Technology Layer Skill

Layer Number: 05 Specification: Metadata Model Spec v0.6.0 Purpose: Describes the technology infrastructure including hardware, software, networks, and facilities that support applications.

Layer Overview

The Technology Layer captures infrastructure and platform:

•COMPUTE - Nodes, devices, system software
•NETWORK - Communication networks, paths, interfaces
•STORAGE - Artifacts (databases, files, configurations)
•SERVICES - Technology services (IaaS, PaaS)
•AUTOMATION - Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Ansible, K8s)

This layer uses ArchiMate 3.2 Technology Layer standard with optional properties for Infrastructure as Code references, cloud provider specifics, and operational characteristics.

Entity Types

Entity Type	Description	Key Attributes
Node	Computational or physical resource that hosts artifacts	Types: server, container, vm, kubernetes-cluster, serverless-function, database-cluster
Device	Physical IT resource with processing capability	Types: server, workstation, mobile, iot-device, network-device, storage-appliance
SystemSoftware	Software that provides platform for applications	Types: operating-system, database, middleware, container-runtime, web-server, message-broker
TechnologyCollaboration	Aggregate of nodes working together	Examples: HA Cluster, CDN Network, Service Mesh
TechnologyInterface	Point of access where technology services are available	Protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, UDP, WebSocket, AMQP, MQTT, SQL, gRPC
Path	Link between nodes through which they exchange	Types: network, vpn, direct-connect, internet, peering
CommunicationNetwork	Set of structures that connects nodes	Types: lan, wan, vpn, internet, cdn, service-mesh, zero-trust-network
TechnologyFunction	Collection of technology behavior	Examples: Load Balancing, Data Replication, Auto-scaling, Monitoring
TechnologyProcess	Sequence of technology behaviors (CI/CD, provisioning)	Automation: ansible, terraform, kubernetes, cloudformation, pulumi
TechnologyInteraction	Unit of collective technology behavior	Examples: Database Replication, Cache Synchronization, Failover
TechnologyEvent	Technology state change	Types: startup, shutdown, failure, scaling, maintenance, alert
TechnologyService	Externally visible unit of technology functionality	Types: infrastructure, platform, storage, compute, network, database, messaging
Artifact	Physical piece of data used or produced	Types: database, file, configuration, binary, log, backup, docker-image, helm-chart

Intra-Layer Relationships

Structural Relationships

Source Type	Predicate	Target Type	Example
Device	composes	Node	"Physical Server" composes "Virtual Machine"
Node	composes	TechnologyInterface	"API Server" composes "HTTPS Endpoint"
SystemSoftware	composes	TechnologyInterface	"PostgreSQL" composes "SQL Interface"
Node	aggregates	Device	Cluster aggregates multiple physical servers
TechnologyCollaboration	aggregates	Node	"K8s Cluster" aggregates "Worker Nodes"
Artifact	specializes	Artifact	"CustomerDatabase" specializes "Database"
Path	realizes	CommunicationNetwork	"VPN Tunnel" realizes "Secure Network"
TechnologyFunction	realizes	TechnologyService	"Load Balancing" realizes "Load Balancer Service"
TechnologyProcess	realizes	TechnologyService	"CI/CD Pipeline" realizes "Deployment Service"
SystemSoftware	realizes	TechnologyService	"PostgreSQL" realizes "Database Service"
Node	assigned-to	TechnologyFunction	"Edge Server" assigned to "CDN Caching"
TechnologyCollaboration	assigned-to	TechnologyInteraction	Cluster performs replication
Path	associated-with	Node	Network path connects nodes
Device	associated-with	CommunicationNetwork	Device connected to network
TechnologyInterface	serves	TechnologyService	Interface provides service access

Behavioral Relationships

Source Type	Predicate	Target Type	Example
TechnologyEvent	triggers	TechnologyProcess	"Node Failure" triggers "Failover Process"
TechnologyEvent	triggers	TechnologyFunction	"CPU Threshold" triggers "Auto-scaling Function"
TechnologyProcess	triggers	TechnologyEvent	"Deployment Complete" triggers "Health Check Event"
TechnologyProcess	flows-to	TechnologyProcess	"Build" flows to "Deploy"
TechnologyService	flows-to	TechnologyService	Service dependency chain
SystemSoftware	accesses	Artifact	"Database" accesses "Data Files"
TechnologyFunction	accesses	Artifact	"Backup Function" accesses "Backup Files"
TechnologyProcess	accesses	Artifact	"Deployment" accesses "Docker Images"
TechnologyInteraction	accesses	Artifact	"Replication" accesses "Database Replica"

Cross-Layer References

Outgoing References (Technology → Other Layers)

Target Layer	Reference Type	Example
Layer 1 (Motivation)	TechnologyService supports Goal	Infrastructure supports business goals
Layer 1 (Motivation)	TechnologyService governed by Principle	Cloud-native principle
Layer 1 (Motivation)	Node governed by Principle	Infrastructure principles
Layer 1 (Motivation)	Node constrained by Constraint	Budget, region, compliance constraints
Layer 1 (Motivation)	Node fulfills Requirement	Performance, availability requirements
Layer 1 (Motivation)	SystemSoftware governed by Principle	Open-source principle
Layer 1 (Motivation)	SystemSoftware constrained by Constraint	Licensing, version constraints
Layer 1 (Motivation)	SystemSoftware fulfills Requirement	Technical requirements
Layer 1 (Motivation)	CommunicationNetwork governed by Principle	Zero-trust principle
Layer 1 (Motivation)	CommunicationNetwork constrained by Constraint	Network segmentation
Layer 1 (Motivation)	Artifact constrained by Constraint	Data residency, retention
Layer 4 (Application)	Node hosts ApplicationComponent	K8s pod hosts service
Layer 4 (Application)	TechnologyService serves ApplicationService	Database serves application
Layer 4 (Application)	Artifact stores DataObject	Database stores application data
Layer 3 (Security)	Artifact has encryption property	Data-at-rest encryption
Layer 3 (Security)	Artifact has classification property	Data classification level
Layer 3 (Security)	Artifact has pii property	Contains PII
Layer 3 (Security)	CommunicationNetwork has security-policy	Network security rules
Layer 11 (APM)	TechnologyService has sla-target	Availability, latency targets
Layer 11 (APM)	TechnologyService has health-check	Health monitoring endpoint
Layer 11 (APM)	Node has monitoring-agent	APM agent installation

Incoming References (Lower Layers → Technology)

Lower layers reference Technology layer to show:

•Applications depend on infrastructure
•APIs run on technology platforms
•Data stored in technology artifacts

Codebase Detection Patterns

Pattern 1: Kubernetes Deployment

yaml

# Kubernetes deployment manifest
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: user-service
  namespace: production
spec:
  replicas: 3
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: user-service
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: user-service
    spec:
      containers:
        - name: user-service
          image: myregistry/user-service:1.0.0
          ports:
            - containerPort: 8080

Maps to:

•Node: "K8s Cluster Production" (type: kubernetes-cluster)
•Node: "User Service Pod" (type: container)
•Artifact: "myregistry/user-service:1.0.0" (type: docker-image)
•TechnologyInterface: "Port 8080" (protocol: HTTP)

Pattern 2: Terraform Infrastructure

hcl

# Terraform AWS infrastructure
resource "aws_instance" "web_server" {
  ami           = "ami-0c55b159cbfafe1f0"
  instance_type = "t3.medium"
  availability_zone = "us-east-1a"

  tags = {
    Name = "Web Server"
    Environment = "production"
  }
}

resource "aws_db_instance" "postgres" {
  engine         = "postgres"
  engine_version = "14.7"
  instance_class = "db.t3.medium"
  storage_type   = "gp3"
}

Maps to:

•Node: "Web Server EC2" (type: server, provider: aws, instance-type: t3.medium, region: us-east-1, az: us-east-1a)
•Node: "PostgreSQL RDS" (type: database-cluster, provider: aws)
•SystemSoftware: "PostgreSQL 14.7" (type: database, version: 14.7)
•Properties: iac-tool=terraform, iac-file=main.tf

Pattern 3: Docker Compose

yaml

# docker-compose.yml
version: "3.8"
services:
  api:
    image: myapp/api:latest
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    depends_on:
      - postgres
      - redis

  postgres:
    image: postgres:14
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: myapp
      POSTGRES_USER: admin
    volumes:
      - postgres-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

  redis:
    image: redis:7-alpine
    ports:
      - "6379:6379"

volumes:
  postgres-data:

Maps to:

•TechnologyCollaboration: "Docker Compose Stack"
•Node: "API Container" (type: container)
•SystemSoftware: "PostgreSQL 14" (type: database)
•SystemSoftware: "Redis 7" (type: middleware, subtype: cache)
•Artifact: "postgres-data" (type: volume)
•TechnologyInterface: "Redis Port 6379" (protocol: TCP)

Pattern 4: Database Configuration

python

# Database connection configuration
DATABASE_CONFIG = {
    "host": "prod-db.example.com",
    "port": 5432,
    "database": "customer_db",
    "user": "app_user",
    "password": "${DB_PASSWORD}",
    "pool_size": 20,
    "max_overflow": 10,
    "pool_timeout": 30
}

Maps to:

•Node: "Production Database" (type: database-cluster, host: prod-db.example.com)
•SystemSoftware: "PostgreSQL" (type: database, port: 5432)
•Artifact: "customer_db" (type: database)
•TechnologyInterface: "PostgreSQL Interface" (protocol: SQL, port: 5432)
•Properties: pool-size=20, max-overflow=10

Pattern 5: CI/CD Pipeline

yaml

# GitHub Actions CI/CD
name: Deploy to Production
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: Build Docker image
        run: docker build -t myapp:${{ github.sha }} .
      - name: Push to registry
        run: docker push myregistry/myapp:${{ github.sha }}

  deploy:
    needs: build
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Deploy to Kubernetes
        run: kubectl apply -f k8s/deployment.yaml

Maps to:

•TechnologyProcess: "CI/CD Pipeline" (pattern: ci-cd, automation: github-actions)
•Sub-processes: "Build", "Deploy"
•TechnologyFunction: "Docker Build", "Kubernetes Deploy"
•Artifact: "Docker Image" (type: docker-image)

Pattern 6: Load Balancer Configuration

nginx

# NGINX load balancer
upstream backend {
    least_conn;
    server app1.example.com:8080 weight=1;
    server app2.example.com:8080 weight=1;
    server app3.example.com:8080 weight=1;
}

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    server_name api.example.com;

    ssl_certificate /etc/nginx/ssl/cert.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/nginx/ssl/key.pem;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://backend;
    }
}

Maps to:

•Node: "NGINX Load Balancer" (type: server)
•SystemSoftware: "NGINX" (type: web-server, subtype: load-balancer)
•TechnologyFunction: "Load Balancing" (strategy: least-conn)
•TechnologyInterface: "HTTPS Endpoint" (protocol: HTTPS, port: 443)
•TechnologyCollaboration: "Backend Pool" (aggregates app1, app2, app3)

Modeling Workflow

Step 1: Identify Infrastructure Nodes

bash

# Kubernetes cluster
dr add technology node "k8s-cluster-prod" \
  --properties type=kubernetes-cluster,provider=aws,region=us-east-1,version=1.28 \
  --description "Production Kubernetes cluster"

# Virtual machines
dr add technology node "web-server-01" \
  --properties type=vm,provider=aws,instance-type=t3.large,az=us-east-1a \
  --description "Web application server VM"

# Serverless function
dr add technology node "order-processor-lambda" \
  --properties type=serverless-function,provider=aws,runtime=python3.11,memory=512 \
  --description "Lambda function for order processing"

# Database cluster
dr add technology node "postgres-cluster" \
  --properties type=database-cluster,provider=aws,instance-class=db.r5.xlarge \
  --description "PostgreSQL RDS cluster"

Step 2: Define System Software

bash

# Database system
dr add technology system-software "postgresql-14" \
  --properties type=database,version=14.7,license=open-source \
  --description "PostgreSQL relational database"

# Container runtime
dr add technology system-software "docker" \
  --properties type=container-runtime,version=24.0.5 \
  --description "Docker container runtime"

# Web server
dr add technology system-software "nginx" \
  --properties type=web-server,version=1.24.0,subtype=load-balancer \
  --description "NGINX web server and load balancer"

# Message broker
dr add technology system-software "rabbitmq" \
  --properties type=message-broker,version=3.12.0,protocol=AMQP \
  --description "RabbitMQ message broker"

Step 3: Model Technology Services

bash

# Infrastructure service
dr add technology service "kubernetes-orchestration" \
  --properties type=platform,sla-availability=99.95% \
  --description "Container orchestration platform"

# Database service
dr add technology service "postgres-database" \
  --properties type=database,sla-availability=99.9%,sla-latency=10ms \
  --description "PostgreSQL database service"

# Storage service
dr add technology service "s3-object-storage" \
  --properties type=storage,provider=aws,storage-class=standard \
  --description "S3 object storage for files and backups"

# Link software to service
dr relationship add "technology/system-software/postgresql-14" \
  realizes "technology/service/postgres-database"

Step 4: Define Communication Networks

bash

# VPC network
dr add technology network "production-vpc" \
  --properties type=lan,provider=aws,cidr=10.0.0.0/16,region=us-east-1 \
  --description "Production VPC network"

# Subnet
dr add technology network "private-subnet-1a" \
  --properties type=lan,cidr=10.0.1.0/24,az=us-east-1a,visibility=private \
  --description "Private subnet in AZ 1a"

# VPN
dr add technology network "site-to-site-vpn" \
  --properties type=vpn,encryption=ipsec,bandwidth=1gbps \
  --description "Site-to-site VPN to on-premise datacenter"

Step 5: Model Artifacts

bash

# Database artifact
dr add technology artifact "customer-database" \
  --properties type=database,size=500GB,encryption=aes-256,classification=confidential \
  --description "Customer data database"

# Docker image
dr add technology artifact "user-service-image" \
  --properties type=docker-image,registry=ecr.aws,tag=v1.2.3 \
  --description "User service Docker image"

# Configuration file
dr add technology artifact "app-config" \
  --properties type=configuration,format=yaml,version-controlled=true \
  --description "Application configuration file"

# Log files
dr add technology artifact "application-logs" \
  --properties type=log,retention-period=90d,compression=gzip \
  --description "Application log files"

# Link artifact to node
dr relationship add "technology/node/postgres-cluster" \
  stores "technology/artifact/customer-database"

Step 6: Model Infrastructure as Code

bash

# Terraform process
dr add technology process "provision-infrastructure" \
  --properties pattern=infrastructure-as-code,automation=terraform,repo=github.com/org/infra \
  --description "Terraform infrastructure provisioning"

# Ansible process
dr add technology process "configure-servers" \
  --properties pattern=configuration-management,automation=ansible,playbook=server-config.yml \
  --description "Ansible server configuration"

# Kubernetes deployment process
dr add technology process "deploy-to-k8s" \
  --properties pattern=continuous-deployment,automation=kubectl,manifest=k8s/deploy.yaml \
  --description "Deploy application to Kubernetes"

Step 7: Define Technology Functions

bash

# Load balancing
dr add technology function "load-balancing" \
  --properties strategy=least-conn,health-check-interval=10s \
  --description "Distribute traffic across backend servers"

# Auto-scaling
dr add technology function "auto-scaling" \
  --properties min-replicas=2,max-replicas=10,cpu-threshold=70% \
  --description "Automatically scale based on CPU utilization"

# Backup
dr add technology function "database-backup" \
  --properties frequency=daily,retention=30d,type=incremental \
  --description "Automated database backup"

# Assign function to node
dr relationship add "technology/node/k8s-cluster-prod" \
  assigned-to "technology/function/auto-scaling"

Step 8: Cross-Layer Integration

bash

# Link to application layer
dr relationship add "technology/node/k8s-cluster-prod" \
  hosts "application/component/user-service"

# Link to motivation layer
dr relationship add "technology/service/kubernetes-orchestration" \
  supports "motivation/goal/improve-deployment-frequency"

dr relationship add "technology/node/k8s-cluster-prod" \
  governed-by "motivation/principle/cloud-native-architecture"

# Link to APM layer
dr relationship add "technology/service/postgres-database" \
  monitored-by "apm/metric/database-query-latency"

Step 9: Validate

bash

dr validate --layer technology
dr validate --validate-relationships

Cloud Provider Patterns

AWS Pattern

code

TechnologyCollaboration: "AWS Production Environment"
├── contains → Node: "EKS Cluster" (provider: aws, region: us-east-1)
│   ├── hosts → ApplicationComponent: "Microservices"
│   └── uses → TechnologyService: "EKS Orchestration"
├── contains → Node: "RDS PostgreSQL" (provider: aws, multi-az: true)
│   └── realizes → TechnologyService: "Database Service"
├── contains → Artifact: "S3 Bucket" (provider: aws, storage-class: standard)
└── contains → CommunicationNetwork: "VPC" (cidr: 10.0.0.0/16)
    ├── contains → Subnet: "Public Subnet" (cidr: 10.0.1.0/24)
    └── contains → Subnet: "Private Subnet" (cidr: 10.0.2.0/24)

Kubernetes Pattern

code

Node: "Kubernetes Cluster"
├── type: kubernetes-cluster
├── hosts → Node: "Namespace: production"
│   ├── hosts → Node: "Deployment: user-service"
│   │   ├── replicas: 3
│   │   └── hosts → Node: "Pod: user-service-xyz"
│   │       └── hosts → ApplicationComponent: "UserService"
│   └── uses → Artifact: "ConfigMap: app-config"
└── uses → TechnologyFunction: "Auto-scaling" (HPA)

Hybrid Cloud Pattern

code

TechnologyCollaboration: "Hybrid Cloud Architecture"
├── contains → Node: "AWS EKS Cluster" (provider: aws)
├── contains → Node: "On-Premise K8s" (provider: onprem)
├── connected-by → Path: "Direct Connect" (type: direct-connect)
└── secured-by → CommunicationNetwork: "Zero-Trust Network"

Best Practices

•Node Types Matter - server vs container vs serverless have different operational characteristics
•Track IaC References - Link to Terraform, Ansible, Kubernetes manifests
•Model HA Clusters - Use TechnologyCollaboration for high-availability setups
•Network Segmentation - Model VPCs, subnets, security zones explicitly
•Artifact Encryption - Mark encryption status (at-rest, in-transit, both)
•Version Everything - Track software versions, image tags, schema versions
•Link to Motivation - Infrastructure choices trace to principles and constraints
•Monitor SLAs - Technology services have availability and latency targets
•Document Automation - Reference IaC tools and CI/CD pipelines
•Cloud-Agnostic When Possible - Use ArchiMate types rather than provider-specific terms

Infrastructure as Code Integration

When infrastructure is managed as code:

yaml

technology-node:
  id: "k8s-cluster-prod"
  type: "kubernetes-cluster"
  properties:
    iac-tool: "terraform"
    iac-file: "infrastructure/eks-cluster.tf"
    iac-module: "eks-cluster"
    iac-version: "4.0.0"
    provider: "aws"
    region: "us-east-1"

IaC Tools Supported:

•Terraform - Declarative infrastructure
•Ansible - Configuration management
•Kubernetes - Container orchestration manifests
•CloudFormation - AWS-specific IaC
•Pulumi - Programming language IaC
•Helm - Kubernetes package manager

Validation Tips

Issue	Cause	Fix
Orphaned Node	Node not hosting applications or realizing services	Link to application layer or remove
Unhosted Application	ApplicationComponent not deployed to any node	Add deployment link to technology node
Missing Networks	Nodes exist but no network connectivity	Model CommunicationNetwork and Paths
Untracked Artifacts	Databases, images, configs not modeled	Add Artifact entities
No IaC Reference	Infrastructure lacks automation reference	Add iac-tool and iac-file properties
Missing SLA Targets	Services lack availability/latency targets	Add SLA properties for monitoring
No Security Properties	Artifacts lack encryption/classification	Add security properties

Quick Reference

Add Commands:

bash

dr add technology node <name> --properties type=<type>,provider=<provider>
dr add technology system-software <name> --properties type=<type>,version=<version>
dr add technology service <name> --properties type=<type>,sla-availability=<value>
dr add technology network <name> --properties type=<type>,cidr=<cidr>
dr add technology artifact <name> --properties type=<type>,encryption=<encryption>
dr add technology function <name> --properties strategy=<strategy>
dr add technology process <name> --properties automation=<tool>

Relationship Commands:

bash

dr relationship add <node> hosts <application-component>
dr relationship add <system-software> realizes <service>
dr relationship add <node> assigned-to <function>
dr relationship add <node> stores <artifact>
dr relationship add <network> connects <node>

Cross-Layer Commands:

bash

dr relationship add technology/<node> hosts application/<component>
dr relationship add technology/<service> supports motivation/<goal>
dr relationship add technology/<node> governed-by motivation/<principle>
dr relationship add technology/<service> monitored-by apm/<metric>