What is specified by an architecture viewpoint?

According to the ISO/IEC 42010 standard1, an architecture viewpoint is a specification of the conventions for constructing and using a view. A view is a representation of a whole system from the perspective of a related set of concerns. An architecture view on an Enterprise Architecture is a representation of a part or whole of an Enterprise Architecture from the perspective of one or more stakeholders and their concerns.

The ArchiMate language provides a flexible approach in which architects and other stakeholders can use their own views on the Enterprise Architecture. In this approach, architecture views are specified by architecture viewpoints. Architecture viewpoints define abstractions on the set of models representing the Enterprise Architecture, each aimed at a particular type of stakeholder and addressing a particular set of concerns2.