HOPEX IT Architecture V2 > Architecture Specification > Modeling IT Infrastructures > Describing Resource Architectures > Describing a hardware piece
Describing a hardware piece
*Non-IT Hardware can embed computers. Together with their embedded computers, they provide information and IS services. Examples: Connected Truck with Delivery Calendar Application and connected Drone with Online Payment Application. Hardware device can also provide hardware functionalities. Example: Connected fridge providing ordering functionalities and of course a freezing hardware functionality and connected drones fly and provide Online Payment.
 
Creating a hardware piece 
To create a hardware piece from the Infrastructure navigation pane:
1. Select Resource Architecture in the navigation menu.
2. Click Hardware Pieces tab.
The list of hardware pieces appears.
3. Click New.
The new hardware piece appears in the list.
Creating a Hardware Assembly Structure Diagram 
To create a hardware assembly structure diagram:
1. Right-click the hardware piece and click Create Diagram.
2. Select Hardware Assembly Structure Diagram.
The diagram opens in the edit area.
Using a Hardware Assembly Structure diagram 
In a Hardware Assembly Structure Diagram, you can insert:
• IT servers and IT devices, see Describing a Computing Device,
*An IT Server is an IT component providing a service to users connected via an IT network. This IT component can house databases and run applications.
*An IT device is a computer that provides a service directly to the end user. This computer can house databases and run applications. This is, for example, a workstation, a laptop or a smartphone.
• IoT Devices, see Describing a Computing Device,
*An IoT device is both a hardware device and a computing device which provides cvombined hardware and information services to the users using it directly. As a hardware device, it embeds sensors - e.g. accelerometer - which provide data to the embedded computing device. As a computing device, it can host data stores or run applications. Examples: smartwatch with GPS tracker, on-line surveillance video camera with live IP video feed, connected weighting scale with weight history management
• Hardware Component, see Describing a hardware piece,
• communication ports and channels, see Describing technical communications,
• service and request points, see Describing the services communications.
• interactions.
*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.
*For more details on interactions, see Describing the services communications.