Metamodel understanding - Application layer

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KarenM
Posts: 14
Joined: 21 May 2018, 04:22

I'm struggling to understand the difference between some components in the model.
(Some of these are not in the documentation I can find about the metamodel)

Those aspects are:

Application Capability
Application Family
Composite Application provider

When does a composite application provider end and an App Family begin?

I'm thinking the Composite app will contain those app providers that together make the app work - including integration elements, or implemented optional work package modules that we have implemented/ turned on.
But the App family might more broadly refer to the "eco system" but then is that getting in to the realm of the Application Capability? Should the App Family be a grouping around the one provider? But then if we've got bespoke integrations - so they come into the family too....

Any help would be appreciated.

regards
Karen
gunther.lachambre
Posts: 19
Joined: 17 Feb 2013, 15:52
Location: Rennes, Britany, France

Hi Karen,

I just can expose my own understanding, hoping this could help you.

For me, Composite Application Provider is a bundle of Application Provider working together for delivering Application Services. I use it to modelize applicative solutions designed for particular uses. In this way, an Application Provider can be reuse for different solutions.

For example, I have an Application Provider named EA repository (served by the Technical Product Protégé). It delivers Ontology management system and Knowledge base as Application Services.
But EA repository is also included in a Composite Application Provider I called "Sissi" (that's how I christened my Essential Open Source Application Solution for internal marketing). Sissi is composed of EA repository and another Application Provider I called EA analysis platform. This second one is a set of Software Components Essential Viewer and Essential Import Utility. Essential Widgets are some of Software Components of EA repository.
Sissi delivers EA management system as an Application Service.

All Application Services I mentionned above sustain a broad Application Capability named Knowledge management, which is a subset of our IT supported capabilities.

I also set an Application Family for grouping EA repository and EA analysys platform: EA supporting tools, as a logical group of applications supporting a particular purpose. In this Application Family, I also included my CMDB Application Provider, as they all depend on me as a Product Owner.

Hope this will help you.

You'll find the definitions of all concepts you mentionned here in Application Layer: https://www.enterprise-architecture.org ... meta-model

Regards,
Gunther
Environment :
Protégé 3.5 | Essential Meta Model 6.1.1
Essential Viewer 6.1 | Essential Import Utility 1.7.2
Java 1.8.0_91 | Tomcat 8.0.28 | Server CentOS 7
Java 1.8.0_201 | Tomcat 8.5.38 | Desktop Windows 10
KarenM
Posts: 14
Joined: 21 May 2018, 04:22

Hi Gunther,

Thank you for that.
That has been very helpful indeed.

regards
Karen
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