How to visualize a system architecture using the C4 model?

https://jorzel.github.io/how-to-visualize-your-system-architecture-using-the-c4-model/

by jorzel • 4 years ago

31 10 4 years ago

jorzel.github.io

rurtrack2• 4 years ago

https://github.com/gnodux/C4-PlantUML

Highly recommend to give this one a try

jorzel3• 4 years ago

Is this the same package used in structurizr.com?

rurtrack2• 4 years ago

Does not look like that is the case. The syntax is different, this one I shared is based on the plant uml standard, while the one you mention seem to have its own thing. Will try it out! Tx for the link

Veuxdo2• 4 years ago

It should be noted C4 is for software architecture, specifically. Not system architecture, generally.

When diagramming (say) a cloud system architecture, you should use the abstractions that come with that cloud environment (in AWS it'd be things like Account, Region, Lambda, etc.). There is no benefit in translating these abstractions to C4's abstractions that were designed for software (Context, Container, and Component).

jorzel3• 4 years ago

Good point. I used a 'system' as a synonym for a 'software' but you are right that it can be confusing

rickette• 4 years ago

The C4 model also includes an optional deployment diagram (kinda like the deployment diagram from the 4+1 model). You could indeed use the abstractions of your cloud provider to draw that but I think it's more helpful to use C4 abstractions. Since this allows you to map concepts from your software (C4 containers) to your infrastructure.

Let's say to have a reasonable complex (micro)services landscape running in the cloud. I would create:

- one context diagram. System as a blackbox with surrounding actors.

- one or multiple container diagrams. One per bounded context.

- one deployment diagram mapping out the most significant cloud infra, their interrelations AND some example C4 containers to show how the software maps to the infra.

throwawaaarrgh• 4 years ago

I still find myself making different diagrams for different levels of complexity. Things like "infrastructure diagram", "microservice diagram", "vendor dependency diagram", sequence diagrams. Depending on what's happening the architecture may dynamically change, and I'm not always sure how to represent that.

Veuxdo2• 4 years ago

Making different diagrams to show different concerns is exactly what to do [0]. Trying to show everything in a single view is impossible, you'll just make a mess.

[0] Ilograph calls these different views perspectives: https://app.ilograph.com/demo.ilograph.Ilograph/Request Full disclosure: I made this

victorl96• 4 years ago

Have you checked out flows in https://icepanel.io for sequence diagrams?

How to visualize a system architecture using the C4 model?

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