Enterprise Architecture framework
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An Enterprise Architecture Framework (or Architecture Framework for short) defines how to organize the structure and views associated with an Enterprise Architecture. Because the discipline of Enterprise Architecture is so broad, and because the enterprises it describes tend to be large and complex, the models associated with the discipline also tend to be large and complex. To manage this scale and complexity, an Architecture Framework defines complementary projections of the enterprise model called Views, where each View is meaningful to different system stakeholders.
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[edit] Usage
Architecture Frameworks are commonly used in IT/IS governance. An organization may wish to mandate that certain models be produced before a system design can be approved. Similarly, they may wish to specify certain views be used in the documentation of procured systems - the U.S. Department of Defense stipulates that specific DoDAF views be provided by equipment suppliers for capital project above a certain value.
In recent years, it has become apparent that a key benefit to be gained from Enterprise architecture is the ability to support decision making in changing businesses. Because Enterprise Architecture brings together business models (e.g. process models, organizational charts, etc.) and technical models (e.g. systems architectures, data models, state diagrams, etc.) it is possible to trace the impact of organizational change on the systems, and also the business impact of changes to the systems. The views-based approach of most Architecture Frameworks can provide decision support to a certain degree - i.e. the decision maker can look to the models and work out where the critical dependencies are. However, in more complex scenarios with large enterprise models, and numerous variables and dependencies, the granularity of a views-based approach is not sufficiently fine. Many of the more recent Architecture Frameworks such as DoDAF, MODAF, or AGATE are underpinned by a standard meta model which defines the critical architectural elements and the dependencies between them. Applications based on these models can then query the underlying architectural information.
[edit] Examples
- Foundational Research
- Zachman Framework - The most widely used architecture framework, based on the work of John Zachman at IBM in the 1980s.
- PRISM Architecture Framework - The first enterprise architecture framework, first published in the 1986 PRISM report titled “Dispersion and Interconnection: Approaches to Distributed Systems Architecture”. The PRISM ("Partnership for Research in Information Systems Management") report was authored by Michael Hammer, James Champy and Dave Davenport.
- Commercial frameworks
- TOGAF - The Open Group Architecture Framework, which also defines a method.
- IAF - Integrated Architecture Framework, from Capgemini company
- Defense industry frameworks
- Government frameworks
- Government Enterprise Architecture, or GEA, which is a common framework legislated for use by departments of the Queensland Government.
- Federal Enterprise Architecture, or FEA, is the framework produced by the Office of Management and Budget for use within the U.S. Government.
- International standard frameworks
- RM-ODP -- The Reference Model of Open Distributed Processing (ITU-T Rec. X.901-X.904 | ISO/IEC 10746) defines an enterprise architecture framework for structuring the specifications of open distributed systems.
[edit] See also
- Enterprise Architecture
- Business architecture
- Information architecture
- Software architecture
- Technical architecture
[edit] External links
- Architecture Framework Forum Information resource dedicated to leading enterprise architecture frameworks, including DoDAF, MODAF, TOGAF, and Zachman Framework.
