Enterprise Architecture

Enterprise Architecture (EA) can be defined as an abstraction of an Enterprise, namely its elements of various types and their interrelationships.

Enterprise Architecture (EA) can be divided into two separate but interdependent domains
• Enterprise Business Architecture (EBA)
• Enterprise IT Architectures

Business Architecture defines the business strategy, governance, organizational structures and business processes.

According to Ralph Whittle and Conrad Myrick, authors of “EBA: The Formal link between Strategy and Results (CRC Press, 2004)”, “The EBA defines the formal link between the enterprise business strategy and the results predicted from supporting strategic initiatives. The EBA provides a single source and comprehensive repository of knowledge from which corporate initiatives will evolve and link. The EBA also provides integration capabilities for software development, packaged software configuration, and process improvement initiatives”

Corporate Strategy drives EBA. EBA is normally comprised of Business Architectures representing initiatives by different corporate units of an organization.

Business Architecture consists of three distinct architectures in this order: Enterprise Functional Architecture, Enterprise Information Architecture and Business Process Architecture. However, no formal methodology or framework exists to develop Business Architecture at this time. Considerable research is being conducted both by individuals and some organizations most notably OMG (Object Management Group).

Enterprise IT Architectures consists of:
• Enterprise IT Application Architecture
• Enterprise IT Data Architecture
• Enterprise IT Technology Architecture (Security, Information and Infrastructure)

Different frameworks exist to define, develop and maintain Enterprise Architecture and its governance. Zachman is the first one. Others include FEA (Federal Enterprise Architecture), Gartner, ToGAF, and DoDAF

Those elements of Business Architecture which needs to be realized by IT Solutions (Applications, Data etc) become part of Enterprise IT Architecture.

Software Architecture consists of different components, or views, of a system’s architecture. There are many different patterns to develop and present software architecture. Phillip Kruchten presented a powerful pattern in Architecture called 4+1 view of Software Architecture. He added this view in Rational Unified Process (RUP). 4+1 view consists of:
• Use Case View (Central View linked to all other views)
• Implementation View
• Process View
• Logical View
• Deployment View

4+1 view can be used to represent architectures of both J2EE and .NET based applications and systems. It is suggested to use this, or any other, architectural pattern following a proper SDLC methodology.

Badar Munir

Managing Principal/Chief Architect, i3 Technologies

http://www.linkedin.com/in/badarm