Introduction
Enterprise Classification Framework is an extremely powerful tool to classify your enterprise architecture. In Issue #24 of the MDA Radar, we introduced Harmony, an enterprise classification framework that helps mandate the capability to accumulate enterprise best practice standards. In subsequent issues of the MDA Radar, we unravelled the 64 most powerful chambers of Harmony. This week we will focus on the harmonization capability of the framework with special attention on how these powerful 64 cells can provide you WYGIWUW (What You Get Is What You Want).
Harmony with TOGAF 8.1
The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) comprises a detailed method and a set of supporting tools for developing enterprise architecture. It can be used by any organisation wanting to develop enterprise architecture for exclusive use within that organisation (see Conditions of Use). The members of the Open Group, working within the Architecture Forum, developed TOGAF.
TOGAF, in its Enterprise Edition, remains what it has always been, namely an architecture framework—a set of methods and tools for developing a broad range of different IT architectures. It enables IT users to design, evaluate, and build the right architecture for their organisation, and reduces the costs of planning, designing, and implementing architectures based on open system solutions.
The key to TOGAF is the TOGAF Architecture Development Method (ADM), a reliable and practical method to define business needs. One can develop the perfect architecture to meet business needs by utilising the elements of TOGAF and other architectural assets available to the organisation.
The following diagram shows how Harmony Classification Framework can help you to populate TOGAF ADM Architecture Development Cycle.
Figure 1: Harmony with TOGAF 8.1 ADM
Harmony with RM-ODP (10746)
RM-ODP provides a framework for the specification of Open Distributed Processing Systems. It uses an object modeling approach to describe distributed systems and defines eight types of transparencies: access transparency, location transparency, relocation transparency, migration transparency, persistence transparency, failure transparency, replication transparency, and transaction transparency.
RM-ODP also describes five important viewpoints:
- The enterprise viewpoint
- The information viewpoint
- The computational viewpoint
- The engineering viewpoint
- The technology viewpoint.
RM-ODP emphasises transparent interactive open distributed systems. Figure. 2 illustrates how we can harmonise with RM-ODP
Figure 2: Harmony with RM-ODP
Harmony with Model Driven Architecture (MDA)
Transformation of enterprise vision, views and viewpoints into appropriate models has been a fundamental challenge for architects, since the inception of the software industry. UML techniques can be used to design Use-Cases to capture the enterprise requirements, model components, modules, systems and their interactions. But, it does not offer reusability of designed models and interoperability between different heterogeneous models. The Object Management Group (OMG) has overcome these limitations through a standard modelling specification called Model-Driven Architecture. It provides appropriate modelling techniques to model different enterprise domains, transformational techniques to transform one type of model to another, and mapping techniques to generate implementation code.
Figure 3: Harmony with MDA
Harmony with IEEE 1471-2000 Architecture Definition
The term ‘architecture’ is used in a variety of contexts, and so, should be expressed and facilitated in a specific way. IEEE Standard 1471-2000 serves the purpose of establishing a foundation by standardising architectural elements and describing the architecture of software systems. Following is a modified version of IEEE 1471-2000 architectural description, recommended by Harmony Classification Framework, in the enterprise context:
Figure 4: Conceptual model of enterprise architecture environment. Modified form of ANSI/IEEE Std 1471-2000 [IEEE 1471-2000] defined architecture diagram
This modified conceptual model of enterprise architectural description powers the Harmony Framework and strongly influences the creation of a unified enterprise architectural description.
Figure 5: Harmony with IEEE 1471-2000
Harmony with ISO 9126 Quality of Service attributes
Non-functional requirements are the keys of harmonisation as they help qualify and quantify the enterprise architectural aspects.
Figure 6: Harmony with ISO 9126
References
[TOGAF] TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework) Version 8.1 "Enterprise Edition". Available at http://www.opengroup.org
[IEEE] IEEE Recommended Practice for Architectural Description of Software- Intensive systems. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Std 1471-2000
[ISO 9126] Software Quality: The Elusive Target by Barbara Kitchenham and Shari Lawrence Pfleeger, The Software, IEEE, January 1996 (Vol. 13, No. 1) pp. 12-21
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