Contents

---

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 (sourceforge.net) provides a very short 4 page introductory guide to TRAK including the metamodel diagrams.

---

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 900 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.

Triples as Descriptions of Architecture

The triples in the TRAK metamodel are formed from a subject, a predicate and object.

As such they form simple statements or assertions which can be used to describe a system and its wider context:-

• Software satisfies Standard
• Threat exploits Vulnerability
• Milestone marks introduction of System

Sometimes longer sequences (paths in the metamodel) are required to form a complete statement:

• Software poses Threat to System
• Organisation has Concern about Zone
• Role requires Competence to conduct Function

The TRAK metamodel uniquely also provides some n-ary triples where the object is itself a triple.

• Claim about (Software satisfies Standard)
• Claim about (Standard governs Contract)
• Event caused by (Event OR Event)

These are useful to describe assurance assertions and to describe event trees e.g. Fault Trees for Fault Tree Analysis (FTA).

Fault trees can be described using a TRAK SV-11 Solution Event Causes architecture view.

Conformance assertions can be described using a TRAK MV-04 Assurance architecture view.

---

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_AF on Blue Sky
• TRAK Group on Facebook
• TRAK_AF on Mastodon
• TRAK_AF on Twitter
• TRAK Wikipedia page

Implementations of TRAK

• UML profile for TRAK. Provides a set of UML and SysML node and connector elements for any UML modelling tool.
• UML / SysML with TRAK. Provides bare profiles (any UML modelling tool) and an MDG for Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect for those wanting to annotate standard UML / SysML Class, Use Case and State Machine diagrams with TRAK elements.
• MDG Technology for TRAK. Provides the views, toolbox palettes of UML and SysML elements, custom searches and context-sensitive linking for Sparx Systems' Enterprise Architect UML modelling tool.(Nic Plum, Eclectica Systems Ltd.)
• TRAK MooD 2010 Template. Provides a template through which TRAK architecture views can be created using Salamander MooD modelling tool and is constrained to use node and connector elements from the TRAK metamodel.(Brian Cliff, VEGA)
• OmniGraffle Stencil for TRAK. A stencil that provides the metamodel node and connector elements for OmniGroup's OmniGraffle ( a Visio-like tool for Mac and iOS).
• TRAK Visio Template. This similarly provides a set of node and connector elements.

---

This Release

15th May 2026

• Metamodel. Added 'Job makes Claim' to generalise to 'Human Resource makes Claim'. Generalised rule MV2 in Table 5.1 TRAK Minimum Length Valid Statements.

• Table 4.1 Labels vs Reference Vocabulary Sources. Added dcat and ro namespaces.

• Table 4.2: TRAK Metamodel Element Attributes

• Architecture Description. 'summary of findings'. Added OED reference, modified definition. 'tools used'. Added OED reference.

• Architecture Description Element. 'AD exchange element owning ID'. Modified definition. Changed 'AD exchange element recipient ID' to 'AD exchange element recipient element ID'. Modified definition. 'AD exchange element reference URL' Added OED source. 'element author' changed to 'element creator' 'date created.' Modified definition. date modified. Modified definition. 'element URI'. Added reference. 'pm codeword.' Added reference. 'pm commercial'. Added reference. 'pm descriptor'. Added reference. 'pm marking' changed to 'protective marking'. Added reference. 'pm marking owner' changed to 'pm owner' 'pm national caveat'. Added reference. 'vocabulary uri'. Modified definition / comments.

• Architecture Perspective. 'perspective description'. Added OED reference. 'perspective title' Modified definition.
• Architecture View. 'master architecture view' modified definition. 'view element identifier' added rederences. 'view title' modified definition.
• Architecture Viewpoint. 'subject tuples' deleted. 'optional tuples' deleted. 'master architecture view'. Added OED reference. 'viewpoint description' modified definition. 'viewpoint title' modified definition. 'views needed' modified definition.
• Claim. 'compliance level claimed'. Added OED source.
• DCMI Artefact. 'DCMI contributor'. Added OED reference . 'DCMI format'. Added OED reference . 'DCMI language', added default value. Added OED reference. 'DCMI subject'. Added OED reference. 'issuing organisation'. Modified definition.
• Document. Modified definition.
• Enterprise Goal. Modified definition.
• Interaction Element. element type. Modified definition.
• Item. 'item type'. Modified definition.
• Job. 'job holder name'. Modified definition.
• Milestone. Modified definition.
• Project Activity. Modified definition.
• Port Connection. Added OED references.
• Requirement. 'compliance level required'. Added OED source.
• Resource.'identifier' changed to 'resource identifier' Added OED reference, modified definition.. 'location' added dcat reference to centroid. 'location label' .Added OED reference, modified definition.
• Safety Monitored Element. Modified definition. 'safety integrity level' Added OED source.

• Standard. Modified definition. 'part' changed to 'part identifier'. Added OED reference.

• 'exchange type'. Modified definition (Item Exchange, Resource Interaction)

• 'start date'. Added OED reference (Architecture Task, Contract, Enterprise and Project Activity). Modified definition.

• 'submission date'. Modified definition (disproves, proves, opposes, supports)

• 'can lead to exposure to'. Modified definition. Added OED reference.

• Values: 'N/A','N/A - Heading', 'Not Protectively Marked', 'Not Specified'. Added OED reference.

Get Notified of Files Released on this Site

If you'd like to be notified of file releases rather than having to remember to visit the site and check you can do so using RSS. Simply add (subscribe to) the following URL in your RSS reader or MS Outlook / Apple Mail etc:

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

---

Structure on Sourceforge

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

• trak - https://sf.net/p/trak - 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 - [this site] - 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 (sourceforge.net) - the GNU Free Documentation License under which the TRAK metamodel is released.