Application System Structure Example

An application system is an assembly of other application systems, applications and end users interacting with application components to implement one or several functions.

An application system environment present an application system use context. It describes the interactions, between the application system and its external partners, which allows it to fulfill its mission and ensure the expected functionalities.

The components of an application system environment are presented in an application system environment diagram that describes the interactions between the application described, its users and its partner application systems.

The following diagram describes the application system environment corresponding to purchasing request processing.

Environment diagram for the "Purchasing Requests Processing" application system.

Purchase requests are formulated by private users or by companies in different contractual conditions.

The "Purchasing Requests Processing" application system offers a loan service to its clients within the context of payment management.

• An application system use element that represents the application system internal to the environment.

An application system use describes the role of an application system in a composition relationship with a parent application system or in an application system environment.

• Two partner application systems that represent the application systems used within the context of the described application system environment.

A partner application system is an application system external to the environment of the described application service. The partner application system can be a service supplier or a service consumer with respect to application system users.

• Two system user components that represent the user category of services provided by the environment.

A system user represents an organizational unit interacting with the boundaries of an application system environment.

• Interactions between the components representing requests for services.

An interaction represents a contract established in a specific context between autonomous entities that are internal or external to an enterprise. These entities can be enterprise org-units, applications, activities or processes, as well as external org-units. The content of this contract is described by an exchange contract.

An application system is an assembly of other application systems, applications and end users interacting with application components to implement one or several functions.

Components of the application system are described in an application system structure diagram, which describes the internal structure of the application system:

The following diagram describes the application system corresponding to purchasing requests processing.

Purchasing requests can be formulated by customers directly via an Internet purchasing application, or indirectly via a call center. Internal purchasing requests are processed by a Purchasing Assistant.

For example, the purchasing requests processing architecture uses the application system services of "Purchasing Management Platform" and "Payment Management".

• Two elements of application system use type representing the two application systems used.

An application system use describes the role of an application system in a composition relationship with a parent application system or in an application system environment.

• Three application components representing the applications used in the context of the described application system.

An application service component represents the fact that the application system used plays a role in the described application.

• Three components of end user type representing the categories of participants in the described application system.

The end user represents an organizational unit interacting at the boundaries of an application system or a logical application system.

• Interactions between the components representing requests for services.

From an application you can access the application structure diagram describing the main elements assuring operation of the application.

An application structure diagram graphically shows first level components of an application, the access points (service point and request point) and the connections between components.

The purchase request management application, which is used only for internal purchases, is based on two specialized applications: one for office supplies and the other for equipment. Both applications use Microsoft Excel.

The version number that appears at the bottom of the frame is a property of the application. For more details, see "Described element properties".

• Two application components representing the applications used

An application service component represents the fact that the application system used plays a role in the described application.

• A platform application component associated with the Excel application in the example

A platform application component represents the fact that the technology used plays a role of platform in the described application. For example, Tomcat is a platform component for SageCRM.

• Interactions between the components representing requests for services.

Note that service point "Internal purchasing service" is activated. "Order Access" activates the ordering service when purchasing requests have been validated.