Enterprise Architecture Framework
By: Cognizant Softvision
Tags: Full Stack, Enterprise Architecture, Digital Enterprise

Enterprise Architecture Blueprint Techniques

By Bhanu Sireesha Gunda, Senior Associate in the Full Stack Digital Community, Cognizant Softvision

An Enterprise architecture (EA) is a conceptual blueprint that defines the structure and operation of an organization. The intent of an enterprise architecture is to determine how an organization can most effectively achieve its current and future objectives.

Enterprise Architecture Blueprint

The enterprise architecture blueprint comprises Business Processes, Strategy, Technology Architecture, Application Architecture, Information Architecture, Data Architecture, Security and Quality. It defines the structure of components, their inter-relationships, the principles and guidelines governing their design and evolution over time.

The importance and purpose of Enterprise Architecture

Enterprise architecture defines the organization authorization, risk limitation, business planning, budgeting, development, planning, requirements, project management, systems development, and procurement. It also impacts IT architecture of the systems developed for the organization.

The process to define Enterprise Architecture: The process of translating business strategy and vision into effective structural change by creating, communicating, and improving key requirements, principles and models that describe the future state of the organization and enable its evolution.

The critical tools for efficient Enterprise Architecture

Enterprise Architecture Principles Enterprise Architecture Patterns Enterprise Architecture Frameworks

Enterprise Architecture Principles

Enterprise architecture principles are a set of guidelines to be applied to increase the consistency and quality of technology decision making. They describe the big picture of the enterprise within the context of its technology intent and impact on the institution.

The Enterprise Principles depend on:

Enterprise mission and plans

Enterprise strategic initiatives

External constraints

Current systems and technology

Emerging industry trends

Different categories of Enterprise Architecture Principles:

Business Principles

Data Principles

Application Principles

Technology Principles

Enterprise Architecture Business Principles

Principle 1: Primacy of Principles

Principle 2: Maximize Benefit to the Enterprise

Principle 3: Information Management is Everybody’s Business

Principle 4: Business Continuity

Principle 5: Common Use Applications

Principle 6: Service Orientation

Principle 7: Compliance with Law

Principle 8: IT Responsibility

Principle 9: Protection of Intellectual Property

Enterprise Architecture Data Principles

Principle 10: Data is an Asset

Principle 11: Data is Shared

Principle 12: Data is Accessible

Principle 13: Data Trustee

Principle 14: Common Vocabulary and Data Definitions

Principle 15: Data Security

Enterprise Architecture Application Principles

Principle 16: Technology Independence

Principle 17: Ease-of-Use

Enterprise Architecture Technology Principles

Principle 18: Requirements-Based Change

Principle 19: Responsive Change Management

Principle 20: Control Technical Diversity

Principle 21: Interoperability

Enterprise Architecture Patterns

An Architecture Pattern expresses a fundamental structural organization or schema for Software systems.

Commonly Used Enterprise Architecture Patterns

Hexagonal Architecture

Three-tier

Multilayered architecture

Model-view-controller

Domain Driven Design

Service Oriented Architecture

Layered pattern

Client-server pattern

Master-slave pattern

Pipe-filter pattern

Broker pattern

Peer-to-peer pattern

Event-bus pattern

Model-view-controller pattern

Blackboard pattern

Interpreter pattern

Data or Integration Patterns

ETL (Extract Transfer and Load)

MFT (Managed File Transfer)

EAI/ESB (Enterprise Application Interface or Enterprise Service Bus)

Enterprise Architecture Frameworks

An enterprise architecture framework (EA framework) defines how to create and use an enterprise architecture.

Different categories of Enterprise Architecture Framework

Business Capability Management determines what business capabilities are required, to deliver business value including the definition of return on investment and the requisite Control/performance measures.

Project/Portfolio Management methods determine how a company manages its change initiatives.

Operations Management methods describe how a company runs it’s day-to-day operations, including IT.

Solution Development Methods formalize the way that business systems are delivered in accordance with the structures developed in the IT architecture.

The enterprise architecture is very critical and impacts the organization capabilities. It should always be designed by understanding the current organization process with complete clarity and from a very high, bird’s-eye view, and also by foreseeing the future organization requirements and capabilities.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_architecture

https://www.gartner.com/it-glossary/enterprise-architecture-ea/

https://bit.ly/2Svp0nN

https://medium.com/@pedrorobledobpm/any-business-innovation-and-transformation-requieres-an-enterprise-architecture-d3fe3d4edf7b

https://pubs.opengroup.org/architecture/togaf9-doc/arch/chap04.html