Master Relationship Verb Matrix
The table below outlines all 16 valid relationship verbs, their corresponding ArchiMate 3.2 relationship types, and every allowed target entity type for each source entity type.
| Relationship Verb | ArchiMate 3.2 Equivalent | Source Entity Types | Allowed Destination Target Entity Types |
|---|---|---|---|
composed_of | Composition | capability, system, app, environment | capability → capabilitysystem → app, component, agentapp → component, agentenvironment → infrastructure |
realizes | Realization | capability, process, system, app, component, agent | capability, process, system, app, component, agent → capability, goal, stage |
serves | Serving | capability, actor, process, system, app, component, infrastructure, agent | actor, process, system, app, agent |
hosts | Assignment | environment, infrastructure | environment → system, app, component, agentinfrastructure → system, app, component, agent, trust_boundary |
reads, writes | Access | capability, actor, process, system, app, component, agent | actor → data_object, system, app, component, infrastructureAll others → data_object |
flows_to | Flow | capability, process, system, app, component, data_object, agent | system, app, component, process, data_object, agent |
triggers | Triggering | capability, actor, process, system, app, component, agent | capability, actor → process, agentOthers → process, system, app, component, agent |
influences | Influence | capability, actor, process, system, app, component, goal, kpi, agent, policy | goal, kpi |
migrates_to | Transformation | capability, process, system, app, component, environment, infrastructure, agent | capability, process → system, app, component, infrastructure, environmentsystem, app, component, infrastructure, environment → system, app, component, infrastructure, environment, agentagent → agent |
depends_on | Dependency | capability, process, system, app, component, agent, control | capability → capability, app, system, component, infrastructure, processprocess → process, app, system, component, infrastructure, capabilitysystem, app, component → system, app, component, infrastructure, environment, agentagent → system, app, component, agentcontrol → control, infrastructure, system, app, component, environment |
governed_by | Governance | All entity types | policy, standard |
mitigates | Mitigation | control | threat, risk_scenario |
protects | Protection | system, app, component, infrastructure, agent, control, trust_boundary | system, app, component, infrastructure, data_object, process, agent, trust_boundary, actor (when mechanism is Authentication) |
targets | Exploitation | threat, risk_scenario, vulnerability | capability, process, system, app, component, infrastructure, data_object, actor, agent, trust_boundary |
encloses | Containment | trust_boundary | actor, process, system, app, component, infrastructure, data_object, agent, trust_boundary |