For readers not yet familiar with the ArchView Skill, please read this introduction post first: “ArchView: An AI Skill for Quick Solution Architecture”.
There are plenty of tools for architectural diagrams. But structural modeling tools built specifically for architects are few, and most target either enterprise architecture or solution design. Tools for modeling views specifically at the enterprise solution architecture (ESA) level, such as diagram.a-esa.com, are rarer still. So what sets the ESA-level ArchView Skill apart? Simply stated:
- The abstraction level of ArchView’s elements sits between enterprise architecture (EA) and solution design. EA is well suited to architectural planning, while solution design gives a complete view of the codebase or products in use. The ArchView level is where many critical architectural issues get tackled: data consistency, throughput bottlenecks, interoperability, and maintainability, in relation to business capability and cost considerations.
- Instead of a random set of elements or software-product notations, ArchView provides a practical, well-framed set of architectural elements to guide your thinking, amplifying your architectural thinking capabilities.
- The node-image style makes it easy to see what each architectural element is responsible for and how elements relate, in particular, how they differ in their architectural characteristics, so you can make the right architectural decisions: assigning proper responsibilities, choosing optimal deployment strategies, and weighing sustainability considerations. This removes the clutter and confusion that description-oriented shape views tend to create.
- ArchView contains simple yet complete view areas that let you build a complete solution model. Viewing a solution from different areas makes the result more thought-provoking and well-considered. Of course, you can choose to create views only for your own areas of concern; the lead architect can take the holistic view and handle the overall mapping.
- The output view includes a description and property specification covering critical information: architectural requirements, quality metrics, tradeoffs, and governance actions. Unlike traditional, heavy or scattered documents, this all-in-one approach presents what an architecture should be.
- ArchView suits different use cases and architectural styles. It offers a lean mode for a design-thinking focus, foundational elements for focused solution architectural thinking, and assistive elements for specialized views such as infrastructure architecture, integration architecture, and microservice / event-driven architecture. It also caters to different users with elements tailored to their purpose, such as software designers with architectural design capabilities, and business users with enterprise capabilities and value considerations.
Summary
ArchView is holistic yet simple. It’s versatile, yet built on only 32 required foundational elements that capture the architectural essence while keeping complexity in check.
It helps amplify architects’ ability to judge key architectural tradeoffs, such as the granularity of service components, level of isolation, and coupling, based on a preset, well-framed set of solution architectural elements.