The aim of this document is for the application SME to depict the logical high level architectural interaction between the various technologies of the application. It also identifies the application boundary, i.e. the scope of the application for which code will be delivered to CAST for analysis, and components which are deemed as external to the application. This document is used by the CAST Administrator during the analysis configuration workflow stage (Analysis Configuration and Execution).
Download the document template from here Architecture_Context_Diagram_appName.pptx
The template contains an example, shown below, of what is required. If an equivalent diagram already exists which shows what is required then provide that instead of creating a new diagram.
Create the diagram in the template as explained below.
- Show the logical flows from the entry technology components (entry point) of the application, through various intermediate technology component layers, through to the end technology components (end/exit points) layers of the application.
An explanation of Entry and End Points is given below. - Each component should be labelled with the technology name.
- The flow between each technology component should indicate the direction of the flow.
- Use the colour coding in the template to clearly the entry (yellow), intermediate (grey) , and end/exit (blue) technology components accordingly which should be placed inside the Application Boundary shown by a red border.
- Add any external database or system outside of the application boundary.
What are Entry and End Points?
In order to compute the transaction Function Points, the transactions need to be identified from the entry points to the transaction end points. An application entry point identifies a resource that is an access point to an application such as Web service called by another application, webpages, batch files, JCL, COBOL Program, Interfaces, classes which receive external messages e.g. MQ. An application end point is a user interface end point or a service end point such as database tables, files operations, call to another system by websevice, classes which send external messages e.g. MQ, OutputStream.
The template shows the following example :
- The logical components of the application i.e. Internet, common, and Intranet.
- The logical flow through the various technologies e.g. JSP (Entry) calls Struts Action Servlets (intermediate) calls Struts Action (intermediate) , calls Spring Bean (intermediate), calls DAO (intermediate) , calls database (end).
- Entry and End (Exit) points, and intermediary processes of the application. Entry and End points are explained below.
- Application Boundary marked in red
- External logical components outside the boundary
