just what we need -- another markup language

I learned of another markup language that I just need to be aware of although not much seems to be going on with it as of yet: Architecture Description Markup Language (AMDL) or Architecture Description Language (ADL). This language -- if/when developed -- will provide a common interchange format for exchanging data among architecture design tools and/or a foundation for the development of new architectural design and analysis tools.

Background: ADML, the Architecture Description Markup Language, is a standard XML-based mark-up language for describing software and system architectures. ADML provides a means of representing an architecture that can be used to support the interchange of architectural descriptions between a variety of architectural design tools. The standard makes possible the broad sharing of ADML models so that many present and future applications can manipulate, search, present, and store the models. Given the ongoing adoption of XML by industry, XML-based ADML models will be in a format that will not become orphaned. A standard, open representation will de-couple an enterprise's architectural models from vendors and enable the models to remain useful despite the rapid change in software tools. ADML leverages the work of academia and other essential organizations such as W3C and OMG. It provides a firm basis for a future where tools can share information more seamlessly, and where computer architecture can move towards the rigor we see already in the building industry. ADML is based on Acme, a software architecture description language developed at Carnegie Mellon University and the Information Sciences Institute at the University of Southern California.

ADML is part of a broader program of work being undertaken by The Open Group's Architecture Program. The goals of this program are to:

-- Define an industry standard Architecture Description Language for IT architecture tools, providing portability and interoperability of architecture definitions across different tools from different vendors, creating a viable market for open tools for IT architecture definition

-- Use this same language as the basis of a "Building Blocks Description Language", capable of defining open, re-usable architecture building blocks:
re-usable across customer IT architectures; fit for use in procurement (allowing real products to be conformance tested and procured to fulfil the defined functions), and catering for "fuzzy" definitions as well as tightly defined specification

-- Create an open repository in which to store such building block definitions (the "Building Blocks Information Base")

-- Develop testing and branding programs to verify conformance of vendor IT solutions to Building Block definitions

Status: Although we should be aware of the effort of The Open Group (TOGAF) and others in trying to develop a language so that artifacts can be shared amongst enterprise architecture tools, no one has of yet gotten very far. If you google ADML, a lot of the links date to the year 2000. We'll see what happens.