An important aspect of building an enterprise architecture is being able to get value from it – analyze it – ask it questions – and visualize those answers. System Architect provides a diagram type called the Explorer diagram, that enables you to run SQL-query reports against the underlying database repository, to visualize the answers to questions. This includes finding artifacts that meet report criteria, visualizing indirect (calculated) relationships, and running automatic analytics to visualize information. For example, show me the business capabilities that are strategic, which will be adversely affected by a Java security issue with a version of software that is installed to a system that a process that helps provide the Capability uses.

A Fit for Purpose view concept comes from the DoDAF 2 – it is any diagram that contains artifacts beyond those specified as mandatory for the viewpoint. This includes all viewpoints that reflect analysis of the architecture.

There are two types of Explorer diagrams – Network and Landscape. They fit into the category of Fit for Purpose views, and are used to do the following analysis: