Glossary · System coordination, integration and orchestration
Physical architecture
Also known as: Physical system architecture
German: Physische Architektur
In systems engineering, the physical architecture is the arrangement of the physical elements of a system, such as hardware, software units, devices and their connections, that implements the functions defined in the functional or logical architecture.
- System integration
In one sentence
The physical architecture arranges the hardware, software units and connections of a system that implement its logical or functional architecture.
Example
The physical architecture of a packaging line shows the controllers, drives, I/O stations, HMI panels and network switches, and which functions run on which device.
How it applies
- Engineering: Functions and requirements are allocated to physical elements (Requirements allocation); each allocation defines interfaces between elements. In SysML, the physical architecture is typically modeled with block definition and internal block diagrams.
- Integration: The physical architecture is the basis for integration planning: which elements are integrated in which order, and which interfaces are tested at each step.
- Change: Replacing a physical element (a controller, a network) changes the physical architecture without necessarily changing the logical one; Impact analysis traces which functions are affected.
- Documentation: System overviews in manuals, network plans and wiring diagrams are views of the physical architecture. Keep them derived from the same model or source so they stay consistent.
Physical architecture vs. logical architecture
The logical (or functional) architecture describes what the system does and how functions relate, independent of technology. The physical architecture describes which concrete elements implement those functions. Keeping both makes it possible to change technology without redoing the functional design.