Integrating Architectural Models - Symbolic, Semantic and Subjective Models in Enterprise Architecture

Abstract

The diversity of architectural models in enterprise architecture poses a problem to their integration. Without such integration the effectiveness of these models in the process of architecting enterprises diminishes. In this paper we make a distinction between three classes of models. We will illustrate how the distinctions can be used for model integration within the architectural approach. Symbolic models express properties of architec-tures of systems, semantic models interpret the symbols used in symbolic models, and subjective models are purposely abstracted conceptions of a domain. Building on results obtained in the ArchiMate project, we il-lustrate how symbolic models can be integrated using an architectural language, how integrated models can be updated using the distinction between symbolic models and their visualization, and how semantic models can be integrated using a new kind of enterprise analysis called semantic analysis.