasm → technology.systemsoftware.graphviz-wasm (softwareType: middleware — graph layout WASM)
→ jszip → technology.artifact.jszip (artifactType: library — ZIP export utility)
→ html-to-image → technology.artifact.html-to-image (artifactType: library — PNG/SVG export utility)
→ react-markdown → technology.artifact.react-markdown (artifactType: library — markdown rendering utility)
→ msw → technology.technologyprocess.msw (Mock Service Worker — test tooling process)
→ vite → technology.technologyprocess.vite (build tool)
→ typescript → technology.systemsoftware.typescript (softwareType: middleware — compiler)
→ eslint → technology.technologyprocess.eslint (linting process)
Pattern: GitHub Actions CI/CD workflow
name: CI
on: [push, pull_request]
jobs:
build: ...
test: ...
deploy: ...
→ technology.technologyprocess.github-actions (top-level workflow)
→ Each job: technology.technologyprocess.build-pipeline, technology.technologyprocess.deploy-pipeline
→ NOT technology.cicd.github-actions — use technologyprocess
Pattern: Static site hosting (GitHub Pages, Netlify, Vercel)
- name: Deploy to GitHub Pages
uses: actions/deploy-pages@v2
→ technology.technologyservice.github-pages (serviceType: compute)
→ NOT technology.stack.github-pages or technology.deployment.github-pages
Pattern: Vite dev server
export default defineConfig({
server: { port: 3001 },
build: { outDir: "dist" }
});
→ technology.node.dev-server (nodeType: virtual-machine, port: 3001)
→ technology.technologyinterface.vite-dev-http (protocol: http, port: 3001)
→ technology.artifact.dist-standalone (artifactType: archive) — build output
Pattern: Web Worker
self.onmessage = function (e) {
const result = runDagreLayout(e.data);
self.postMessage(result);
};
→ technology.technologyfunction.off-thread-layout
→ NOT a separate worker type — use technologyfunction
Pattern: Browser runtime
The browser that runs a React SPA is the primary Node (host):
→ technology.node.browser-runtime (nodeType: container)
→ It "hosts" application.applicationcomponent.viewer-app
Coverage Completeness Checklist
Before declaring technology layer extraction complete, verify each type was considered:
□ systemsoftware — runtimes (Node.js), frameworks (React), compilers (TypeScript), Docker
□ artifact — ALL npm library dependencies, build outputs (dist/), docker images, npm package
□ node — browser runtime, dev server, backend server, CI runner
□ technologyprocess — every CI/CD pipeline, build step, automation tool (Vite, ESLint, GitHub Actions)
□ technologyservice — hosted services: GitHub Pages, npm registry, Docker Hub, CDN
□ technologyinterface — dev server port, WebSocket endpoint, REST API endpoint
□ technologyfunction — Web Workers, HMR, caching, bundling algorithms
□ communicationnetwork — internet connection, WebSocket channel, browser network context
□ technologycollaboration — groups: CI/CD suite, deployment pipeline (multiple nodes working together)
□ artifact (configs) — configuration files as artifacts (vite.config.ts, tsconfig.json)
Types less likely to apply to a frontend SPA (still worth considering):
- device: physical hardware (almost never for pure frontend)
- path: explicit network paths (rare)
- technologyevent: deployment events, build failures, alerts
- technologyinteraction: collective behavior across nodes (e.g., CDN + origin server)
Intra-Layer Relationships
Structural Relationships
| Source Type | Predicate | Target Type | Example |
|---|
| Device | composes | Node | "Physical Server" composes "Virtual Machine" |
| Node | composes | TechnologyInterface | "API Server" composes "HTTPS Endpoint" |
| SystemSoftware | composes | TechnologyInterface | "PostgreSQL" composes "SQL Interface" |
| Node | aggregates | Device | Cluster aggregates multiple physical servers |
| TechnologyCollaboration | aggregates | Node | "K8s Cluster" aggregates "Worker Nodes" |
| Artifact | specializes | Artifact | "CustomerDatabase" specializes "Database" |
| Path | realizes | CommunicationNetwork | "VPN Tunnel" realizes "Secure Network" |
| TechnologyFunction | realizes | TechnologyService | "Load Balancing" realizes "Load Balancer Service" |
| TechnologyProcess | realizes | TechnologyService | "CI/CD Pipeline" realizes "Deployment Service" |
| SystemSoftware | realizes | TechnologyService | "PostgreSQL" realizes "Database Service" |
| Node | assigned-to | TechnologyFunction | "Edge Server" assigned to "CDN Caching" |
| TechnologyCollaboration | assigned-to | TechnologyInteraction | Cluster performs replication |
| Path | associated-with | Node | Network path connects nodes |
| Device | associated-with | CommunicationNetwork | Device connected to network |
| TechnologyInterface | serves | TechnologyService | Interface provides service access |
Behavioral Relationships
| Source Type | Predicate | Target Type | Example |
|---|
| TechnologyEvent | triggers | TechnologyProcess | "Node Failure" triggers "Failover Process" |
| TechnologyEvent | triggers | TechnologyFunction | "CPU Threshold" triggers "Auto-scaling Function" |
| TechnologyProcess | triggers | TechnologyEvent | "Deployment Complete" triggers "Health Check Event" |
| TechnologyProcess | flows-to | TechnologyProcess | "Build" flows to "Deploy" |
| TechnologyService | flows-to | TechnologyService | Service dependency chain |
| SystemSoftware | accesses | Artifact | "Database" accesses "Data Files" |
| TechnologyFunction | accesses | Artifact | "Backup Function" accesses "Backup Files" |
| TechnologyProcess | accesses | Artifact | "Deployment" accesses "Docker Images" |
| TechnologyInteraction | accesses | Artifact | "Replication" accesses "Database Replica" |
Cross-Layer References
Outgoing References (Technology → Other Layers)
| Target Layer | Reference Type | Example |
|---|
| Layer 1 (Motivation) | TechnologyService supports Goal | Infrastructure supports business goals |
| Layer 1 (Motivation) | TechnologyService governed by Principle | Cloud-native principle |
| Layer 1 (Motivation) | Node governed by Principle | Infrastructure principles |
| Layer 1 (Motivation) | Node constrained by Constraint | Budget, region, compliance constraints |
| Layer 1 (Motivation) | Node fulfills Requirement | Performance, availability requirements |
| Layer 1 (Motivation) | SystemSoftware governed by Principle | Open-source principle |
| Layer 1 (Motivation) | SystemSoftware constrained by Constraint | Licensing, version constraints |
| Layer 1 (Motivation) | SystemSoftware fulfills Requirement | Technical requirements |
| Layer 1 (Motivation) | CommunicationNetwork governed by Principle | Zero-trust principle |
| Layer 1 (Motivation) | CommunicationNetwork constrained by Constraint | Network segmentation |
| Layer 1 (Motivation) | Artifact constrained by Constraint | Data residency, retention |
| Layer 4 (Application) | Node hosts ApplicationComponent | K8s pod hosts service |
| Layer 4 (Application) | TechnologyService serves ApplicationService | Database serves application |
| Layer 4 (Application) | Artifact stores DataObject | Database stores application data |
| Layer 3 (Security) | Artifact has encryption property | Data-at-rest encryption |
| Layer 3 (Security) | Artifact has classification property | Data classification level |
| Layer 3 (Security) | Artifact has pii property | Contains PII |
| Layer 3 (Security) | CommunicationNetwork has security-policy | Network security rules |
| Layer 11 (APM) | TechnologyService has sla-target | Availability, latency targets |
| Layer 11 (APM) | TechnologyService has health-check | Health monitoring endpoint |
| Layer 11 (APM) | Node has monitoring-agent | APM agent installation |
Incoming References (Lower Layers → Technology)
Lower layers reference Technology layer to show:
- Applications depend on infrastructure
- APIs run on technology platforms
- Data stored in technology artifacts
Codebase Detection Patterns
Pattern 1: Kubernetes Deployment
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
name: user-service
namespace: production
spec:
replicas: 3
selector:
matchLabels:
app: user-service
template:
metadata:
labels:
app: user-service
spec:
containers:
- name: user-service
image: myregistry/user-service:1.0.0
ports:
- containerPort: 8080
Maps to:
- Node: "K8s Cluster Production" (type: kubernetes-cluster)
- Node: "User Service Pod" (type: container)
- Artifact: "myregistry/user-service:1.0.0" (type: docker-image)
- TechnologyInterface: "Port 8080" (protocol: HTTP)
Pattern 2: Terraform Infrastructure
# Terraform AWS infrastructure
resource "aws_instance" "web_server" {
ami = "ami-0c55b159cbfafe1f0"
instance_type = "t3.medium"
availability_zone = "us-east-1a"
tags = {
Name = "Web Server"
Environment = "production"
}
}
resource "aws_db_instance" "postgres" {
engine = "postgres"
engine_version = "14.7"
instance_class = "db.t3.medium"
storage_type = "gp3"
}
Maps to:
- Node: "Web Server EC2" (type: server, provider: aws, instance-type: t3.medium, region: us-east-1, az: us-east-1a)
- Node: "PostgreSQL RDS" (type: database-cluster, provider: aws)
- SystemSoftware: "PostgreSQL 14.7" (type: database, version: 14.7)
- Properties: iac-tool=terraform, iac-file=main.tf
Pattern 3: Docker Compose
version: "3.8"
services:
api:
image: myapp/api:latest
ports:
- "8080:8080"
depends_on:
- postgres
- redis
postgres:
image: postgres:14
environment:
POSTGRES_DB: myapp
POSTGRES_USER: admin
volumes:
- postgres-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
redis:
image: redis:7-alpine
ports:
- "6379:6379"
volumes:
postgres-data:
Maps to:
- TechnologyCollaboration: "Docker Compose Stack"
- Node: "API Container" (type: container)
- SystemSoftware: "PostgreSQL 14" (type: database)
- SystemSoftware: "Redis 7" (type: middleware, subtype: cache)
- Artifact: "postgres-data" (type: volume)
- TechnologyInterface: "Redis Port 6379" (protocol: TCP)
Pattern 4: Database Configuration
DATABASE_CONFIG = {
"host": "prod-db.example.com",
"port": 5432,
"database": "customer_db",
"user": "app_user",
"password": "${DB_PASSWORD}",
"pool_size": 20,
"max_overflow": 10,
"pool_timeout": 30
}
Maps to:
- Node: "Production Database" (type: database-cluster, host: prod-db.example.com)
- SystemSoftware: "PostgreSQL" (type: database, port: 5432)
- Artifact: "customer_db" (type: database)
- TechnologyInterface: "PostgreSQL Interface" (protocol: SQL, port: 5432)
- Properties: pool-size=20, max-overflow=10
Pattern 5: CI/CD Pipeline
name: Deploy to Production
on:
push:
branches: [main]
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v3
- name: Build Docker image
run: docker build -t myapp:${{ github.sha }} .
- name: Push to registry
run: docker push myregistry/myapp:${{ github.sha }}
deploy:
needs: build
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Deploy to Kubernetes
run: kubectl apply -f k8s/deployment.yaml
Maps to:
- TechnologyProcess: "CI/CD Pipeline" (pattern: ci-cd, automation: github-actions)
- Sub-processes: "Build", "Deploy"
- TechnologyFunction: "Docker Build", "Kubernetes Deploy"
- Artifact: "Docker Image" (type: docker-image)
Pattern 6: Load Balancer Configuration
# NGINX load balancer
upstream backend {
least_conn;
server app1.example.com:8080 weight=1;
server app2.example.com:8080 weight=1;
server app3.example.com:8080 weight=1;
}
server {
listen 443 ssl;
server_name api.example.com;
ssl_certificate /etc/nginx/ssl/cert.pem;
ssl_certificate_key /etc/nginx/ssl/key.pem;
location / {
proxy_pass http://backend;
}
}
Maps to:
- Node: "NGINX Load Balancer" (type: server)
- SystemSoftware: "NGINX" (type: web-server, subtype: load-balancer)
- TechnologyFunction: "Load Balancing" (strategy: least-conn)
- TechnologyInterface: "HTTPS Endpoint" (protocol: HTTPS, port: 443)
- TechnologyCollaboration: "Backend Pool" (aggregates app1, app2, app3)
Modeling Workflow
Step 1: Identify Infrastructure Nodes
dr add technology node "k8s-cluster-prod" \
--description "Production Kubernetes cluster"
dr add technology node "web-server-01" \
--description "Web application server VM"
dr add technology node "order-processor-lambda" \
--description "Lambda function for order processing"
dr add technology node "postgres-cluster" \
--description "PostgreSQL RDS cluster"
Step 2: Define System Software
dr add technology system-software "postgresql-14" \
--description "PostgreSQL relational database"
dr add technology system-software "docker" \
--description "Docker container runtime"
dr add technology system-software "nginx" \
--description "NGINX web server and load balancer"
dr add technology system-software "rabbitmq" \
--description "RabbitMQ message broker"
Step 3: Model Technology Services
dr add technology service "kubernetes-orchestration" \
--description "Container orchestration platform"
dr add technology service "postgres-database" \
--description "PostgreSQL database service"
dr add technology service "s3-object-storage" \
--description "S3 object storage for files and backups"
dr relationship add technology.systemsoftware.postgresql-14 \
technology.technologyservice.postgres-database --predicate realizes
Step 4: Define Communication Networks
dr add technology network "production-vpc" \
--description "Production VPC network"
dr add technology network "private-subnet-1a" \
--description "Private subnet in AZ 1a"
dr add technology network "site-to-site-vpn" \
--description "Site-to-site VPN to on-premise datacenter"
Step 5: Model Artifacts
dr add technology artifact "customer-database" \
--description "Customer data database"
dr add technology artifact "user-service-image" \
--description "User service Docker image"
dr add technology artifact "app-config" \
--description "Application configuration file"
dr add technology artifact "application-logs" \
--description "Application log files"
dr relationship add technology.node.postgres-cluster \
technology.artifact.customer-database --predicate stores
Step 6: Model Infrastructure as Code
dr add technology process "provision-infrastructure" \
--description "Terraform infrastructure provisioning"
dr add technology process "configure-servers" \
--description "Ansible server configuration"
dr add technology process "deploy-to-k8s" \
--description "Deploy application to Kubernetes"
Step 7: Define Technology Functions
dr add technology function "load-balancing" \
--description "Distribute traffic across backend servers"
dr add technology function "auto-scaling" \
--description "Automatically scale based on CPU utilization"
dr add technology function "database-backup" \
--description "Automated database backup"
dr relationship add technology.node.k8s-cluster-prod \
technology.technologyfunction.auto-scaling --predicate assigned-to
Step 8: Cross-Layer Integration
dr relationship add technology.node.k8s-cluster-prod \
application.applicationcomponent.user-service --predicate hosts
dr relationship add technology.technologyservice.kubernetes-orchestration \
motivation.goal.improve-deployment-frequency --predicate supports
dr relationship add technology.node.k8s-cluster-prod \
motivation.principle.cloud-native-architecture --predicate governed-by
dr relationship add technology.technologyservice.postgres-database \
apm.metric.database-query-latency --predicate monitored-by
Step 9: Validate
dr validate --layers technology
dr validate --relationships
Cloud Provider Patterns
AWS Pattern
TechnologyCollaboration: "AWS Production Environment"
├── contains → Node: "EKS Cluster" (provider: aws, region: us-east-1)
│ ├── hosts → ApplicationComponent: "Microservices"
│ └── uses → TechnologyService: "EKS Orchestration"
├── contains → Node: "RDS PostgreSQL" (provider: aws, multi-az: true)
│ └── realizes → TechnologyService: "Database Service"
├── contains → Artifact: "S3 Bucket" (provider: aws, storage-class: standard)
└── contains → CommunicationNetwork: "VPC" (cidr: 10.0.0.0/16)
├── contains → Subnet: "Public Subnet" (cidr: 10.0.1.0/24)
└── contains → Subnet: "Private Subnet" (cidr: 10.0.2.0/24)
Kubernetes Pattern
Node: "Kubernetes Cluster"
├── type: kubernetes-cluster
├── hosts → Node: "Namespace: production"
│ ├── hosts → Node: "Deployment: user-service"
│ │ ├── replicas: 3
│ │ └── hosts → Node: "Pod: user-service-xyz"
│ │ └── hosts → ApplicationComponent: "UserService"
│ └── uses → Artifact: "ConfigMap: app-config"
└── uses → TechnologyFunction: "Auto-scaling" (HPA)
Hybrid Cloud Pattern
TechnologyCollaboration: "Hybrid Cloud Architecture"
├── contains → Node: "AWS EKS Cluster" (provider: aws)
├── contains → Node: "On-Premise K8s" (provider: onprem)
├── connected-by → Path: "Direct Connect" (type: direct-connect)
└── secured-by → CommunicationNetwork: "Zero-Trust Network"
Best Practices
- Node Types Matter - server vs container vs serverless have different operational characteristics
- Track IaC References - Link to Terraform, Ansible, Kubernetes manifests
- Model HA Clusters - Use TechnologyCollaboration for high-availability setups
- Network Segmentation - Model VPCs, subnets, security zones explicitly
- Artifact Encryption - Mark encryption status (at-rest, in-transit, both)
- Version Everything - Track software versions, image tags, schema versions
- Link to Motivation - Infrastructure choices trace to principles and constraints
- Monitor SLAs - Technology services have availability and latency targets
- Document Automation - Reference IaC tools and CI/CD pipelines
- Cloud-Agnostic When Possible - Use ArchiMate types rather than provider-specific terms
Infrastructure as Code Integration
When infrastructure is managed as code:
technology-node:
id: "k8s-cluster-prod"
type: "kubernetes-cluster"
properties:
iac-tool: "terraform"
iac-file: "infrastructure/eks-cluster.tf"
iac-module: "eks-cluster"
iac-version: "4.0.0"
provider: "aws"
region: "us-east-1"
IaC Tools Supported:
- Terraform - Declarative infrastructure
- Ansible - Configuration management
- Kubernetes - Container orchestration manifests
- CloudFormation - AWS-specific IaC
- Pulumi - Programming language IaC
- Helm - Kubernetes package manager
Validation Tips
| Issue | Cause | Fix |
|---|
| Orphaned Node | Node not hosting applications or realizing services | Link to application layer or remove |
| Unhosted Application | ApplicationComponent not deployed to any node | Add deployment link to technology node |
| Missing Networks | Nodes exist but no network connectivity | Model CommunicationNetwork and Paths |
| Untracked Artifacts | Databases, images, configs not modeled | Add Artifact entities |
| No IaC Reference | Infrastructure lacks automation reference | Add iac-tool and iac-file properties |
| Missing SLA Targets | Services lack availability/latency targets | Add SLA properties for monitoring |
| No Security Properties | Artifacts lack encryption/classification | Add security properties |
Quick Reference
Add Commands:
dr add technology node <name>
dr add technology system-software <name>
dr add technology service <name>
dr add technology network <name>
dr add technology artifact <name>
dr add technology function <name>
dr add technology process <name>
Relationship Commands:
dr relationship add <node> <application-component> --predicate hosts
dr relationship add <system-software> <service> --predicate realizes
dr relationship add <node> <function> --predicate assigned-to
dr relationship add <node> <artifact> --predicate stores
dr relationship add <network> <node> --predicate connects
Cross-Layer Commands:
dr relationship add <technology-node> <application-component> --predicate hosts
dr relationship add <technology-service> <motivation-goal> --predicate supports
dr relationship add <technology-node> <motivation-principle> --predicate governed-by
dr relationship add <technology-service> <apm-metric> --predicate monitored-by