Classification schemas are a form of communication, and serve to help describe assets. Classification schemas can be
used as mechanisms for searching and discovering assets. The repository can have many classification schemas. The
administrator submits these classification schemas in the repository.
An asset may be classified using values from many classification schemas. The classification schemas may be exclusive
and not related to each other. Using classification schemas in this manner permits many perspectives to be captured.
For example, not only do practitioners (architects, developers, testers, etc.) work with assets, but certainly
administrators and technical management will interact with the assets, as well as with report generators, metrics
collectors and other tools.
Each classification schema should be created with a specific focus. For example, you may create a classification schema
to describe the business domain of interest to the enterprise. You might create another classification schema to
describe the technical contexts for the enterprise, such as runtime platforms and development platforms.
Classification schemas are often created from the perspective of a target consumer. For example, architects may want to
discover an asset's relevancy from the perspective of non-functional characteristics.
There is a similarity and relationship between asset type and classification. Both are used for describing the asset,
both are used for searching and discovery. The asset type has a stronger affinity with describing the set of artifacts that
should exist in the asset and also with the kinds of relationships that the asset should have with other assets. An asset
has one type, whereas it may have many classifications which enhance the description of the asset. |