Enterprise Architecture

 An Enterprise is any organization, company, a charity, a government department or agency

working achieve a particular goal
 A collaborative organization of sub-organizations with a shared set of objectives

Architecture

 The complex and carefully designed structure any anything is called architecture
 A description of structure (components) and behavior (processes) of a system
 Activity required to produce such a structure is Architecure

Enterprise Architecture

 A documentation describing the structure (components) and behavior (processes) of an

enterprise ( including its Information System)
 A process of describing the structure (components) and behavior (processes) of an enterprise
(including its Information System) and governing changes to improve the flexibility and integrity
of the enterprise

An enterprise architect is someone who is responsible for making sure that a company's business
strategy uses proper technology systems architecture to achieve its goals. Enterprise architects have an
enormous degree of responsibility, and typically report directly to the chief information officer (CIO).

The goal of enterprise architecture is to create a unified IT environment (standardized hardware and
software systems) across the firm or all of the firm's business units, More specifically, the goals are to

 promote alignment
 Standardization
 reuse of existing IT assets
 the sharing of common methods for project management and software development across the
organization.
 the end result, is that the enterprise architecture will make IT cheaper, more strategic, and more
responsive.

Domains of Enterprise Architecture

The purpose of enterprise architecture is to create a map of IT assets and business processes and a set
of governance principles that drive an ongoing discussion about business strategy and how it can be
expressed through IT. There are many different suggested frameworks to develop an enterprise
architecture, as discussed later on. However, most frameworks contain four basic domains, as follows:
Business architecture:

Business Architecture models the business enterprise using logical service units (business processes) and
the events that trigger them to represent the re-architected approach to satisfying
customer requirements. It attempts to show how business is to be done.

Information Architecture identifies

Information Architecture identifies where important blocks of information, such as a customer record,
are kept and how one typically accesses them; An Information Architecture enables the enterprise to
develop a common, shared, distributed, accurate, and consistent data resource

Application system architecture

Application Architecture links the data and business architecture to reflect applications. It supports the
work activities of the business processes, and provides automated procedures. Application Architecture
manages information storage and retrieval in support of the enterprise objectives. It addresses location
considerations and how information is utilized.

The infrastructure technology architecture:

Technology Architecture links up with the Application, Business, and Data Architectures to provide
interoperable technology platforms that meet the needs of the various user roles (Actors) at identified
work locations.

Enterprise Architecture – What’s in it for Senior Business Management?

Enterprise Architecture provides senior management the basis for obtaining consistent, higher quality
answers from both detailed operational data and from informational data processed to answer
their specific business analysis questions. An architectural approach allows consistent, higher quality
control of the various business processes and their underlying business rules.

Enterprise Architecture- What’s in it for IT Project Leadership?

EA facilitates the ability to move to new and improved methods and tools, for example, Object
Orientation, Rapid Application Development, and the Data Warehouse.

EA normally includes Packaged Application Software Assessment, for example, when to use the SAP
products, as is, or with customization. Project Leaders in EA-influenced shops can gain greater
confidence in Information Management Project results because of the completeness of the user
requirements specifications. All requirement elements will have been accounted for. Business Decisions
and Business Rules are defined relating all development objects and the best source of requirements
and data are utilized. The best source of information about data availability is determined and
documented in an Information Meta data Repository. An EA architectural approach contains:

 A methodology for setting priorities, ensuring that all components and component relationships
are well defined.
 A method for determining the impact of an Information Management system change request.

Enterprise Architecture -What’s in it for Actual Developers?

Developers will gain an increased confidence of success in their work. EA provides a ready source of user
based requirements documentation, that will facilitate understanding of the actual user’s
requirements. Developers will be able to do things “Quick but less dirty”. They can achieve increased
productivity without sacrificing creativity by using better tools, more standard methods, and
more useful meta data. A well-measured approach provides metrics for recognizing and rewarding
success. Developers will gain satisfaction from “doing things right.” EA facilitates the definition,
development, and management of Reusable Components that tend to eliminate development of the
tedious and allow concentration on the interesting and creative.

Enterprise Architecture Framework (EA framework)

An enterprise architecture framework (EA framework) defines how to create and use an enterprise
architecture. An architecture framework provides principles and practices for creating and using the
architecture description of a system. It structures architects' thinking by dividing the architecture
description into domains, layers, or views, and offers models - typically matrices and diagrams - for
documenting each view. This allows for making systemic design decisions on all the components of the
system and making long-term decisions around new design requirements, sustainability, and support.

According to CompTIA, these are the four leading Enterprise Architect Planning (EAP) methodologies:

The Open Group Architectural Framework (TOGAF)

TOGAF provides principles for designing, planning, implementing and governing enterprise IT
architecture. The TOGAF framework helps businesses create a standardized approach to EA with a
common vocabulary, recommended standards, compliance methods, suggested tools and software and
a method to define best practices. The TOGAF framework is widely popular as an enterprise architect
framework, and according to The Open Group it’s been adopted by more than 80 percent of the world’s
leading enterprises.

The Zachman Framework for Enterprise Architecture: The Zachman framework is named after one of
the original founders of enterprise architecture and it’s another popular EA methodology. It’s better
understood as a “taxonomy,” according to CompTIA, and it spans six architectural focal points and six
primary stakeholders to help standardize and define the IT architecture components and outputs.

Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF): FEAF was introduced in 1996 as a response to the
Clinger-Cohen act, which introduced mandates for IT effectiveness in federal agencies. It’s designed for
the U.S. government, but it can also be applied to private companies that want to use the framework.
 Gartner: After acquiring The Meta Group in 2005, Gartner established best practices for EAP and
adapted them into the company’s general consulting practices. While it’s not an individual framework,
CompTIA recognizes it as a “practical” methodology that focuses on business outcomes with “few
explicit steps or components.”

Enterprise architecture tools and software

Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint are the two most basic tools you’ll use for enterprise
architectural planning. However, there are other third-party tools and software suites
that will help you create advanced EA strategies for your business.
According to data from Gartner Peer Insights, here are some of the popular options
currently on the market:

 Orbus Software
 Sparx Systems
 Software AG
 Avolution
 Mega
 Erwin
 BiZZdesign
 Planview
 SAP
 BOC Group

https://www.visual-paradigm.com/guide/togaf/what-is-togaf/
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