Architecture design, function design and data design are three different levels of design work in the software design process. The design of the business architecture is the most important basic work in the overall planning of the system. All subsequent design and development work is based on the deployment of the business architecture. The business logic, functional requirements, and data can be obtained from the design results of the business architecture. For important information such as relationships, the main way to express business architecture is to use business architecture diagrams.
To express an accurate business architecture diagram, there should be no need to explain (or a little introduction), and the viewer can read the intention and logic you want to convey from the diagram.
What is a business architecture diagram?
In non-software industries (such as manufacturing, construction business, etc.), design intent transmission, processing and manufacturing basis, etc. are all design drawings. The following compares the expressions of these mature industries to understand the role and drawing methods of business architecture diagrams.
[Example 1] Construction Industry: Three Views of Architectural Design
In the construction industry, the three basic graphics that designers use most are called "Three Views of Architecture", as shown in Figure 1.
Take the building (three-dimensional drawing) of ① as an example, the three basic figures are: plan view, elevation view, and section view. After seeing these three types of graphics, the viewer can generally understand the basic structure of the building.
The description of the three views of the building is as follows :
②Plane view : It is a “cut along the horizontal plane” of the building from a certain height, exposing the cross section, and then looking from the top down from the bird’s eye view, expressing the building’s plan shape, internal layout, The relationship with the surrounding area, etc. (Anyone who has experience in buying or renting a house must have seen this picture).
③Elevation diagram : It is viewed from the opposite side of the building ①, and it expresses the shape of the building's facade.
④Cross-section drawing : It is a "longitudinal cut" of a certain position of the building. After removing the second half, observe the internal situation of the remaining half. It expresses the relationship between the internal layers of the building. .
[Example 2] Manufacturing industry: three views of mechanical design
In the mechanical manufacturing industry, designers use at most three basic graphics, which are called "three mechanical views", as shown in Figure 2.
Taking the mechanical part (three-dimensional drawing) of ① as an example, the three basic graphics are: front view, side view, and top view. After seeing these three graphics, the viewer can generally understand the basic composition of the part.
The description of the three mechanical views is as follows:
②Front view : it is facing ①, and the part is viewed from the angle of ② (front view);
③Side view : it is facing ①, and the part is viewed from the angle of ③ (side view);
④ Top view : It is facing ①, looking at the part from the angle of ④ (top view);
[Example 3] Software industry: three views of business architecture
Let’s go back and look at the design diagram used in the business design of the software: business architecture diagram, as shown in Figure 3.
Business architecture also has three similar views, namely: frame diagram, decomposition diagram and flowchart. They can be called "three views of business architecture". After seeing these three graphics, the viewer can generally understand the basics of the business. Constituted.
The three views of the business architecture are described as follows:
②Frame diagram : expresses the relationship between the content planning, scope, division, and area of the content of the diagram ①;
③Decomposition diagram : expresses the static decomposition relationship of the content of a certain area in the diagram ② ;
④ flowchart of : expressing the relationship between the flow of certain activities in the FIG ③;
Model characteristics analysis
1)
No matter which industry’s design drawing, select the most characteristic perspective and dimension of the research object, and use the fewest graphics to express the basic situation of the object. This is a very good refinement of the characteristics of the research object. important.
□Architectural/Mechanical Drawing : From the perspective of three-dimensional space (X, Y, D), the characteristic expression of the object is given in size; it
depicts concrete, intuitive, and touchable objects, with physical principles and spatial dimensions The basis for judging whether it is correct or not is based on principles, size relationships, etc.;
□Business architecture diagram : From the perspective of static (framework, decomposition) and dynamic (process), use the relationship between elements (arrows, positions, inclusions) ) The characteristic expression is given; what is
depicted is an abstract "thing" that is not touchable and unintuitive. The basis for judging whether it is correct or not is based on business affair, logical relations, and rule constraints;
2. Differences in the purpose of drawing.
Because the business management of the enterprise is more abstract in expression, the graphics expressed are also abstract. Here you can see the "same" and "different" between the software business design and the architectural/mechanical design drawing,
□Architectural/Mechanical Picture : Using a high-simulation method, draw the object structure that is completely consistent with the future manufacturing after completion;
□Business architecture diagram : Use a logical model to give the business "portrait" of the enterprise, so that invisible enterprise management objects (such as: marketing management, Logistics management, expense reimbursement, etc.) can become "see";
Conclusion
□ Construction / mechanical drawing : Expression object spatial dimensions FIG ;
□ FIG business architecture : Expression object logic diagram ;
In the process of doing training, I often hear complaints between the business and technical teams of the software company, saying that the other party does not understand what they mean, resulting in poor communication and product rework. The same is between the software engineer and the customer. Misunderstandings of requirements often occur. There are many reasons for this problem, but the most important thing is that everyone does not have a "common language." Each party is explaining the problem in a way that only they are familiar with. For example, customers use customer industry language, software engineers use IT language (UML Etc.), because the terms of the two cannot be used as a "common language", it is impossible to accurately communicate and transmit intentions.
This problem does not exist in the construction industry and the machinery industry because they have a "common language = drawings."
The business architecture diagram can also play the role of a "common language". Its expression vector is a logical diagram that meets the "IT technical requirements", but it expresses the customer's "industry business". Therefore, it allows the relevant people of the software to (Customer, business, technology) all three can be understood, and can be used as the basis for communication, exchange, design and acceptance.
In the last three articles of this series, the detailed drawing methods of the three views of the business architecture will be explained one by one.
Of course, there are not only these three models for expressing business architecture. For more information, please refer to the book "Dahua Software Engineering-Requirements Analysis and Software Design".