Custom C4 MDG Technology

Custom C4 MDG Technology

Availability

Sparx Systems provides MDG Technology support and an MDG Technology catalog, but a confirmed official, ready-made C4 MDG Technology was not identified in the available authoritative results. The practical option is to build or commission a custom C4 MDG Technology.

Links

• Sparx MDG Technologies: https://sparxsystems.com/resources/mdg_tech/
• EA MDG Technologies documentation: https://sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/17.0/modeling_frameworks/mdgtechnologies.html
• C4 model reference: https://c4model.com/

Instructions

1. Define the C4 metamodel and allowed relationships.
2. Create stereotypes for Person, Software System, Container, Component, Code, and external systems.
3. Extend appropriate UML metaclasses.
4. Add tagged values such as technology, description, owner, external, and c4Level.
5. Create toolbox pages and diagram patterns for Context, Container, Component, and Code views.
6. Define shapes, colors, icons, and relationship labels.
7. Package the profile, toolboxes, patterns, and scripts as an MDG Technology.
8. Test installation, model exchange, reporting, and upgrade behavior.
9. Version the technology and publish release notes to modelers.

Example stereotypes

<<c4-person>> Customer

<<c4-system>> Order Management System

<<c4-container>> Orders API

<<c4-component>> Pricing Service

<<c4-code>> OrderController

Advantages

• Closest EA-native implementation of C4.
• Consistent semantics, appearance, toolboxes, and metadata.
• Enables reports, searches, validation, and reusable diagram patterns.
• Can be tailored to organization-specific governance.

Disadvantages

• Requires EA profile/MDG expertise.
• Ongoing maintenance and regression testing are necessary.
• Custom technologies may reduce portability.
• Not the same as installing an official Sparx C4 plug-in; ownership remains with the organization or supplier.

Recommendation

Prototype the vocabulary as a UML Profile first. Promote it to an MDG Technology only after the stereotypes, relationships, tagged values, and diagram patterns have been validated with real projects.