UML - Architecture

Any real-world system is used by different users. The users can be developers, testers, business people, analysts, and many more. Hence, before designing a system, the architecture is made with different perspectives in mind. The most important part is to visualize the system from the perspective of different viewers. The better we understand the better we can build the system.

UML plays an important role in defining different perspectives of a system. These perspectives are −

• Design
• Implementation
• Process
• Deployment

The center is the Use Case view which connects all these four. A Use Case represents the functionality of the system. Hence, other perspectives are connected with use case.

Design of a system consists of classes, interfaces, and collaboration. UML provides class diagram, object diagram to support this.

Implementation defines the components assembled together to make a complete physical system. UML component diagram is used to support the implementation perspective.

Process defines the flow of the system. Hence, the same elements as used in Design are also used to support this perspective.

Deployment represents the physical nodes of the system that forms the hardware. UML deployment diagram is used to support this perspective.