Application Architecture

I too have done this. What I did was create a 'Current acceptable technology catalog'  using [Architecture elements] groups by [Structural elements]. This allowed me to use the 'Generate model' option and reuse the elements over and over again.

My next issue is assigning specific attributes to both the [Architectural elements] and [Structural elements] so that the attribs are always the same for each, but the values are different.

Then I plan to version current and future views and hopefully perform a 'Model compare'.

Has anyone got a better idea?

It's similar in my cases. But I have to split this approach in two different views :

1. One to set the "Technical References" using a derived OT_APPL_SYS_TYPE Aris object (like your acceptable technology componant) in a huge symbol list (like Linux Debian 5 or MySQL 5.5 Enterprise for example).
2. One to design the IT environments related to infrastructure platforms (virtual or not) - see the symbols scheme in a french Aris 7.1 version.

I fell in this pitfall at first : trying to detail virtual nodes than physical or represent network firewalls or routing equipement. That's the details Evil and doesn't bring more than use farm or DMZ symbols to group objects.

Then, I'm able to do relationships between instancied infra objects and each acceptable technology.

It's sounds like being the better way to request the Aris database and find dependances or obsolete technologies occurences, for example.

Hope it's a good introduction. It's a very deep subject !