Chapter 5. Component and Deployment Diagrams

This chapter focuses on component and deployment diagrams, which depict the implementation and environment of a system, respectively. First, I introduce component and deployment diagrams and how they are used. Next, I discuss components and nodes, which are elements depicted on those diagrams. Finally, I discuss various relationships relating to components and nodes. Many details of our project management system that were not fleshed out in Chapter 2 are more fully elaborated here, and throughout the chapter, I include suggestions relating to component and deployment diagrams.

Component modeling is a specialized type of structural modeling concerned with modeling the implementation of a system. Using the UML, you can communicate the implementation of a system using component diagrams. You usually apply component modeling during design activities to determine how implementation activities will build the system; that is, to determine the elements of the system on which implementation activities will focus. Component modeling typically starts after the design of the system is fairly complete, as determined by your system development process.

Deployment modeling is a specialized type of structural modeling concerned with modeling the implementation environment of a system. In contrast to modeling the components of a system, a deployment model shows you the external resources that those components require. You typically apply deployment modeling during design activities to determine how deployment activities will make the system available to its users; that is, to determine the elements of the system on which deployment activities will focus. Like component modeling, deployment modeling usually starts after the design of the system is fairly complete, as determined by your system development process.