Canonical relationships
| Source | Relationship | Target | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Actor | receives | Service | The actor receives a meaningful outcome. |
| Actor | uses | Channel | The actor interacts with the company in a particular way. |
| Actor | participates in | Process | The actor performs a role in the process. |
| Channel | provides access to | Service | A service is available through the channel. |
| Process | realizes | Service | Executing the process creates the service outcome. |
| Process | requires | Capability | The process needs an organizational capability. |
| Process | operates on | Information object | The process creates, reads, changes, or destroys information. |
| System | supports | Capability | The system automates or strengthens a capability. |
| System | consists of | Component | The component belongs to one owning system boundary. |
| Component | exposes | Interface | The interface is an accessible technical contract of the component. |
| Integration | connects | System, component, or interface | The integration describes a persistent interaction between endpoints. |
| Integration | transfers | Information object | Information is moved or synchronized through the interaction. |
| Deployment | instantiates | Component | A deployment connects a logical component to a running instance. |
| Deployment | is placed on | Compute resource | The instance execution location is identified. |
| Compute resource | connects to | Network segment | The resource is accessible in a defined network zone. |
| Actor | owns | Any significant object | The actor makes lifecycle decisions for the object. |
| Data object or message | represents | Business object | A technical form represents business meaning. |
Constraints
- A component has exactly one owning system. Other systems use it through integrations.
- An integration is directed or explicitly marked as bidirectional.
- Endpoints may be systems in the startup profile, components in the stable-business profile, and are preferred to be interfaces in the enterprise profile.
- Ownership does not replace information about process performers.
- Direct component-to-server placement is only shorthand; detailed modeling converts it to “deployment → resource.”
Relationship quality
A relationship has a source and rationale. At the governed level it also has a state, validity period, and review date. “Related to” is temporary debt and must be replaced with a canonical relationship before reaching connected maturity.