Enterprise Architecture Management

You can document your enterprise architecture to analyze and harmonize IT environments if you have purchased ARIS Architect Extension Pack EAM.

Complex structures with redundant and insufficiently integrated IT systems are the core problem of evolved IT landscapes. Another consequence of using monolithic systems is the lack of flexibility in adjusting applications to ever-faster changing business requirements. Intransparency leads to high costs in the context of company-wide IT planning. The scope for action becomes increasingly smaller, as available budgets are already consumed by maintenance activities.

The only way out of this dilemma is to implement long-term enterprise architecture management strategies that aim at gradually harmonizing the IT landscape, making it more flexible, and aligning it with the business process requirements.

You can use the ARIS - Alfabet Interoperability Interface to reuse objects from ARIS and Alfabet databases in the respective other system.

Alfabet is an IT planning and portfolio management system. Based on answering the questions, when, where, how, and why to make changes in the IT portfolio, it is used to increase IT investment returns and reduce transformation risks. When you have connected the ARIS database to the Alfabet system and configured the Alfabet import in ARIS as described here, authorized users can reuse objects from connected ARIS databases and Alfabet databases and switch to the other system.

You can connect any ARIS database with an Alfabet system. When you have configured the Alfabet import, users can reuse objects from connected ARIS databases and Alfabet databases and switch to the other system. To connect a database to an Alfabet system, do the following:

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Configuration Configuration > Databases.

  2. Selected items Select the database and click Properties Properties > Alfabet configuration. The Alfabet integration settings of database "..." bar opens.

  3. In the Web service URL field, enter the URL to the Alfabet Web application. The URL is used for accessing the Alfabet Web service (Alfabet RESTful API). The Web service URL is required for exchanging data.

  4. In the User interface URL field, enter the URL to be used for accessing the Alfabet user interface. This URL is required to enable users to navigate to Alfabet objects from ARIS.

  5. In the User name and the API password/token fields, specify the user credentials as required.

    For more information about the password and token, and authorization, see the Alfabet Interface for RESTful Web Services manual. You can open or download documents and the Technical Help from the Documentation Web site. Documentation is also contained in the ARIS installation package that is available in the ARIS Download Center.

    Warning

    For security reasons, we recommend that you use Alfabet RESTful API version 2. Do not activate Alfabet REST API v1 (not recommended). Software AG strongly recommends to switch to Alfabet RESTful API version 2 as soon as possible.

  6. Select the required synchronization options for objects and connections whose mapped objects or connections no longer exist in Alfabet. The selected actions are executed automatically during data synchronization.

    Objects

    Do not change

    Mapped objects that no longer exist in Alfabet remain unchanged in the ARIS database.

    Delete mapping

    Deletes mappings from ARIS objects whose mapped objects no longer exist in Alfabet.

    This cannot be undone.

    Mark objects as deleted

    Identifies all ARIS objects whose mapped Alphabet objects are no longer available.

    For these objects, the Alfabet - Deletion candidate attribute (AT_ALFA_DELETE_CANDIDATE, 4152) is set to true.

    Delete objects

    Deletes ARIS objects whose mapped objects no longer exist in Alfabet.

    This cannot be undone.

    Connections

    Do not change

    If connections between Alfabet objects were modified or deleted in Alfabet, these connections remain unchanged in the ARIS database.

    Delete mapping

    Deletes mappings from ARIS connections whose corresponding connections no longer exist in Alfabet.

    This cannot be undone.

    Mark connections as deleted

    Identifies all ARIS connections whose related Alphabet connections are no longer available in Alfabet.

    For these connections, the Alfabet - Deletion candidate attribute (AT_ALFA_DELETE_CANDIDATE, 4152) is set to true.

    Delete connections

    Deletes ARIS connections whose related connections no longer exist in Alfabet.

    This cannot be undone.

  7. Click Test connection to validate the specified values.

  8. If the test was successful, click Save to close the dialog.

The database is connected to the Alfabet system.

It is easy to navigate between the systems. For example, from a business process in Alfabet, you can switch to the corresponding function or to a model in ARIS that contains the function. You can also switch from an application system to the related application in Alfabet.

If you have the ARIS Alfabet Interoperability license privilege, you can do the following:

Map Alfabet object to ARIS object

You can map an Alfabet object to an ARIS object. Multiple mapping is not possible. By default, objects of the Application system type object type can be mapped. In the description, this object type is used as an example.

  1. Open a model that contains objects of the Application system type type.

    You can open models in different ways.

    Prerequisite

    • You have the ARIS Connect Designer license privilege.

    • The model type is allowed by the method filter in use.

    Procedure

    1. If you are authorized to use multiple databases, select the database containing the contents you want to access.

    2. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Published content Published content.

    3. Click Groups in the Classic or Processes in the Default configuration set.

    4. Select the group or process area containing the required model. The content of the selected group or process area is listed.

    5. Click the name of the relevant model.

    6. Click Diagram if you want to display the model graphically.

    7. Click Edit Edit > Edit model Edit model.

    1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Models and objects Models and objects. The Models and objects view in the repository is opened.

    2. In the database, select the group containing the relevant model. The content of the selected group is listed.

    3. Click the name of the model you want to open.

    1. If you are authorized to use multiple databases, select the database containing the contents you want to access.

    2. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Models and objects Models and objects. The Models and objects view in the repository is opened.

    3. Click Recent changes Recently used. All models are listed that have recently been changed or created.

    4. Click the tile of the model you want to open.

    You can select models in the Published content Published content view and open them for editing in a separate tab.

    Prerequisite

    You have the ARIS Connect Designer license privilege.

    Procedure

    1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Published content Published content.

    2. Click Groups in the Classic or Processes in the Default configuration set.

    3. Navigate to the relevant model.

    4. Click the name of the model you want to edit.

    5. Click Edit Edit > Edit model Edit model. The model opens on an individual tab.

    6. Make the required changes.

    7. Click Save Save.

    Your changes are saved in the model.

    1. If you are authorized to use multiple databases, select the database containing the contents you want to access.

    2. Click the Find Search field and enter a term that is included in the model name. The search results list all models that have the term in their name.

    3. In the Models category, click the name of the model you want to open.

    The model opens on a separate tab.

  2. Select the relevant application system type.

  3. In the Start tab bar, click Alfabet Alfabet > Map Alfabet object Map Alfabet object. The Select Alfabet object dialog opens.

  4. Select the Alfabet table, for example, Application. You will see only those Alfabet objects you have the privileges to use. If you start typing the object name into the Filter field, the number of entries will decrease.

    ARIS users access Alfabet directly or indirectly. Depending on the action, a different type of authentication is used:

    • Mapping single Alfabet objects, importing objects in bulk or synchronizing data requires read access via the Alfabet REST API version 2.

      Interface to Alfabet used to exchange data.

      Therefore, RESTful API must be activated and configured in ARIS as well as in Alfabet. For more information, read the Alfabet reference manual of the ARIS - Alfabet Interoperability Interface. You can open or download documents and the Technical Help from the Documentation Web site. Documentation is also contained in the ARIS installation package that is available in the ARIS Download Center.

      The URL for the interface is entered when mapping the ARIS database to Alfabet. Users require read access in Alfabet.

      If you still use Alfabet REST API version 1, the login specified in the Alfabet import configuration is used for authentication. Login credentials, Web service URL, and User interface URL can also be specified in the Alfabet integration property dialog of the related database. The access permissions of the configured login therefore define which Alfabet objects the ARIS users with access to the actions can see.

      You can connect any ARIS database with an Alfabet system. When you have configured the Alfabet import, users can reuse objects from connected ARIS databases and Alfabet databases and switch to the other system. To connect a database to an Alfabet system, do the following:

      1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Configuration Configuration > Databases.

      2. Selected items Select the database and click Properties Properties > Alfabet configuration. The Alfabet integration settings of database "..." bar opens.

      3. In the Web service URL field, enter the URL to the Alfabet Web application. The URL is used for accessing the Alfabet Web service (Alfabet RESTful API). The Web service URL is required for exchanging data.

      4. In the User interface URL field, enter the URL to be used for accessing the Alfabet user interface. This URL is required to enable users to navigate to Alfabet objects from ARIS.

      5. In the User name and the API password/token fields, specify the user credentials as required.

        For more information about the password and token, and authorization, see the Alfabet Interface for RESTful Web Services manual. You can open or download documents and the Technical Help from the Documentation Web site. Documentation is also contained in the ARIS installation package that is available in the ARIS Download Center.

        Warning

        For security reasons, we recommend that you use Alfabet RESTful API version 2. Do not activate Alfabet REST API v1 (not recommended). Software AG strongly recommends to switch to Alfabet RESTful API version 2 as soon as possible.

      6. Select the required synchronization options for objects and connections whose mapped objects or connections no longer exist in Alfabet. The selected actions are executed automatically during data synchronization.

        Objects

        Do not change

        Mapped objects that no longer exist in Alfabet remain unchanged in the ARIS database.

        Delete mapping

        Deletes mappings from ARIS objects whose mapped objects no longer exist in Alfabet.

        This cannot be undone.

        Mark objects as deleted

        Identifies all ARIS objects whose mapped Alphabet objects are no longer available.

        For these objects, the Alfabet - Deletion candidate attribute (AT_ALFA_DELETE_CANDIDATE, 4152) is set to true.

        Delete objects

        Deletes ARIS objects whose mapped objects no longer exist in Alfabet.

        This cannot be undone.

        Connections

        Do not change

        If connections between Alfabet objects were modified or deleted in Alfabet, these connections remain unchanged in the ARIS database.

        Delete mapping

        Deletes mappings from ARIS connections whose corresponding connections no longer exist in Alfabet.

        This cannot be undone.

        Mark connections as deleted

        Identifies all ARIS connections whose related Alphabet connections are no longer available in Alfabet.

        For these connections, the Alfabet - Deletion candidate attribute (AT_ALFA_DELETE_CANDIDATE, 4152) is set to true.

        Delete connections

        Deletes ARIS connections whose related connections no longer exist in Alfabet.

        This cannot be undone.

      7. Click Test connection to validate the specified values.

      8. If the test was successful, click Save to close the dialog.

      The database is connected to the Alfabet system.

      Warning

      When accessing the Alfabet RESTful API, the login data is transferred with the HTTP header. Therefore, you must ensure that the transfer is encrypted.

    • To open the Alfabet object, users require read access in the Alfabet Web User Interface. Users must log in to Alfabet themselves.

    • To create Alfabet objects, users require write access in the Alfabet Web User Interface. Users must log in to Alfabet themselves.

  5. Click the Alfabet object you want to map to the ARIS object. The option button is activated.

  6. Click OK.

The mapping between the Alfabet object and the ARIS object has been created. The name of the Alfabet object is now used for the ARIS object. Additional attributes have been entered for this object in the Alfabet attribute type group in ARIS.

Create Alfabet object

You can create a missing Alfabet object and map it to an ARIS object.

  1. Open a model that contains objects of the Application system type type.

    You can open models in different ways.

    Prerequisite

    • You have the ARIS Connect Designer license privilege.

    • The model type is allowed by the method filter in use.

    Procedure

    1. If you are authorized to use multiple databases, select the database containing the contents you want to access.

    2. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Published content Published content.

    3. Click Groups in the Classic or Processes in the Default configuration set.

    4. Select the group or process area containing the required model. The content of the selected group or process area is listed.

    5. Click the name of the relevant model.

    6. Click Diagram if you want to display the model graphically.

    7. Click Edit Edit > Edit model Edit model.

    1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Models and objects Models and objects. The Models and objects view in the repository is opened.

    2. In the database, select the group containing the relevant model. The content of the selected group is listed.

    3. Click the name of the model you want to open.

    1. If you are authorized to use multiple databases, select the database containing the contents you want to access.

    2. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Models and objects Models and objects. The Models and objects view in the repository is opened.

    3. Click Recent changes Recently used. All models are listed that have recently been changed or created.

    4. Click the tile of the model you want to open.

    You can select models in the Published content Published content view and open them for editing in a separate tab.

    Prerequisite

    You have the ARIS Connect Designer license privilege.

    Procedure

    1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Published content Published content.

    2. Click Groups in the Classic or Processes in the Default configuration set.

    3. Navigate to the relevant model.

    4. Click the name of the model you want to edit.

    5. Click Edit Edit > Edit model Edit model. The model opens on an individual tab.

    6. Make the required changes.

    7. Click Save Save.

    Your changes are saved in the model.

    1. If you are authorized to use multiple databases, select the database containing the contents you want to access.

    2. Click the Find Search field and enter a term that is included in the model name. The search results list all models that have the term in their name.

    3. In the Models category, click the name of the model you want to open.

    The model opens on a separate tab.

  2. Select the relevant application system type.

  3. In the Start tab bar, click Alfabet Alfabet > Map Alfabet object Map Alfabet object. The Select Alfabet object dialog opens.

  4. Select the Alfabet table, for example, Application.

  5. Click Create Alfabet object button. The Alfabet login dialog opens.

  6. Create the object in Alfabet.

  7. In the Select Alfabet object dialog of the modeling component, click Refresh Refresh.

The new object is listed in the table.

Switch to Alfabet

You can easily navigate to related Alfabet objects.

  1. Open a model that contains objects that are mapped to Alfabet objects.

    You can open models in different ways.

    Prerequisite

    • You have the ARIS Connect Designer license privilege.

    • The model type is allowed by the method filter in use.

    Procedure

    1. If you are authorized to use multiple databases, select the database containing the contents you want to access.

    2. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Published content Published content.

    3. Click Groups in the Classic or Processes in the Default configuration set.

    4. Select the group or process area containing the required model. The content of the selected group or process area is listed.

    5. Click the name of the relevant model.

    6. Click Diagram if you want to display the model graphically.

    7. Click Edit Edit > Edit model Edit model.

    1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Models and objects Models and objects. The Models and objects view in the repository is opened.

    2. In the database, select the group containing the relevant model. The content of the selected group is listed.

    3. Click the name of the model you want to open.

    1. If you are authorized to use multiple databases, select the database containing the contents you want to access.

    2. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Models and objects Models and objects. The Models and objects view in the repository is opened.

    3. Click Recent changes Recently used. All models are listed that have recently been changed or created.

    4. Click the tile of the model you want to open.

    You can select models in the Published content Published content view and open them for editing in a separate tab.

    Prerequisite

    You have the ARIS Connect Designer license privilege.

    Procedure

    1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Published content Published content.

    2. Click Groups in the Classic or Processes in the Default configuration set.

    3. Navigate to the relevant model.

    4. Click the name of the model you want to edit.

    5. Click Edit Edit > Edit model Edit model. The model opens on an individual tab.

    6. Make the required changes.

    7. Click Save Save.

    Your changes are saved in the model.

    1. If you are authorized to use multiple databases, select the database containing the contents you want to access.

    2. Click the Find Search field and enter a term that is included in the model name. The search results list all models that have the term in their name.

    3. In the Models category, click the name of the model you want to open.

    The model opens on a separate tab.

  2. Select the relevant object.

  3. Click Properties Details > Properties. If you opened the model in the published content, click Details Properties > Attributes.

  4. Click the Alfabet Link 1.

The mapped Alfabet object is displayed.

Unmap Alfabet object

You can delete the mapping between an ARIS object and an Alfabet object. By default, objects of the Application system type object type can be mapped. In the description, this object type is used as an example.

  1. Open a model that contains objects that are mapped to Alfabet objects.

    You can open models in different ways.

    Prerequisite

    • You have the ARIS Connect Designer license privilege.

    • The model type is allowed by the method filter in use.

    Procedure

    1. If you are authorized to use multiple databases, select the database containing the contents you want to access.

    2. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Published content Published content.

    3. Click Groups in the Classic or Processes in the Default configuration set.

    4. Select the group or process area containing the required model. The content of the selected group or process area is listed.

    5. Click the name of the relevant model.

    6. Click Diagram if you want to display the model graphically.

    7. Click Edit Edit > Edit model Edit model.

    1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Models and objects Models and objects. The Models and objects view in the repository is opened.

    2. In the database, select the group containing the relevant model. The content of the selected group is listed.

    3. Click the name of the model you want to open.

    1. If you are authorized to use multiple databases, select the database containing the contents you want to access.

    2. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Models and objects Models and objects. The Models and objects view in the repository is opened.

    3. Click Recent changes Recently used. All models are listed that have recently been changed or created.

    4. Click the tile of the model you want to open.

    You can select models in the Published content Published content view and open them for editing in a separate tab.

    Prerequisite

    You have the ARIS Connect Designer license privilege.

    Procedure

    1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Published content Published content.

    2. Click Groups in the Classic or Processes in the Default configuration set.

    3. Navigate to the relevant model.

    4. Click the name of the model you want to edit.

    5. Click Edit Edit > Edit model Edit model. The model opens on an individual tab.

    6. Make the required changes.

    7. Click Save Save.

    Your changes are saved in the model.

    1. If you are authorized to use multiple databases, select the database containing the contents you want to access.

    2. Click the Find Search field and enter a term that is included in the model name. The search results list all models that have the term in their name.

    3. In the Models category, click the name of the model you want to open.

    The model opens on a separate tab.

  2. Select the relevant Application system type object.

  3. In the Start tab bar, click Alfabet Alfabet > Unmap Alfabet object Unmap Alfabet object.

The mapping between the selected ARIS object and the Alfabet object is removed without prompting. All attributes in the Alfabet attribute type group are deleted. The name of the Alfabet object continues to be used for the ARIS object.

You can configure ARIS - Alfabet Interoperability Interface in ARIS if you have access to ARIS Enterprise - Server or ARIS Enterprise - Enterprise Server and you have the Configuration administrator function privilege.

To manage Alfabet configurations, in ARIS, click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Alfabet import.

You can do the following:

Duplicate Duplicate

To prevent overwriting custom Alfabet configuration settings during the ARIS updates, you can no longer modify the related XML files in ARIS Architect or edit the Default configuration. To modify the Default configuration, you must duplicate the Default Alfabet configuration and customize the Alfabet import configuration in the copy. The Default configuration gets updated with each ARIS update to include all current features.

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Alfabet import.

  2. Selected itemsSelect the Alfabet configuration. The Default configuration always contains the latest features.

  3. Click Duplicate Duplicate.

The copy of the configuration is created.

You can change and activate the configuration as required.

Import Import

Import an Alfabet configuration that you have exported earlier to use on the current tenant.

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Alfabet import.

  2. Selected itemsSelect the Alfabet configuration.

  3. Click Import Import. Even if you renamed the configuration file before re-importing it, you should still confirm that you want to overwrite the existing Alfabet configuration.

The configuration is imported.

You can change and activate the configuration as required.

Display details Change name and description

You can edit the name and description in multiple languages.

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Alfabet import.

  2. Selected itemsSelect the Alfabet configuration.

  3. Click Display details Display details.

  4. Select the language.

  5. Enter the name and description (optional).

  6. Edit the name and description in all required languages in turn.

  7. Click Save.

The changed name and description are displayed.

Add language Create import configuration

You can create an Alfabet configuration from scratch. In this case, you must specify all configuration settings. Make sure that the defined attribute types are available for each object type. You can also duplicate the Default configuration and modify the configuration as required.

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Alfabet import.

  2. Click Add language Create import configuration.

  3. Specify the name and description in the required languages and click Save. The new configuration is listed.

  4. Click the name of the new configuration. If the non-secure API version 1 was activated, make sure to write the Alfabet import configuration on the API version 2 tab. Tags are explained in these examples.

  5. Click Save configuration.

The configuration file is saved.

You must activate the Alfabet configuration to use. You can modify the Select Alfabet object dialog available for users.

Activate Activate

To use an Alfabet configuration on a tenant, you must activate the required configuration.

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Alfabet import.

  2. Selected itemsSelect the Alfabet configuration. The Default configuration always contains the current features but gets overwritten with each ARIS update.

  3. Click Activate Activate.

The configuration is used for the actions of the ARIS - Alfabet Interoperability Interface.

Export Export

Export an Alfabet configuration that you can import to another tenant.

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Alfabet import.

  2. Selected itemsSelect the Alfabet configuration.

  3. Click Export Export.

The configuration is exported.

Delete Delete

You can delete Alfabet configurations that you no longer require. As a backup, you can export Alfabet configurations before you delete them.

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Alfabet import.

  2. Selected itemsSelect the Alfabet configuration. You cannot delete the Default configuration or the active configuration.

  3. Click Delete Delete.

The configuration is deleted.

If you have duplicate Alfabet configurations or you want to change your current configuration, you can modify an Alfabet configuration.

ARIS supports all required strategic planning processes, starting from the documentation of the as-is architecture and its analysis through to the design and publication of to-be architectures.

In this way, it is possible to set up company-wide application and technology landscapes, as well as specify, document, and roll out IT standards. Existing system landscapes can be described and analyzed from the strategic overview level to the detailed infrastructure representation level.

To enable efficient and effective IT architecture management and to achieve objectives such as the standardization of the IT landscape, the elements of the architecture framework are mapped in a central repository, as are the relevant relationships. ARIS Method for IT architectures is based on an object-oriented approach for the re-use of architecture artifacts across all views. The interaction of business processes and IT architectures can thus be documented and managed based on an integrated approach. But how do you manage to keep all information up-to-date? IT Inventory is the solution to this problem.

Software AG or the sales partner responsible will be pleased to help you with the implementation.