This document provides an overview of GraphQL basics and how to use it with LeanIX. It describes GraphQL as a query language for APIs that allows clients to request specific data fields and relationships from an application's data model in a single request. The document demonstrates how to access the integrated GraphQL IDE from a LeanIX workspace and compile queries step-by-step using autocomplete and documentation. It shows how GraphQL enables more efficient and flexible data retrieval compared to REST APIs.

1. GRAPHQL BASICS
LeanIX,
2017

2. What
you
will
learn
2
• What
is
GraphQL,
and
why
do
we
trust
in
it
• How
to
use
it
directly
from
your
workspace
• How
to
execute
the
most
popular
queries
and
mutations
• Where
to
learn
more

3. Motivation:
The
way
to
embed
LeanIX
is
evolving
(1/3)
-­‐
Single
Source
Of
Truth
3
Data
input
!
"
Upload
Web
UI
Survey
Data
usage
Download
Web
UI
Mobile
App
Single
source
of
truth

4. Motivation:
The
way
to
embed
LeanIX
is
evolving
(2/3)
-­‐
Out-­‐of-­‐the-­‐box
Integrations
4
Data
input
!
"
Upload
Web
UI
Survey
Data
usage
Download
Web
UI
Mobile
App
ITSM
BPM
Vendor
Lifecycles
Metrics
BPM
ITSM
Single
source
of
truth
Out-­‐of-­‐
the-­‐box
inte-­‐
grations

5. Motivation:
The
way
to
embed
LeanIX
is
evolving
(3/3)
-­‐
Integrated
Information
Hub
5
Data
input
"
Upload
Web
UI
Survey
Data
usage
Download
Web
UI
Mobile
App
ITSM
BPM
Vendor
Lifecycles
Metrics
BPM
ITSM
Universe
of
modern
IT
management
tools
Universe
of
modern
reporting
solutions
Single
source
of
truth
Out-­‐of-­‐
the-­‐box
inte-­‐
grations
Integrated
information
hub
!

6. Three
reasons
to
learn
more
about
GraphQL
6
Create
custom
integrations
Create
custom
reports
Conduct
ad-­‐hoc
analyses
• For
Data
Input,
e.g.
to
your
BPM,
ITSM
or
monitoring
tool
• For
Data
Usage,
e.g.
to
your
Self-­‐Service
BI
tool
A
B
C
• Enhance
the
out-­‐of-­‐the-­‐box
LeanIX
reports
by
powerful,
individual
visualizations
based
on
libraries
like
d3.js
• Get
data
out
of
LeanIX
in
a
few
seconds
• Leverage
the
underlying
Graph
structure
to
conduct
complex
analyses

7. Six
selected
Case
Studies
7
Data
input Data
usage
# Pharma:
Upload
project
data
from
HP
PPM to
LeanIX
to
relate
architecture
planning
to
execution
$ Energy:
Integrate
ARIS
BPM
with
LeanIX
to
relate
application
to
business
processes
% Retail:
Upload
microservice
details
to
deploy
time
from
AWS
framework
into
LeanIX
# Pharma:
Make
LeanIX
data
available
to
everyone
with
Microsoft
Power
BI
& Telco:
Visualize
and
measure
the
effects
of
Application
Rationalization
via
custom
reports
' Banking:
Quantify
the
reduction
of
IT
complexity
via
ad-­‐hoc
GraphQL
analyses

8. What’s
wrong
with
REST
(1/2)
–
Performance
and
Usability
Limits
8
/applications /capabilities
GET GET
Display interactive reports very fast Many requests & unnecessary network load

9. 9
Interface
Application
Provider
IT
Component
Project
User
Group
Data
Object
Tech.
Stack
Business
Capability
Process
Allow full customization of data model Uncomfortable generic access to data
/factSheets
/factSheets/<ID>/attributes
GET
GET
/factSheets/<ID>/relationsGET
What’s
wrong
with
REST
(2/2)
–
Missing
Support
of
customizable
Data
Model

10. Solution:
Facebook’s
GraphQL – “SQL”
for
APIs
10
query
{
allBusinessCapabilities {
factSheets {
id
displayName
relToChild {factSheet{id}}
}
}
allApplications {
factSheets {
id
displayName
relToChild {factSheet{id}}
relApplToBusCapability {factSheet{id}}
}
}
}
• JSON-based query language to
request required data
• Graph-based access to EA data
• Strongly typed API for each
LeanIX workspace (full multi-
tenancy)
Example: One request to build report

11. Data-­‐driven:
Let
the
client
define
what
he
needs
11
LeanIX
Server
Client
/businessCapability/ID/services/ID
Application:
ID
Name
DisplayName
Lifecycle
Tags
Subscriptions
relApplicationToUserGroup
relApplicationToBusinessCapability
relApplicationToProcess
…
BusinessCapability:
ID
Name
DisplayName
Lifecycle
Tags
Subscriptions
relBusinessCapabilityToApplication
relBusinessCapabilityToProcess
…
LeanIX
Server
Client
/graphQL
Application:
Name
Lifecycle
relApplicationToBusinessCapability
BusinessCapability:
Name
REST
1 Reduced
Network
load
2 Increased
efficiency
for
Client
Developer
3 Increased
flexibility
on
Server-­‐side
Network
Key
benefits
of
GraphQL

12. Two
Basic
Concepts:
Query
and
Mutation
12
query
Retrieve
Fact
Sheet
data,
Subscriptions,
Tags,
….
mutation
Create,
Update
or
Delete
Fact
Sheets,
Subscriptions,
Tags,
…

13. Live
Demo
–
Start
with
GraphQL directly
from
your
workspace

14. Summary: How to use the integrated GraphQL IDE from
your LeanIX workspace
14
1
2
3
5
4
1
Access
GraphiQL from
the
admin
area
2
Use
auto-­‐completion
and
prettify
to
formulate
and
run
your
query
3
Optional:
Use
variables
to
better
structure
your
query
4
Access
the
results
directly,
iterate
until
you
have
got
all
data
you
need
5
Use
the
built-­‐in
reference
for
details

15. Now:
Compiling
a
query
step-­‐by-­‐step
(don’t
be
afraid
of
brackets!)
15

16. Compiling
a
query
step-­‐by-­‐step
16
Just
type
“{“
and
then
”<control>
+
<space>”,
and
the
IDE
shows
all
available
query
types

17. Compiling
a
query
step-­‐by-­‐step
17
Choose
the
query
type,
open
the
documentation
and
use
“<control>-­‐<space>”
again
to
get
auto-­‐complete
on
parameters
(just
emit
the
brackets
in
case
of
no
parameters)

18. Compiling
a
query
step-­‐by-­‐step
18
The
IDE
helps
you
to
select
the
right
parameter
(“<control>-­‐<space>”
again)

19. Compiling
a
query
step-­‐by-­‐step
19
Open
a
“{“
to
start
with
the
return
values.

20. Compiling
a
query
step-­‐by-­‐step
20
“{
edges
{
node
{”
is
used
for
a
list.
Autocomplete
and
Prettify
help
you
with
the
layout
and
brackets.

21. Compiling
a
query
step-­‐by-­‐step
21
Use
autocomplete
to
get
the
list
of
available
attributes
or
relation
(step
1
– common
attributes
/
relation
of
all
Fact
Sheets)

22. Compiling
a
query
step-­‐by-­‐step
22
Get
the
result
(use
“<control>-­‐<enter>”
as
shortcut)
Application
1
Application
2
Application
3
…

23. Compiling
a
query
step-­‐by-­‐step
23
Use
autocomplete
to
get
the
list
of
available
attributes
or
relation
(step
2
– use
”…
on
<Fact
Sheet
Name>
to
get
Fact
Sheet
specific
a
attributes
/
relation)

24. Compiling
a
query
step-­‐by-­‐step
24
Now get the extended results.

25. 25
Same
handling for relations
Compiling
a
query
step-­‐by-­‐step

26. 26
Again,
„{edges {node {“
represents a
list.
Note
that „id“
is the id of the
relation,
while „factSheet {id“
is the id of the related Fact
Sheet.
Compiling
a
query
step-­‐by-­‐step

27. 27
And voilà!
Compiling
a
query
step-­‐by-­‐step

28. 28
More
query
examples
(1/4):
Get
Fact
Sheets
by
Tag
Learn more about filters in
Part
2
of the Webinar
series.

29. 29
More
query
examples
(2/4):
Get
a
single
Fact
Sheet
with
subscriptions

30. 30
More
query
examples
(3/4):
Get
all
Tag
Groups

31. 31
More
query
examples
(4/4):
Get
all
Log
Events
for
a
certain
Fact
Sheet

32. 32
Mutations:
Getting
started
Type
„mutation”
plus
„<control>-­‐<space>“
to get
started.
Get a
list of all
mutations
directly in
your workspace

33. 33
Mutation
examples
(1/3):
Create
a
new
Fact
Sheet
Specify your return values.

34. 34
Mutation
examples
(2/3):
Update
an
existing
Fact
Sheet
Learn more about patches in
Part
2
of the Webinar
Series.
Learn more about revisions in
Part
2
of the Webinar
Series.
Use “validateOnly“
to test your
query before executing it.

35. 35
Mutation
examples
(3/3):
Create
relations
Learn more about patches in
Part
2
of the Webinar
Series.Use Query
Variables
to keep
your mutation structure more
clean.
Reference
Query
Variables
from within the
mutation.

36. Summary:
What
you’ve
learnt
and
where
to
learn
more
36
What
have
you
learnt?
Where
to
learn
more?
Webinar
Part
2
–
GraphQL Advanced
Webinar
Part
3
–
Custom
Reports
• What
is
GraphQL,
and
why
it
is
key
for
LeanIX
• How
to
compile
your
first
queries
and
mutations
just
from
within
LeanIX
A
B
C
D
• Check
https://dev.leanix.net or
https://graphql.org
• Reach
out
to
support@leanix.net for
feedback,
questions
and
ideas
• How
to
work
with
filters,
patches
and
revisions
• How
to
embed
GraphQL in
Python,
Java
and
other
languages
• Walk
through
a
concrete
integration
example
• Learn
how
to
upload
your
own
JavaScript
reports
based
on
GraphQL into
LeanIX

37. 37
“You
can’t
build
your
IT
architecture
today
with
yesterday’s
tools
and
stay
in
business
tomorrow”