Caro has conducted Enterprise Architecture assignments for several of its major clients. Utilizing significant EA frameworks such as TOGAF and the Zachman Framework our highly experienced consultants have delivered accurate, meaningful and pragmatic architectures for various government and private corporations.
As the EA framework of choice, and one in use at most major corporations that develop Enterprise Architectures is TOGAF™ The Open Group Architecture Framework. TOGAF is a generic framework and intended to be used in a wide variety of environments; it fully supports SOA and provides a flexible and extensible content framework that underpins a set of generic architecture deliverables.
TOGAF recognizes five architecture domains as subsets of enterprise architecture:
Business Architecture,
Data Architecture,
Application Architecture,
Technology and
Security Architecture.
The TOGAF Architecture Development Method (ADM) is used for developing the architectures. The ADM includes:
establishing an architecture framework,
developing architecture content,
transitioning and governing the realization of architectures.
The ADM transitions iteratively through a recommended sequence of multiple phases:
The Preliminary Phase,
Architecture Vision,
Business Architecture,
Information Systems (Data and Applications) Architecture,
Technology Architecture,
Opportunities and Solutions,
Migration Planning,
Implementation Governance,
Architecture Change Management, and
Architecture Requirements Management.
The TOGAF ADM defines a recommended sequence for the various phases and steps involved in developing an architecture, but it cannot recommend a scope - this has to be determined by the organization itself, bearing in mind that the recommended sequence of development in the ADM process is an iterative one, with the depth and breadth of scope and deliverables increasing with each iteration.
The choice of scope is critical to the success of the architecting effort. The key factor is the sheer complexity of complete, horizontally and vertically integrated enterprise architecture, as represented by a fully populated instantiation of the Zachman Framework. Very few enterprise architecture developments today actually undertake such an effort in a single development project, simply because it is widely recognized to be at the limits of the state of the art, a fact that John Zachman himself recognizes:
"Some day, you are going to wish you had all these models ... However, I am not so altruistic to think that we have to have them all today ... or even that we understand how to build and manage them all today. But the very fact that we can identify conceptually where we want to get some day, makes us think more about what we are doing in the current timeframe that might prevent us from getting to where we want to go in the future." (Quote from email correspondence from John Zachman to George Brundage.)
John Zachman himself likes to point out the alternatives available to those who can't countenance the amount of work implied in developing all the models required in his framework.
There are only three choices:
Trial and error ("knocking down the walls")
Starting from new
Reverse engineering the architecture from the existing systems
All of which are risky and/or hugely expensive. What is necessary due to the pace of change is to have a set of readily deployable artifacts and a process for assembling them swiftly.
While such a complete framework is useful (indeed, essential) to have in mind as the ultimate long-term goal, in practice there is a key decision to be made as to the scope of a specific enterprise architecture effort. This being the case, it is vital to understand the basis on which scoping decisions are being made, and to set expectations right for what is the goal of the effort.
The main guideline is to focus on what creates value to the enterprise, and to select horizontal and vertical scope, and time periods, accordingly. Whether or not this is the first time around, understand that this exercise will be repeated, and that future iterations will build on what is being created in the current effort, adding greater width and depth.1
More information on TOGAF can be found at: www.opengroup.org
Why Work with Caro?
Caro has some of the most experienced architects and systems developers in leadership roles in its organization. Very successful software experts who have been involved with many organizations and vertical industries, experts in reuse derived from solid architectures at all scales. We are certified RUP consultants who believe in not only constructing the relevant architectures but seeing them proven and implemented with our clients.