10 Most Common Enterprise Architecture Drawings
Here is a list of the 10 most common drawings used by enterprise architects. Any AI tools you use should be able to generate these drawings and make these drawing interactive with hover and click through features.
1. Application Landscape Diagram
Purpose: High-level view of all applications within the enterprise and their relationships Key Elements: Application portfolios, data flows between systems, integration touchpoints, business capability mapping Stakeholders: C-level executives, application architects, portfolio managers Interactive Features: Hover for application details, click-through to detailed system documentation, filtering by business domain or technology stack
2. System Context Diagram
Purpose: Shows how a specific system interacts with external entities and other systems Key Elements: Target system boundary, external users, external systems, data flows, communication protocols Stakeholders: Solution architects, development teams, security architects Interactive Features: Expandable system boundaries, protocol details on hover, links to API documentation and interface specifications
3. Data Flow Diagram
Purpose: Illustrates how data moves through systems and processes within the organization Key Elements: Data stores, processes, external entities, data flows with transformation points Stakeholders: Data architects, business analysts, compliance officers Interactive Features: Flow animation, data lineage tracking, hover for data classification and governance rules
4. Network Architecture Diagram
Purpose: Physical and logical network infrastructure showing connectivity and security boundaries Key Elements: Network segments, firewalls, load balancers, routers, security zones, protocols Stakeholders: Network architects, security teams, infrastructure engineers Interactive Features: Security zone highlighting, bandwidth utilization displays, click-through to network monitoring dashboards
5. Deployment Architecture Diagram
Purpose: Shows how applications and services are deployed across infrastructure environments Key Elements: Servers, containers, cloud services, deployment environments, scaling configurations Stakeholders: DevOps teams, infrastructure architects, operations managers Interactive Features: Real-time status indicators, resource utilization metrics, links to deployment pipelines and monitoring
6. Business Process Flow Diagram
Purpose: Maps business processes to supporting technology systems and data flows Key Elements: Business processes, decision points, system touchpoints, handoffs between teams Stakeholders: Business analysts, process owners, enterprise architects Interactive Features: Process step details on hover, system integration points, links to process documentation and SLAs
7. Integration Architecture Diagram
Purpose: Details how different systems connect and exchange information Key Elements: Integration patterns, middleware, message queues, APIs, data transformation points Stakeholders: Integration architects, middleware teams, API developers Interactive Features: Message flow animation, protocol specifications, error handling patterns, performance metrics
8. Security Architecture Diagram
Purpose: Illustrates security controls, boundaries, and threat mitigation across the enterprise Key Elements: Security zones, access controls, authentication systems, encryption points, compliance boundaries Stakeholders: Security architects, compliance officers, risk managers Interactive Features: Threat model overlays, compliance status indicators, links to security policies and audit reports
9. Cloud Architecture Diagram
Purpose: Shows cloud services utilization, hybrid connectivity, and cloud-native patterns Key Elements: Cloud services, regions/availability zones, hybrid connections, serverless functions, managed services Stakeholders: Cloud architects, platform engineers, cost optimization teams Interactive Features: Cost breakdown by service, scalability patterns, disaster recovery configurations
10. Service Architecture Diagram
Purpose: Microservices and service-oriented architecture showing service boundaries and dependencies Key Elements: Service boundaries, APIs, service meshes, databases per service, communication patterns Stakeholders: Solution architects, development teams, platform engineers Interactive Features: Service health indicators, dependency mapping, API documentation links, deployment status
Common Interactive Enhancements Across All Diagrams
Documentation Integration: Every diagram element should link to relevant technical documentation, architectural decision records, and operational runbooks
Real-Time Status: Where applicable, integrate with monitoring systems to show current operational status, performance metrics, and alert conditions
Multi-Level Detail: Support progressive disclosure from high-level overviews to detailed technical specifications through hover and click interactions
Filtering and Views: Allow stakeholders to filter diagrams based on their concerns (security, performance, cost, compliance) while maintaining overall context
Change Management: Visual indicators showing recent changes, planned modifications, and approval status for architectural evolution
These diagrams form the core visual vocabulary for enterprise architecture communication, and when enhanced with AI-generated content and interactive features, they become powerful tools for both documentation and operational insight.