Enterprise maps: zooming in and out of enterprise models

Abstract

A company’s architecture can be represented by domain-specific models, which are defined by domain-specific modeling language. Since not all stakeholders are interested in the same models, dedicated views can be created to support navigation through the enterprise models. These views offer a snippet of the entire company and cover stakeholder-specific concerns. The relationships between the different views and models remain hidden and can be unveiled with much effort. The developed concept of the zoomability principle offers the ability to change the degree of detail using zoom in and out of the enterprise model. The different models and modeling languages used to express an enterprise are considered, and a form of navigation is established similar to an online map. The concept is based on two pillars,”Zoom Within” and”Zoom into Complements”. For this purpose, a metamodel was developed, which formalizes the elements used in the concept and their relationships. Developing the artifact, rules were defined that contribute to a generic approach allowing an application to another case. Furthermore, a prototype was developed, representing the zoomability principle and offering the possibility to perform zooming behavior. The artifact was evaluated through a demonstration. An additional prototype was created to demonstrate that the developed concept can be applied to a predefined set of situations.