Contents

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Defining TRAK Documents

TRAK is defined by 3 documents.

• TRAK00004. TRAK. Architecture Framework. The top level TRAK definition is at https://sourceforge.net/projects/trak/files/TRAK_Overall.pdf/download. This describes important ideas, choice of architecture description language, defines architecture perspectives, colour rules, bye laws, conformance with TRAK and the minimal modelling process. The overall TRAK specification invokes the following 2 documents:

  • TRAK00001. TRAK. Architecture Framework. Architecture Viewpoints. The TRAK architecture view definitions (architecture viewpoints) specification is available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/trakviewpoints/files/TRAK_ArchitectureViewpoints.pdf/download. Each TRAK architecture view also has its own web page.

  • == TRAK00002. TRAK. Architecture Framework. Metamodel == [this site]. The TRAK metamodel specification is available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/trakmetamodel/files/TRAK_metamodel.pdf/download. This defines the architecture description triples formed from node and relationship elements. The triples are used to describe architecture using the architecture views. Each TRAK metamodel element also has its own web page.

Other Documents

• TRAK-on-a-page.pdf provides a very short 4 page introductory guide to TRAK including the metamodel diagrams.

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The TRAK Architecture Framework Metamodel

In accordance with ISO/IEC/IEEE 42010 - the international standard for architecture description - an architecture viewpoint is a specification that governs the interpretation and content of an architecture view. Each architecture view has its own governing architecture viewpoint. The TRAK metamodel defines the triples (node - connector - node) that each TRAK architecture viewpoint uses to specify its governed architecture view content. This allows every TRAK architecture view to be verified against an atomic set of requirements consisting of metamodel triples.

The TRAK metamodel also includes triples used in the management of TRAK, for example to provide the mechanism to define architecture view content based on the paths:

• 'Architecture Viewpoint -FRAMES-> Concern'
• '(same) Architecture Viewpoint -REQUIRES AT LEAST | ALLOWS-> Architecture Description Tuple -ADDRESSES-> (same) Concern'

so the TRAK metamodel provides the means to define architecture viewpoint rules and ensure that an architecture view content addresses the governing architecture viewpoint concerns. These additional 'management' parts of the metamodel are based on a set of non-TRAK architecture viewpoints defined in ‘Architecture Description Viewpoints. Metamodel Description, Implementation and Model Changes’, Eclectica Systems Ltd, 3736126–001.

The TRAK metamodel provides approximately 800 statements (triples) that can be used in TRAK architecture views to describe architecture.

The TRAK metamodel provides c 53 node elements, 78 connector elements and 125 properties. Element, property and property value definitions are based on standard accepted ontologies such as the Oxford English Dictionary, Dublin Core Metadata Initiative and others.

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TRAK on the Internet

• TRAK news and RSS feed
• TRAK Architecture Framework / Blog and RSS feed

See also:

• TRAK Architecture Framework Group on LinkedIn
• TRAK Group on Facebook
• TRAK_AF on Mastodon
• TRAK_AF on Twitter
• Implementations of TRAK e.g. Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect, Salamander MooD, Microsoft Visio, OmniGraffle (Mac, iPad) etc.

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This Release

30th April 2025

Abbreviations - 1 Introduction / Scope. New context diagram Figure 1.1 - 2 Implementation of TRAK. Ontology Description of TRAK Metamodel Elements. Added Figure 2.1.1 , Figure 2.1.2 and modified supporting text. - TRAK Metamodel Relationship Rules. Added new section 5.1 Minimum Valid Statement Length. and Table 5.1 - TRAK Minimum Length Valid Statements. Renamed Table 5.1 TRAK Relationship Rationale to Precedence Rules and Placed Table 5.2 under new section 5.2 Precedence Rules. - 4.5.1 Properties and Values. DCMI format. Added Default = 'Unknown' - Added 'Organisation is party to Contract'. - Added N-ary relations: 'Event caused by ('Event AND Event')', 'Event caused by ('Event OR Event')', 'Event caused by ('Event NOT Event')' - Event. Added 'event identifier'. Changed 'likelihood' to 'probability' - Architecture Description. Removed 'views'. Note - described using 'Architecture Description has part Architecture View'. - Architecture Task. Deleted 'sponsor' and 'stakeholders'. Note - described using 'Role extends to Architecture Task' - Contract. Removed 'party to contract'. Note - described using 'Organisation is party to Contract'.

Feature Requests

• #66. Added 'Competence has part Competence', 'Job requires Competence'
• #65. Added N-ary relations 'Claim about Architecture Description Tuple'

Get Notified of Files Released on this Site

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Get notified of file releases using the RSS feed - https://sourceforge.net/projects/trakmetamodel/rss?path=/

The changes are outlined at https://sourceforge.net/p/trakmetamodel/code

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Structure on Sourceforge

The TRAK architecture framework is split across 3 Sourceforge project sites:-

• trak - https://sf.net/p/trak [this site] - web pages at https://trak.sourceforge.io. Holds artefacts that define, affect and explain the overall architecture framework.
• trakviewpoints - https://sf.net/p/trakviewpoints - web pages at https://trakviewpoints.sourceforge.io. Holds the artefacts that define, affect and explain the TRAK architecture viewpoints.
• trakmetamodel - https://sf.net/p/trakmetamodel - web pages at https://trakmetamodel.sourceforge.io. Holds the artefacts that define, affect and explain the TRAK metamodel.

This Site - trakmetamodel

license.txt - the GNU Free Documentation License under which the TRAK metamodel is released.