Understanding Application Communication Diagrams, UML/BPMN EAP Profile, and Archimate in Enterprise Architecture

The purpose of the Application Communication Diagram is to describe all models and mappings related to communication between applications in the meta‑model entities. It shows interfaces between application components and between components; when appropriate, interfaces can be associated with data entities, and applications can be linked to business services. Communication should be logical and display only middleware technologies relevant to the architecture.

Tip: Use application components to present an SOA‑oriented architecture as much as possible. Different types of application components allow them to be structured into layers. Main components are GUI (interactive), process, and entity. Due to legacy systems or external applications, the architecture may be hybrid. "Application" or "Database" components can be used and mixed with SOA service components. Application components are connected via required or provided services, which are linked by connectors. Provided/required services are typed by IS service types modeled elsewhere.

Application communication diagrams present either an existing application map or a logical architecture for a future scenario, encouraging the use of SOA‑type architectures based on service‑oriented application components. If the architecture is hybrid, a combination of non‑SOA applications, repositories, and new SOA parts can be shown.

In an SOA‑oriented architecture, it is recommended to structure service application components according to their nature and level: components dedicated to interaction (GUI, WEB), components dedicated to process execution, and the most stable entity components.

Components interconnect through their required and provided services, which are linked by connectors. These required and provided services are typed by IS service types modeled elsewhere. Service operations transfer data (parameters), whose types are also modeled as "messages".

UML/BPMN EAP Profile

Interaction Application Component: Represents a top‑level component that manages interaction with external IS elements, typically a GUI component such as a web interface.

Entity Application Component: Usually derived from business entities, responsible for managing access to and integrity of those entities.

Process Application Component: Handles business process execution and orchestrates process tasks.

System Union: A coarse‑grained application component that assembles systems together, e.g., cooperation between information systems of different companies.

Utility Component: Frequently reused application components, often off‑the‑shelf.

Database Application Component: Represents a repository; in pure SOA architectures these should not appear, but they are useful for legacy analysis or technical architecture.

Application: Corresponds to a legacy application, a commercial product, or an assembly of application components.

Provided Service: Access to an application component via a provided service.

Required Service: A service that an application component needs to be connected to a provided service of another component.

Connector: Used between provided or required services and one or more instances of application components.

Information Flow: Defines any type of flow of information (business entities, events, products, informal information, etc.) between enterprise activity entities.

Flow Link: Links between data (e.g., business entities, events, products) and activity elements (e.g., business processes, services).

External Participant: Participants outside the enterprise.

Consume Link: Represents a participant consuming an IS element (service, operation, application component).

Archimate

Architecture is layered: interaction components (site) are at the top, process components in the middle, and entity components at the bottom.

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