Mapping a C4 / Structurizr model into Turbo EA

[Vinedine]

Hi,

I am working within a large organization that has +100 applications documented using C4 in Structurizr DSL. We are investigating moving to Turbo EA and I was hoping you could help answer some questions.

We are mainly using Software System and Containers from the C4 model. Right now we have mapped all of those to Applications with the Software System having a parent child relationship to the Containers but this does not feel correct. Our containers are not all the same kind of thing - some are APIs, some are databases, some are UIs, some are ETL jobs.

So we need help to understand what we need to map the containers to.

All our containers have a Compass component type (docs).

Compass component type	Turbo EA target?
DATASET	Data Object
SERVICE	Interface
UI_ELEMENT	Interface? see Q2
APPLICATION	Application, or child Application? see Q1
DATA_PIPELINE	? see Q3
LIBRARY	IT Component, or leave out
WEBSITE	Interface
CAPABILITY	Business Capability
DATA_PRODUCT	Data Object
CLOUD_RESOURCE	IT Component
DASHBOARD	? see Q4

Here are two examples

Example 1 - an on premise app

C4 container	Compass type	Technology	What it is	Turbo EA target?
Timesheet Database	DATASET	Relational database schema	The schema holding the data	Data Object
Timesheet API	SERVICE	Compiled backend runtime	REST API over the data	Interface
Timesheet UI	UI_ELEMENT	JavaScript SPA	Web front end	Interface? see Q2
Timesheet ETL	DATA_PIPELINE	Compiled backend runtime	Syncs data in from upstream systems	? see Q3

Example 2 - a cloud app

C4 container	Compass type	Technology	What it is	Turbo EA target?
Order API	SERVICE	Serverless functions	Service to view and synchronise the order data	Interface
Order UI	UI_ELEMENT	Managed app service	Static website	Interface? see Q2
Order Storage	DATASET	Cloud object storage	Stores the information about the orders	Data Object
Order Secrets	DATA_PRODUCT	Cloud secrets vault	Secured storage for secrets	IT Component, or leave it out
Order ETL	DATA_PIPELINE	CI/CD pipeline	Nightly load of order data into the reporting store	? see Q3
Order Dashboard	DASHBOARD	BI reporting service	Reports for managers	? see Q4
Order Process	APPLICATION	Workflow engine process	Process to view and edit the order information	? see Q1

The last three are the unknown ones. The ETL here is a pipeline rather than code, the dashboard is a report built in a BI tool, and the process runs inside a workflow platform that we also have in the portfolio as its own application. None of them feel like Applications to me but none of them obviously fit Interface or Data Object either.

Q1 - when is a container its own Application, and what happens when it lives inside another one? The process above runs on our workflow platform and the dashboard inside our BI tool, so both are built within something else that is already an Application in its own right. Do they stay as parts of the order app, do they become their own Applications, or is there another type for this. Turbo EA hierarchy is same-type only as far as I can tell, so child Applications under a parent Application would work structurally - but then I am back to one business app showing up as several.

Q2 - is a UI an Interface, and if so which subtype? A colleague argues yes, a UI is a user interface so it is an Interface. My hesitation is that an Interface seems to imply something on the other end of it, and Turbo EA models Organization rather than individual users. If it is an Interface, is there a sensible subtype for it, or do we add one?

Q3 - what is an ETL job? It is not an interface anyone calls, it is not really a data object, and calling it an IT Component feels like a stretch. We have a lot of these so it is not a corner case for us.

Q4 - platform vs technology. Is there a way to model a collaboration suite or a cloud platform as something you build within, as opposed to a technology or an IT Component? The BI dashboard above is the case I keep hitting - it feels like an interface, but one built inside a platform rather than deployed on its own.

Hope the above is clear enough and you are able to give us some guidance.

Regards,
Vincent

[vincentmakes]

I'll try to answer but you should know that Turbo EA is most likely not the right solution for what you are trying to achieve.
Turbo EA is meant for Enterprise Architecture (supporting the overall IT strategy accross the 4 architectural layers - the TOGAF definition of Enterprise architecture) and is not meant for Solution Architecture (your use case). There's a lot of confusion around this concept and I see very often, in particular in SDLC or consulting companies, roles which are advertised as Enterprise Architect while they mean Solution Architect at Enterprise scale which is not the same level of granularity.

In any case:

Q1 — when does a container become its own Application? When it has an independent lifecycle, owner, cost, or contract with the outside world. A Business Application enables a Business Capability while also supporting a Business Process and processing Business Data.

Q2 — UI as Interface: Interface in Turbo EA is system-to-system data flow

Q3 — ETL jobs: Interface, usually - but the job itself is operational

Q4 — platforms vs technology: The Platform card type (Strategy & Transformation, subtypes Digital/Technical) is there for that purpose.

[Vinedine]

Thanks for the quick reply. Let me take your input and investigate this further. If I have more questions I will raise them here.