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UAF Deep Dive

Disclaimer: This is not an official OMG document. The ontology files are an independent RDF/OWL representation of UAF concepts for use within the Linked.Archi architecture knowledge graph.

Defence and government programs must produce architecture descriptions that conform to UAF while still integrating with commercial EA notations like ArchiMate. This deep dive covers how the UAF 1.2 grid of viewpoints and aspects is represented in Linked.Archi, and how UAF concepts map to ArchiMate and its DoDAF/MODAF predecessors so a single knowledge graph can serve both worlds.

1. What is UAF

The Unified Architecture Framework (UAF) is an OMG standard that provides a unified architecture framework superseding DoDAF, MODAF, and NAF. UAF organizes architectural data across 10 viewpoints and 11 aspects, defining approximately 288 metaclasses across multiple domains.

UAF supports capability-based planning, service-oriented architecture, and enterprise-wide architecture governance. It is designed for defence, government, and complex enterprise environments requiring rigorous architecture descriptions conforming to ISO/IEC/IEEE 42010.

Source: OMG UAF 1.2 Specification

Predecessor frameworks: DoDAF 2.02, MODAF 1.2, NAF 4.0

2. UAF Grid Structure

UAF uses a grid of Viewpoints × Aspects:

Viewpoints (10)

  1. Architecture Management (Am) — governance, stakeholders, architectural descriptions
  2. Strategic (St) — vision, goals, capabilities, drivers
  3. Operational (Op) — activities, performers, exchanges (implementation-independent)
  4. Services (Sv) — service-oriented architecture
  5. Personnel (Pr) — organizations, persons, posts
  6. Resources (Rs) — systems, platforms, functions (implementation-specific)
  7. Security (Sc) — assets, controls, enclaves
  8. Projects (Pj) — delivery projects, milestones, phases
  9. Standards (Sd) — applicable standards and protocols
  10. Actual Resources (Ar) — deployed instances

Aspects (11)

  1. Motivation — why (vision, goals, drivers)
  2. Taxonomy — hierarchical classification
  3. Structure — internal composition
  4. Connectivity — connections and interfaces
  5. Processes — behavioural flows
  6. States — state machines
  7. Sequences — ordered interactions
  8. Information — data models
  9. Constraints — rules and policies
  10. Roadmap — temporal evolution
  11. Traceability — cross-viewpoint mappings

3. File Inventory (frameworks/uaf/)

File Description
uaf-onto.ttl Main ontology — UAF metaclasses and relationships
uaf-metamodel.ttl Metamodel manifest — aggregates all resources
uaf-tax.ttl SKOS taxonomy — classification by viewpoint and aspect
uaf-viewpoints.ttl Viewpoint definitions — arch:Viewpoint instances
uaf-shapes.ttl SHACL shapes — domain/range constraints
uaf-crossmappings.ttl Cross-language SKOS mappings — UAF ↔ ArchiMate 4.0, UAF ↔ DoDAF

4. Namespaces

Prefix Namespace
uaf https://meta.linked.archi/uaf/onto#
uafmm https://meta.linked.archi/uaf/metamodel#
uaftax https://meta.linked.archi/uaf/tax#
uafvp https://meta.linked.archi/uaf/viewpoints#
uafsh https://meta.linked.archi/uaf/shapes#

5. Cross-Language Integration

UAF concepts integrate with other Linked.Archi modelling languages:

  • ArchiMate 4.0 — uaf:Capability ↔ am:Capability (closeMatch), service and organizational concepts mapped via relatedMatch
  • DoDAF 2.02 — Direct lineage mappings (closeMatch) for most operational and capability concepts
  • Core ontology — All UAF elements extend arch:Element; all qualified relationships extend arch:QualifiedRelationship

6. References