ArchiMate Architecture Patterns

This skill provides patterns for modeling modern architectures in ArchiMate.

Microservices Architecture

Element mapping:

•Individual microservices → Application Component
•Business functionality → Application Service
•REST/gRPC endpoints → Application Interface
•Docker images → Artifact
•Kubernetes pods/namespaces → Node
•Container runtime → System Software

Basic pattern:

code

[Application Component: Order Service] → [realizes] → [Application Service: Order Processing]
    → [composition] → [Application Function: Validate Order]
    → [composition] → [Application Function: Process Payment]
    → [serves] → [Application Interface: Order API (REST)]

Container orchestration:

code

[Node: Kubernetes Cluster]
    → [composition] → [Node: Namespace]
        → [composition] → [Node: Pod]
            → [assigned to] → [Artifact: Container Image]

Key principle: Model microservices at Application Layer, not Technology Layer.

API and Integration Patterns

API Gateway:

code

[Technology Node: API Gateway]
    → [assignment] → [Technology Function: Request Routing]
    → [realization] → [Technology Service: API Management]
    → [serves] → [Application Component: Backend Service]

Message Queue/Event Bus:

code

[Application Component: Message Broker]
    → [realization] → [Application Service: Async Messaging]
    → [served by] → [Application Interface: Topic/Queue Endpoint]
[Application Component: Producer] → [flow (labeled)] → [Application Component: Consumer]

Cloud Infrastructure Patterns

IaaS:

code

[Technology Service: Compute Service] → [realizes] → [Node: Virtual Machine]
[Technology Service: Storage Service] → [accesses] → [Artifact: Data Volume]

PaaS:

code

[Technology Service: Runtime Environment] → [serves] → [Application Component: Customer App]
[Node: Container Platform] → [assigned to] → [Artifact: Application Container]

SaaS:

code

[Application Service: SaaS Capability] → [serves] → [Business Actor: Customer]
[Application Component: SaaS Application] → [realizes] → [Application Service]

Serverless:

code

[Technology Service: Lambda/Functions] → [assigned to] → [Artifact: Function Code]
[Technology Interface: API Gateway Trigger] → [triggers] → [Application Event]

Multi-cloud: Use Location elements for cloud providers/regions, Groupings for provider-specific services.

Event-Driven Architecture

Event producers/consumers:

code

[Application Component: Order Service] → [triggers] → [Application Event: Order Created]
[Application Event] → [flow] → [Application Component: Inventory Service]

CQRS pattern:

code

[Application Component: Command Service] → [accesses (write)] → [Data Object: Write Model]
[Application Component: Query Service] → [accesses (read)] → [Data Object: Read Model]
[Application Event: State Changed] → [flow] → (synchronizes models)

Event sourcing:

code

[Application Component: Event Store] → [accesses (write, append-only)] → [Artifact: Event Log]
[Application Process: Event Replay] → [realizes] → [Application Service: State Reconstruction]

Strategy Layer Patterns

Capability modeling:

code

[Goal] → [realized by] → [Capability] → [realized by] → [Business Process/Application Component]
[Capability] → [composition] → [Sub-Capability]
[Capability] → [serves] → [Value Stream Stage]

Value stream:

code

[Value Stream] → [composition] → [Value Stream Stages] (with flow between stages)
[Value Stream Stage] ← [served by] ← [Capability]
[Value Stream] → [realizes] → [Outcome]

Capability-to-application mapping:

code

[Capability: Customer Management]
    ← [realized by] ← [Business Process: Handle Customer Inquiry]
    ← [realized by] ← [Application Component: CRM System]

Data Architecture Patterns

Data lake:

code

[Technology Node: Data Lake Platform]
    → [serves] → [Application Service: Data Ingestion]
    → [serves] → [Application Service: Data Processing]
    → [accesses] → [Artifact: Raw Data Store]

Master data management:

code

[Business Object: Customer (Master)] ← [realized by] ← [Data Object: Customer Record]
[Data Object: Customer Record] ← [accessed by] ← [Application Component: MDM Platform]

Key principle: Separate conceptual (Business Object), logical (Data Object), and physical (Artifact) levels.

Security Architecture Patterns

Identity and access management:

code

[Application Component: Identity Provider]
    → [realizes] → [Application Service: Authentication Service]
    → [realizes] → [Application Service: Authorization Service]
    → [serves] → [Application Component: Protected Application]

Security zones: Use Location or Grouping for security boundaries (DMZ, Internal, External). Model firewalls as Technology Interface elements.

Zero-trust:

code

[Principle: Never Trust, Always Verify]
    → [influences] → [Requirement: Continuous Authentication]
    → [realizes] → [Application Service: Identity Verification]

Additional Resources

Reference Files

For complete pattern catalog with industry-specific patterns:

•references/patterns-catalog.md - Extended patterns: BIAN, GDPR, HL7/FHIR, EIRA
•references/application-integration.md - 10 application integration pattern alternatives

Instantiating Patterns via the API

To create pattern elements and relationships in Archi, use the Archi Model API Server. Load the archi-server-api skill for full API workflow details.

Pattern Execution Steps

•Health check: curl -s http://localhost:8765/health
•Search for existing elements that overlap with the pattern
•Batch create all elements + relationships in one /model/apply call (tempId cross-references work within a batch)
•Poll for real IDs
•Create view, add elements, add connections, auto-layout
•Save

tempId Naming Conventions for Patterns

Use pattern-specific prefixes to keep IDs organized:

Pattern	Element prefix	Relationship prefix
Microservices	`ms-[service]`	`ms-r[n]`
API Gateway	`gw-[component]`	`gw-r[n]`
Event-Driven	`ed-[component]`	`ed-r[n]`
Cloud	`cl-[resource]`	`cl-r[n]`
Capability	`cap-[name]`	`cap-r[n]`
Value Stream	`vs-[stage]`	`vs-r[n]`
Cross-Layer	`b-`, `a-`, `t-`	`xl-r[n]`
Security	`sec-[component]`	`sec-r[n]`

Microservices Pattern — Full Executable

bash

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:8765/model/apply \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "changes": [
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-component", "name": "API Gateway", "tempId": "ms-gw", "documentation": "Entry point for all client requests"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-component", "name": "Order Service", "tempId": "ms-order", "documentation": "Handles order lifecycle management"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-component", "name": "Inventory Service", "tempId": "ms-inv", "documentation": "Manages product inventory and stock"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-component", "name": "Payment Service", "tempId": "ms-pay", "documentation": "Processes payment transactions"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-service", "name": "Order Management", "tempId": "ms-order-svc"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-service", "name": "Inventory Management", "tempId": "ms-inv-svc"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-service", "name": "Payment Processing", "tempId": "ms-pay-svc"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-interface", "name": "Order API", "tempId": "ms-order-api"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-interface", "name": "Inventory API", "tempId": "ms-inv-api"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-interface", "name": "Payment API", "tempId": "ms-pay-api"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-event", "name": "Order Created", "tempId": "ms-evt-order"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-event", "name": "Payment Received", "tempId": "ms-evt-pay"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "serving-relationship", "sourceId": "ms-gw", "targetId": "ms-order", "tempId": "ms-r1"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "serving-relationship", "sourceId": "ms-gw", "targetId": "ms-inv", "tempId": "ms-r2"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "serving-relationship", "sourceId": "ms-gw", "targetId": "ms-pay", "tempId": "ms-r3"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "realization-relationship", "sourceId": "ms-order", "targetId": "ms-order-svc", "tempId": "ms-r4"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "realization-relationship", "sourceId": "ms-inv", "targetId": "ms-inv-svc", "tempId": "ms-r5"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "realization-relationship", "sourceId": "ms-pay", "targetId": "ms-pay-svc", "tempId": "ms-r6"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "assignment-relationship", "sourceId": "ms-order", "targetId": "ms-order-api", "tempId": "ms-r7"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "assignment-relationship", "sourceId": "ms-inv", "targetId": "ms-inv-api", "tempId": "ms-r8"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "assignment-relationship", "sourceId": "ms-pay", "targetId": "ms-pay-api", "tempId": "ms-r9"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "triggering-relationship", "sourceId": "ms-order", "targetId": "ms-evt-order", "tempId": "ms-r10"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "triggering-relationship", "sourceId": "ms-pay", "targetId": "ms-evt-pay", "tempId": "ms-r11"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "flow-relationship", "sourceId": "ms-evt-order", "targetId": "ms-inv", "name": "Order Data", "tempId": "ms-r12"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "flow-relationship", "sourceId": "ms-evt-order", "targetId": "ms-pay", "name": "Payment Request", "tempId": "ms-r13"}
    ]
  }'

Event-Driven / CQRS Pattern — Full Executable

bash

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:8765/model/apply \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "changes": [
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-component", "name": "Command Service", "tempId": "ed-cmd", "documentation": "Handles write operations"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-component", "name": "Query Service", "tempId": "ed-qry", "documentation": "Handles read operations"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-component", "name": "Event Store", "tempId": "ed-store", "documentation": "Persists domain events"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "data-object", "name": "Write Model", "tempId": "ed-write-model"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "data-object", "name": "Read Model", "tempId": "ed-read-model"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-event", "name": "State Changed", "tempId": "ed-evt"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-service", "name": "Command Processing", "tempId": "ed-cmd-svc"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-service", "name": "Query Processing", "tempId": "ed-qry-svc"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "access-relationship", "sourceId": "ed-cmd", "targetId": "ed-write-model", "accessType": "write", "tempId": "ed-r1"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "access-relationship", "sourceId": "ed-qry", "targetId": "ed-read-model", "accessType": "read", "tempId": "ed-r2"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "triggering-relationship", "sourceId": "ed-cmd", "targetId": "ed-evt", "tempId": "ed-r3"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "flow-relationship", "sourceId": "ed-evt", "targetId": "ed-qry", "name": "Event Notification", "tempId": "ed-r4"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "access-relationship", "sourceId": "ed-store", "targetId": "ed-write-model", "accessType": "write", "tempId": "ed-r5"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "realization-relationship", "sourceId": "ed-cmd", "targetId": "ed-cmd-svc", "tempId": "ed-r6"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "realization-relationship", "sourceId": "ed-qry", "targetId": "ed-qry-svc", "tempId": "ed-r7"}
    ]
  }'

Capability Mapping Pattern — Full Executable

bash

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:8765/model/apply \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "changes": [
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "capability", "name": "Customer Management", "tempId": "cap-cust"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "capability", "name": "Order Management", "tempId": "cap-order"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "capability", "name": "Payment Processing", "tempId": "cap-pay"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "business-process", "name": "Handle Customer Inquiry", "tempId": "cap-proc-cust"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "business-process", "name": "Process Order", "tempId": "cap-proc-order"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-component", "name": "CRM System", "tempId": "cap-app-crm"},
      {"op": "createElement", "type": "application-component", "name": "Order Platform", "tempId": "cap-app-order"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "realization-relationship", "sourceId": "cap-proc-cust", "targetId": "cap-cust", "tempId": "cap-r1"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "realization-relationship", "sourceId": "cap-proc-order", "targetId": "cap-order", "tempId": "cap-r2"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "realization-relationship", "sourceId": "cap-app-crm", "targetId": "cap-cust", "tempId": "cap-r3"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "realization-relationship", "sourceId": "cap-app-order", "targetId": "cap-order", "tempId": "cap-r4"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "serving-relationship", "sourceId": "cap-app-crm", "targetId": "cap-proc-cust", "tempId": "cap-r5"},
      {"op": "createRelationship", "type": "serving-relationship", "sourceId": "cap-app-order", "targetId": "cap-proc-order", "tempId": "cap-r6"}
    ]
  }'

After any pattern creation, follow up with: view creation → addToView for each element → addConnectionToView for each relationship → layout → save. See the archi-server-api skill for full workflow details.