Ontology-Based Validation of Enterprise Architecture Principles

Abstract

Enterprise architecture (EA) principles provide normative guidance for architectural evolution, yet validating whether EA models comply with such principles is typically performed manually and does not scale to continuous governance. This paper presents an ontology-based validation approach that enables automated compliance checking of ArchiMate models against EA principles. The approach (i) creates ontology-native representations of ArchiMate models grounded in an enterprise knowledge graph, (ii) structures natural-language principles using SBVR Structured English to reduce ambiguity and support traceability, (iii) enriches the resulting knowledge graph with inferred architectural relations through derivation rules, and (iv) operationalizes validation using SHACL constraints and SPARQL queries that produce explainable violation reports linked to concrete model elements. The approach is developed following Design Science Research and evaluated in three case studies (two real-world organizational settings and one controlled educational setting). The evaluation demonstrates that the approach supports repeatable execution of principle checks on evolving models, improves traceability of violations for architecture review and decision-making, and reduces manual effort by shifting substantial parts of compliance checking from human interpretation to automated constraint validation.