Jul 07, 2023

AWS Reference Architectures

The Amazon Web Services (AWS) Architecture center -- https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/ -- offers a wealth of information on building Solution Architectures using new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, Microservice Architectures, Hybrid cloud, and Security. It includes reference architectures for different Use Cases in each area.

AWS Icon Set

Amazon also offers an icon set for use to visualize these architectures – those icons are here: https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/icons/.

UNICOM Systems is a business partner with Amazon. To provide customers with a repository-based EA solution for the AWS icon set, UNICOM Systems provides:

• The AWS icons provided as individual Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) images, saving you time from finding and selecting the icons in the Powerpoint that Amazon provides,
• A custom-metamodel template – provided via a USRPROPS.TXT file -- for architecting data-driven Solution Architectures in System Architect with a data-driven Solution Architecture diagram,
• A bitmap for each icon so that you can select and easily draw the icons in diagrams in System Architect.

For example, the following Solution Architecture diagram was built in System Architect using the custom metamodel (enabled via USRPROPS.TXT), the bitmaps provided, and the AWS icon set:

Using the System Architect – AWS Architecture Add-In

To use the System Architect – AWS Architecture Add-In, perform the following steps:

1. Optionally watch this video:
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsUGDDBXpFo
2. Download the UNICOM_SystemArchitect-Amazon_AWS_Reference_Architectures.zip add-in*
3. Unzip the add-in into a directory on your computer. You will see:
   • a USRPROPS.TXT file that creates 2 new diagram types:
     • Solution Architecture (AWS)
     • Solution Conceptual (AWS)
   • an IMAGES directory containing .svg and .bmp files.
4. In System Architect, create a new, test encyclopedia. Choose any Framework (TOGAF, DoDAF2, UAF, etc), including None. The usrprops.txt is independent of framework.
5. Select Tools, Customize User Properties, Import USRPROPS.TXT (Encyclopedia) -- or use File Manager (Tools, Encyclopedia File Manager) or SAEM -- to import the USRPROPS.TXT file into the encyclopedia. ^*
   (If you wish to import the reference models into an existing encyclopedia, then you should merge the contents of the USRPROPS.TXT provided into the USRPROPS.TXT of that encyclopedia.)
6. Use SAEM or System Architect's File Manager (Tools, Encyclopedia File Manager) to import all of the contents of the Images\AWS directory. They will automatically be imported into the Files table of the encyclopedia with an "Images/AWS/" prefix.
7. Reopen the encyclopedia for the changes to take effect.
8. Note that you will have two new diagram types on which to draw Amazon AWS concepts:
   • The "Solution Architecture (AWS)" diagram type, and
   • The "Solution Conceptual (AWS)" diagram type.
9. Optionally import the AWS_Solution_Architecture_Examples.xml file into the encyclopedia, by right-mouse clicking in the Explorer tree (browser) of SA and selecting Import XML File. You will see several Solution Architecture diagrams, and be able to edit them or create your own.

^* Note: You do not have to use the metamodel provided in the USRPROPS.TXT to use these images -- you can apply them to existing symbols or definitions in the Framework you are using, via the USRPROPS Depiction command. For more details, watch the video in Step 1 above, refer to the help, and/or contact Tech Support.