Linked.Archi C4 Model Viewpoints
C4 model viewpoints corresponding to the four abstraction levels defined by Simon Brown. Each level zooms into the previous one, providing progressively more detail. The Deployment diagram is an additional cross-cutting viewpoint.
Linked.Archi
C4 Model Viewpoint Catalog
The four C4 abstraction levels plus the Deployment diagram, as defined by Simon Brown at c4model.com.
The C4 model defines a fixed set of four hierarchical abstraction levels (Context, Container, Component, Code) plus supplementary diagrams (Deployment, Dynamic, System Landscape). This is a notation-specific grouping — ArchiMate and TOGAF use different organizations.
Core Levels
The four hierarchical abstraction levels of the C4 model.
Supplementary Diagrams
Additional C4 diagrams that cut across the four core levels.
System Context Diagram (Level 1)
The highest abstraction level. Shows the software system in scope and its relationships with users and other systems. Answers: "What is the system and who uses it?"
Container Diagram (Level 2)
Zooms into a single software system showing its containers (applications, services, databases) and their interactions. Answers: "What are the major technical building blocks and how do they communicate?"
Component Diagram (Level 3)
Zooms into a single container showing its internal components and their relationships. Answers: "What are the major structural building blocks inside this container?"
Code Diagram (Level 4)
Zooms into a single component showing its internal structure at the code level (classes, interfaces, modules). Typically auto-generated from source code. Answers: "How is this component implemented?"
Often auto-generated from IDE or source code analysis tools.
Deployment Diagram
Shows how containers are mapped to infrastructure — servers, cloud services, containers, and their hosting relationships. Can be created for each environment (dev, staging, production).
System Landscape Diagram
Shows all software systems and people across the enterprise, not just a single system in scope. A "zoomed out" version of the System Context diagram.
Dynamic Diagram
Shows how elements collaborate at runtime for a specific use case or scenario — a sequence of interactions between containers or components.