Exploring Enterprise Modeling and Visualization in the EA Workspace

Enterprise Modeling and Visualization in EA Workspace helps you with diagramming and modeling capabilities and enable you to model the future state of your IT and its relationship to the business landscape.

You can use the Enterprise Modeling and Visualization [com.snc.apm_modelling_tool] functionality in EA Workspace to create diagrams for your applications hierarchy and associate them with architectural artifacts. These diagrams enable decision makers to make informed decisions.

Creating diagrams helps you in the following:

• Visual representation: Diagrams and models represent complex enterprise structures, processes, and relationships for stakeholders including executives and IT teams.
• Effective communication: Diagrams provide a shared visual language for technical and non-technical stakeholders, supporting collaboration across teams and departments.
• Improved decision making: Decision makers can assess the impact of proposed changes, evaluate scenarios, and identify potential risks before implementing strategies or projects.
• Alignment with business goals: Diagrams and models help align IT initiatives with overall business goals, providing a view of the business and verifying that IT investments are strategically aligned with business goals.
• Change management: Modeling capabilities illustrate how changes affect the enterprise, supporting planning and execution of transformations with minimal disruption.
• Regulatory and governance: Modeling provides a structured framework for managing architectural artifacts and documenting adherence to architectural guidelines.
• Efficiency and cost reduction: Identifying redundancies, optimizing processes, and streamlining operations can help reduce costs and improve operational efficiency.

Note:

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Install the Enterprise Modeling and Visualization application

You can install the Enterprise Modeling and Visualization [com.snc.apm_modelling_tool] from the ServiceNow Store.

Working with diagrams

• Shapes: Use different shapes to create a diagram. Available shapes are:
  • General shapes
  • AWS shapes
  • CSDM shapes
  • EA Extended shapes
  • ArchiMate® shapes (ArchiMate is a registered trademark of The Open Group)
  • BPMN shapes

  

  Use the Toggle Shape Library icon to show or hide the shapes panel on the canvas.

  Use the Switch to List or Grid view icon to switch between list view and grid view of the shapes for all the shape libraries.

  You can add a shape to the canvas by either selecting the shape or by dragging the shape from the Shapes palette to the canvas.

  You can also adjust the size of shapes by selecting a shape and then drag any of its edges or corner handles. Dragging outward increases the shape dimensions; dragging inward reduces its size.

  When you hover over a shape icon in the Shapes panel, a preview popover appears to the right of the panel showing a larger view of the shape and its label. Moving to a different shape icon, using either the mouse or the arrow keys, updates the popover to the new shape. The popover closes when you move the mouse away from the icon, press Tab on the keyboard, start dragging a shape, or scroll the panel.

• Label connector lines: Select a connector line between shapes in a diagram and select T+ in the connector toolbar to add a label. For more information, see Add labels to connector lines between shapes in a diagram.
  You can perform the following actions for the labels:

  • Add multiple labels on a single relationship line
  • Drag and move labels
  • Delete individual labels without deleting the relationship
  • Use undo or redo action for a label

  Note:

  In read-only mode or after the diagram is submitted for approval, label actions are unavailable.
• Connector line properties: Select a connector between two shapes to display a toolbar on top of the connector. The toolbar has two forms depending on the notation of the connected shapes:
  • If both connected shapes are ArchiMate shapes, the toolbar shows the following controls:
    • Relationship type: Sets the ArchiMate relationship type from a predefined list, including Access, Aggregation, Assignment, Association, Composition, Flow, Influence, Realization, Serving, Specialization, Triggering, and Used by.
    • Swap direction: Reverses the connector orientation, switching the left and right sides.
    • T+: Adds a text label to the connector.

    

  • If at least one connected shape is a non-ArchiMate shape (for example, a CSDM or AWS shape), or when connecting shapes from two different notations, the toolbar shows the following controls:
    • Line style: Sets the connector line to solid, dashed, or dotted.
    • Start arrow: Sets the arrowhead style at the starting end of the connector.
    • Swap direction: Reverses the connector orientation, switching the left and right sides.
    • End arrow: Sets the arrowhead style at the ending end of the connector.
    • Icon: Adds a BPMN message flow decorator icon to the connector.
    • T+: Adds a text label to the connector.

    

  For more information, see Shape connector properties in Enterprise Modeling and Visualization and Set shape connector properties in Enterprise Modeling and Visualization.

• Version: This field enables you to view and open a different version of the diagram.

  

• View details: Use this option to view version-specific details of your diagram such as version label, description, and planned rollout date.

  

• Undo and Redo: Use this option to revert or reinstate recent changes made to a diagram. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts to perform the undo and redo action.

  

• Align and distribute shapes: Select two or more shapes on the canvas to align them to a common edge or center. Select three or more shapes to also distribute them at equal spacing. For more information, see Align and distribute shapes in a modeling diagram.

  

• Share: Use this option to share the diagram with your peers.
• Commit changes: Use this option to synchronize the diagram to the repository. This option is available only when the diagram is approved.
• Save as new version: Use this option to create a version of the diagram within the same artifact.
• Duplicate: Use this option to duplicate an existing diagram and save it as a new artifact.

  

• Open side panel: Select a shape in the diagram to see this option. Use this option to open the selected object details in a side panel. If the shape is connected to an existing ServiceNow element, the details are fetched from the database and shown in the side panel. Update the details as required. You can select the Full details link to open the full form.

  

• Add related records- Select a shape in the diagram to see this option. Use this option to fetch and add the objects and their relationships with reference to the selected object.

  

• More actions- Select the three dots menu to see the following options:

  

  • Delete shape from canvas to remove the selected shape from the canvas.
  • Add relation to add relationships with reference to the selected object.

Keyboard navigation on the diagram page

Enterprise Modeling and Visualization supports keyboard navigation across the diagram canvas, panels, shapes, and dialogs.

You can use the keyboard to move between shapes, groups, pools, swimlanes, and nested elements on the canvas. Focus indicators clearly show the currently selected item. You can access shape and relationship context menu using the keyboard to open the side panel, view related records, add or edit relationship text, and perform actions such as delete or add relations.

The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts available for navigating:

Table 1. Keyboard navigation reference

Key	Action
Tab or Shift + Tab	Move focus forward or backward between canvas elements, panels, and controls.
Arrow keys (↑ ↓ ← →)	Navigate between shapes, nested elements, libraries, lists, pools, and swimlanes.
Enter	Select the focused shape, relationship, or control.
Shift + Enter	Move focus to shape or relationship adornments.

• Shapes to create a modeling diagram
  The shapes available in Enterprise Modeling and Visualization help you create diagrams. You can add a shape to the canvas by either selecting the shape or by dragging the shape from the Shapes palette to the canvas.
• Shape connector properties in Enterprise Modeling and Visualization
  When you select a connector between two shapes in an enterprise modeling diagram, a toolbar appears above the connector. Use the toolbar to define the relationship type or visual style of the connector.
• ArchiMate shapes support in the Enterprise Modeling and Visualization
  ArchiMate® shapes are industry-standard elements used by enterprise architects to create diagrams that represent relationships across different domains of an enterprise. ArchiMate is a registered trademark of The Open Group. Enterprise Modeling and Visualization supports ArchiMate shapes along with General and Enterprise Architecture shapes.
• AWS shapes support in the Enterprise Modeling and Visualization
  Enterprise Modeling and Visualization supports Amazon Web Services (AWS) shape libraries for modeling cloud architectures. These shapes enable architects to design future-state cloud diagrams aligned with CMDB and CSDM standards.
• CSDM shapes support in the Enterprise Modeling and Visualization
  ServiceNow CSDM data model defines standardized relationships between service-related objects in the CMDB. It ensures consistency across ITSM, ITOM, and EA practices. In Enterprise Architecture Workspace, CSDM shapes represent these objects visually in diagrams, enabling architects to model business capabilities, applications, services, and technical components in alignment with the Now Platform.
• Custom shapes support in the Enterprise Modeling and Visualization
  Custom shapes are the user-defined graphical elements that can be used to represent specific concepts, processes, systems, or roles in your diagrams. These shapes can be tailored to fit the unique needs of your organization, making your diagrams more meaningful and easier to understand.
• Business process modeling
  Business processes are a structured sequence of tasks that are grouped, helping to accomplish specific business outcomes. A business process modeling diagram or a BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) diagram is a visual representation of a business process.

Related concepts

• Working with Enterprise Modeling and Visualization
• Configure Enterprise Modeling and Visualization
• Shape connector properties in Enterprise Modeling and Visualization

Related tasks

• Add or edit diagram version details
• Set shape connector properties in Enterprise Modeling and Visualization
• Add labels to connector lines between shapes in a diagram
• Approve or reject a modeling diagram request
• Delete a shape
• Delete Enterprise Modeling and Visualization diagrams