Model structure
SAF treats architecture as a typed graph. Nodes are objects and edges are relationships. Views and diagrams select a part of the graph for a particular audience but do not create new architecture facts.
Three layers
| Layer | Main question | Objects |
|---|---|---|
| Business | What value does the company create, for whom, and how? | Actor, channel, service, process, capability, information object |
| Application | Which logical IT elements support the work? | System, component, interface, integration |
| Infrastructure | Where and within which network boundaries does software run? | Deployment, compute resource, network segment |
A layer does not imply organizational ownership. An infrastructure object may belong to a product team, while a business process may be automated by several external systems.
Common characteristics
Every object has:
- a stable identifier;
- a type;
- a clear name;
- a short purpose;
- a lifecycle state;
- an information source.
Ownership is modeled as a relationship with an actor. Criticality, freshness, current state, and target state are added when required by the maturity level.
When to create a separate object
Information becomes an object when at least one condition applies:
- it needs an independent identity;
- it has its own owner or lifecycle;
- it is reused;
- several other objects refer to it;
- its change requires independent impact analysis.
Otherwise, an attribute, relationship label, or view element is sufficient.
Views
A view answers one question and selects the required objects from the shared model. An integration view, for example, shows systems, components, interfaces, and transferred information but may omit processes. Color, position, and grouping are view properties, not new object types.