System Initiative Docs

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Vocabulary ​

This is a reference to all of the vocabulary used in System Initiative.

Asset ​

Anything that can be used on the canvas.

Attribute Panel ​

The panel on the right side of the composition screen, which shows the attributes of the currently selected item.

Arity ​

The number of arguments taken by a function. Most frequently used to specify how many edges can connect to a socket (either "one" or "many".)

Change Set ​

Change Sets represent a batch of changes to the components, assets, functions, and actions in a workspace. When you want to propose a change in the real world, you first create a change set to do it. Nothing you do in a change set should alter the real world.

If you are familiar with version control systems like git, you can think of a change set as an automatically rebasing branch.

When a change set is merged to head, any other open change sets in the workspace are automatically rebased against HEAD - meaning the data within them will be updated to reflect the proposed changes to the model on HEAD.

Creating a Change Set ​

Creating a change set makes a new copy of the hypergraph based on the current data in HEAD. Learn how to create a change set in the Getting Started tutorial.

Applying a Change Set ​

When you apply a change set, all of the properties and code are merged to HEAD, and any actions enqueued. Learn how to apply a change set in the Getting Started tutorial.

Abandoning a Change Set ​

Abandoning a change set essentially deletes it, and all of its proposed changes, from the system.

Collaborator ​

A collaborator is a member of a workspace. A collaborator can makes changes to the model or assets within a change set but cannot apply those changes without approval. Learn more about the different roles a member can have in a workspace.

Component ​

A component is the 'theoretical' half of a Model. It represents the configuration values you want something to have, while the Resource represents its real world values.

Credential ​

A credential is a type of component that stores secret data and has authentication functions attached to it. They are used to provide access to cloud providers, etc.

Configuration Frame (down) ​

A "down" frame is one where the Output Sockets of the frame will automatically connect to any components placed within the frame.

Configuration Frame (up) ​

An "up" frame is one where the Output Sockets of the components within the frame will connect to the input sockets of the frame.

Edge ​

A representation of a relationship between one component's Output Socket and another component's input socket.

Entity ​

This word encapsulates relevant objects that can be mutated, used, or are actors in System Initiative. The Audit Trail dashboard makes use of this term to standardize all relevant objects seen in Audit Logs.

Entity Type ​

This is the type of an entity. A "Component" and a "Func" are entity types in System Initiative.

Entity name ​

This is the name of an entity. A "Component" could have the name "Server" and a Func could have the name "Validate Container Image".

HEAD is the change set that represents "the real world". It can only be altered by actions, refreshing resources, or applying change sets.

Hypergraph of functions ​

The hypergraph of functions, or hypergraph, is the data structure that powers System Initiative. It is a graph that represents all of the code, components, resources, and functions that are in a workspace. We call it a "hypergraph" because it is multi-dimensional through the use of change sets.

We know it's not an actual hypergraph. It's just less of a mouthful than 'multi-dimensional graph'.

Input Socket ​

A socket that feeds data into a component. Appears on the left side of components.

Living Architecture Diagram ​

The diagram you use to specify what components you need and what their relationships are.

Model ​

A Model ​

When we refer to "a model", we mean a single Component/Resource pair.

The Model ​

When we refer to "the model", we're talking about all of the assets, functions, components, resources, etc. that make up your hypergraph.

Output Socket ​

A socket that feeds data out of a component. Appears on the right side of components.

Qualification ​

Qualifications are functions that are executed to ensure that the component can be applied successfully to the workspace. An example is the qualification function that checks if the Secret you have passed into your AWS Credential component are valid.

Resource ​

A resource is the data about the real-world thing represented by a component.

Schema ​

Assets in System Initiative are defined by a Schema. Each version of the schema is referred to as a Schema Variant.

Secret ​

Secrets are encrypted data stored for a given type of credential. They are defined by a credential component.

View ​

Views are a uniquely named and organized collection of components built to create representations of infrastructure configurations that are semantically relevant to a given workflow or user.

Workspace ​

A workspace named space where all modelling and real world representations are stored which can be accessed by a group of users. Objects such as assets, functions, components, edges, resources, secrets, views, and change sets are found in a workspace.