Traceability across layers preserves architectural meaning as later parts specialize, realize, deploy, and provide Evidence for the conceptual architecture.
Each layer has a distinct Traceability responsibility:
Table 10.2-1: Traceability responsibilities across architectural layers
| Layer | Traceability responsibility |
|---|---|
| Conceptual Architecture | Defines stable concepts and conceptual boundaries. |
| Logical Architecture / Platform Independent Model (PIM) | Specializes conceptual elements into platform-independent logical structures, relationships, and constraints. |
| Implementation Profile / Platform Specific Model (PSM) | Maps logical elements to selected implementation technologies and artifacts. |
| Deployment Profile | Describes how implementation artifacts run in a concrete environment. |
| Evidence | Supports claims about architecture, implementation, deployment, execution, Interpretation, Governance and Authority, or review. |
Traceability keeps these layers connected without allowing one layer to redefine another. A logical element may specialize a conceptual element. An implementation artifact may realize a logical element. A deployment artifact may execute or configure an implementation artifact. Evidence may support a claim about any of these layers.
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