Integrating Architectural Models

The diversity of architectural models in enterprise architecture is a problem for their integration. In this paper we distinguish three kinds of models from each other and their visualization, and we illustrate how the distinctions can be used for model integration within the architectural approach. Symbolic models express properties of architectures of systems, semantic models interpret the symbols of semantic models, and subjective models are purposely abstracted conceptions of a domain. Building on results obtained in the ArchiMate project, we illustrate how symbolic models can be integrated using an architectural language, how integrated models can be updated using the distinction between symbolic models and their visualization, and how semantic models can be integrated using a new kind of enterprise analysis called semantic analysis. We also suggest that subjective models can be integrated using techniques from natural language analysis