Artifact: UML is a modeling language for visualising, specifying, constructing and documenting the artifacts of software systems.

An artifact provides a link to another diagram or document. You can create it by dragging a file from Solution Explorer. It can be linked with a Dependency to any other element on the diagram. An artifact is typically used to link a use case to a sequence diagram, OneNote page, Word document or PowerPoint presentation that describes it in detail. The document can either be an item in the Visual Studio solution, or a document in a shared location such as a SharePoint site. Hyperlink. The URL or file path of the diagram or document.

Double-click an artifact to open the file or web page to which it links. Deployment diagrams, which you typically prepare during the implementation phase of development, show the physical arrangement of the nodes in a distributed system, the artifacts that are stored on each node, and the components and other elements that the artifacts implement. Nodes represent hardware devices such as computers, sensors, and printers, as well as other devices that support the runtime environment of a system. Communication paths and deploy relationships model the connections in the system. Artifacts In UML models, artifacts are model elements that represent the physical entities in a software system. Artifacts represent physical implementation units, such as executable files, libraries, software components, documents, and databases. Artifact instances In UML modeling, an artifact instance is a model element that represents an instantiation, or actual occurrence, of an artifact. Deployment specifications A deployment specification is essentially a configuration file, such as an XML document or a text file, that defines how an artifact is deployed on a node. Deployment diagram shows execution architecture of systems that represent the assignment (deployment) of software artifacts to deployment targets (usually nodes). Nodes represent either hardware devices or software execution environments. They could be connected through communication paths to create network systems of arbitrary complexity. Artifacts represent concrete elements in the physical world that are the result of a development process and are deployed on nodes. Note, that components were directly deployed to nodes in UML 1.x deployment diagrams. In UML 2.x artifacts are deployed to nodes, and artifacts could manifest (implement) components. So components are now deployed to nodes indirectly through artifacts. ================================================

Frameworks & Patterns:

frameworks are reusable designs of all or part of a software system described by a set of abstract classes and the way instances of those classes collaborate

patterns are common designs that have repeating themes

UML 2.4 definition of Artifact

Note, that in UML 2.4 artifact is also a subclass of deployed artifact. It is a weird, upside down relationship, which is most likely a mistake. Deployed artifact is described by UML 2.4 as an artifact or artifact instance that has been deployed to a deployment target. Common sense assumes that deployed artifact should be a subclass of artifact and it should be allowed for some artifacts not to be deployed. =================================== http://www.uml-diagrams.org/deployment-diagrams.html =================================