Part 5 – Event Modeling and View Modeling with DEMO’s aspect models

This article in the series marks a shift in focus from business model engineering and event-driven architecture toward solution delivery. Here, we explore how DEMO’s aspect models support Event Modeling and View Modeling, providing a framework to design responsive, event-driven systems. By defining workflows and views using the Cooperation, Action, Process, and Fact Models, organizations can align user interfaces and data views seamlessly with business objectives. This series continues to provide insights every Monday and Thursday.

Once the new CTP-based business model is captured in the DEMO aspect models, they can be utilized in Event Modeling and View Modeling [AD, 2019] —methods used to design and plan event-driven enterprise solutions leveraging the CQRS/ES architecture patterns.

Event Modeling

Event Modeling revolutionizes how information systems are designed by focusing on time as the central concept for modeling systems. Instead of relying on complex data models or branching logic, Event Modeling uses a timeline of events to capture every state change in a system. This approach mimics how human memory works through storytelling, making systems easier to understand and communicate.

Event Modeling emphasizes simplicity by utilizing only three core building blocks and four structural patterns, making it easy to adopt with minimal training. This model focuses on practical, visual representation of systems, using mockups and user interfaces to clearly communicate how systems function. Commands are used to represent user actions that change the system with an Event, while Views show the current state based on stored events. This approach supports agile project management, ensures consistent development costs, and promotes collaboration across teams, all while maintaining a clear, reliable system design through well-defined workflows.

The DEMO aspect models contribute valuable input for this process, with the Cooperation Model (CM), Action Model (AM), and Process Model (PM) offering the business blueprint for workflow mapping, and the Fact Model (FM) serving as the blueprint for Views.

Event Modeling involves mapping out the sequence of business events, understanding how one event leads to another, and defining the workflows that drive these events. This process helps to visualize the system’s behavior and ensures that all scenarios are covered.

• Workflow Mapping: By leveraging the insights from the DEMO aspect models (-specifically the CM, AM, and PM-) developers can create a detailed workflow that outlines how the system should respond to various business scenarios. This mapping includes handling exceptions, such as declining requests or rejecting results, ensuring that the system can manage all possible outcomes.
• Views: The Fact Model (FM) provides a business blueprint for Views, which are projections of the event data optimized for queries. They represent the current state of the system as seen by different stakeholders, providing them with the information they need to perform their roles effectively.

View Modeling

View Modeling focuses on designing the user interfaces and reports that will present the data from the read models to end-users. The Fact Model (FM) again plays a crucial role here, ensuring that the information captured in the events is accessible and actionable, contributing to a consistent and intuitive user experience.

For example, in an e-commerce platform, a view model might project data about pending orders, which the fulfillment team views through a dashboard. This data can be used to prioritize shipments, track delays, and ensure that customers are informed of the status of their orders. By aligning View Modeling with Event Modeling—and using the DEMO aspects model ?as a guide—the enterprise solution design can deliver a user experience that is both responsive and consistent with the underlying business processes.

Discover how this journey began in Part 1 – Introduction and Overview. Explore what lies ahead in Part 6 – Integrating Event Modeling into Agile Planning.

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References

[AD, 2019] Dymitrukm Adam (2019). Event Modeling: What is it? ?https://eventmodeling.org/posts/what-is-event-modeling/ , last visit 18oct2024 ??