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Good e-Learning 2015. ArchiMate, The Open Group and TOGAF are registered trademarks of the Open Group in the United States and other countriesSource: The eight fundamental factors in EA Information First, Roger & Elaine Evernden, Butterworth Heinemann, 2003

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TOGAF Poster Series #48

by Roger Evernden

TOGAF and Other Architecture Frameworks

TOGAF is intended for use with any other architecture framework, and its documentation repeatedly states that TOGAF should be customized to meet organization-specific needs. But pre-defined architecture

frameworks like TOGAF are not designed in a way that makes it easy to reconfigure their content to your specific needs! How do you combine elements from two or more frameworks? Our poster explains!

EA is a complex subject. A framework is a thinking & management tool, used to make sense of this complexity & manage changes to architectures. TOGAF itself is really a framework of frameworks rather than a single framework. This is because it is impossible to visualize the complexity of EA in a single diagram or framework there would be too many dimensions or factors to consider them all at the same time!

Lets look at one factor: Categories. TOGAF has four high-level domains (business, data, application & technology), which are further divided into topics such as Motivation, Function, & Platform Services. This can be found in the Content Framework and metamodel. Similar subject areas or categories can be found in the Zachman Framework. We then deconstruct them into a combined set of categories.

We now have a common hierarchical checklist of all domains and sub-domains in scope. This standard list can then be used to create tailored architecture frameworks for our specific needs. Categories are also easily be combined with other factors to create other frameworks.

Organisation Motivation Capability Responsibility Location

Business Distribution Function Process

Data Application Technology

Technology Components Platform Services

Combining TOGAF with other architecture frameworks is like comparing apples with oranges it is hard to see the similarities, overlaps or differences. We need a common set of fundamental factors a meta-framework that makes it easy to deconstruct pre-defined frameworks (such as TOGAF or Zachman) and combine the elements that we need to create a set of multiple integrated architecture frameworks (MIAF) that are designed to work together.

An architecture framework establishes a common practice for using, creating, interpreting, and analyzing architecture descriptions within a particular domain of application or stakeholder community. ISO/IEC/IEEE 42010 formalizes a framework as a set of predefined, interconnected viewpoints.

[Source: ISO/IEC/IEEE 42010 standard]

But pre-defined frameworks like TOGAF, the Zachman Framework, Information FrameWork (IFW), or the Department of Defence Architecture Framework (DoDAF) are all very different! We need a simple way to identify the factors we need from each framework, & then combine them to create several relevant checklists or frameworks.

CATEGORIES(subject areas)

TOGAF & otherArchitecture Frameworks

Meta-framework of fundamental factors in EA

Multiple Integrated Architecture Frameworks tailored to needs

GOVERNANCE FW.PROCESS

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KNOWLEDGE

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META LEVELS UNDERSTANDING