Fundamentals Of Architecture Flashcards
What is Enterprise Architecture concerned with
Fundamental concepts or properties of a system in its environment embodied in its elements, relationships and in the principles of its design and evolution
What is Domain concerned with
Focused on more specific aspects of the enterprise, which are required to work together to achieve the aims of the enterprise
What is Solution Architecture concerned with
Focused on a specific business problem or opportunity within a specific system, which may include elements from multiple domains
What is at the highest level ?
Enterprise Architecture
What is Architectural Granularity ?
A conceptual model that represented the different levels of architecture within an enterprise; An enterprise is composed of a number of solutions that address specific areas of the business
Solution Architecture overlaps with what domains ?
Business, Data and Applications
What is Application Architecture concerned with ?
The Human and System Interfaces for software
What is Data Architecture concerned with ?
The design of data and information structures that are managed by a software
What is Infrastructure Architecture concerned with ?
System software and hardware that enables the software to function and communicate
What is Business Architecture about ?
Analysing the business and making changes to bring about a targeted and sustainable improvement
What are the subdomains of enterprise architecture ?
Business
Data
Applications
Infrastructure
Software
Security
Solutions
What are the three levels of a business system ?
IT System, Information System, Business System
What is the difference between Enterprise and Solution Architecture ?
Enterprise architecture ensures that the IT strategy is in line with the goals of the organisation, whereas solution architecture focuses on designing a solutions for particular business issue
Yes or No: Each subdomain must align its activities with the broader goals and structures of the enterprise architecture ?
Yes
What are the interrelationships between each sub-domain and its levels ?
Alignment with Enterprise Architecture: Each subdomain must align its activities with the broader goals and structures of the enterprise architecture. New solutions need to fit within the existing architectural framework, and any conflicts or duplication must be addressed to avoid future problem
Consultative Role: Subdomains contribute to solution design in a consultative capacity. For example:
Data/Information Architecture: Advises on the design of data structures within a solution.
-Applications Architecture: Consults on whether existing applications can satisfy new solution requirements.
Governance Role: All subdomains participate in the governance process, ensuring that solution designs adhere to business case options and contribute positively during the implementation and deployment stages
Upholding Directives: Subdomains work together to uphold and enhance the enterprise’s directives, ensuring that all architectural activities support the organization’s strategic direction.
- Consistency and Consolidation: There is a collective effort to improve the consistency of design across all subdomains and to take advantage of opportunities for consolidation where possible.
- Avoiding Conflicts and Duplication: It is imperative that solutions developed do not conflict with other change initiatives and that there is no unnecessary duplication of work between the solution architecture and enterprise architecture efforts
- Mitigation of Side Effects: The subdomains collaborate to ensure that solutions do not cause unintended side effects or, if they do, that such effects are properly mitigated.
- Stakeholder Involvement: Stakeholders from enterprise and subdomain architectures are involved in the design process, requiring processes that accommodate their concerns about the solution architecture and the designs produced.
In essence, the interactions between subdomains are centered around collaboration, consultation, and governance to ensure that the architecture supports the organization’s objectives effectively and efficiently.
Enterprise Architecture is:
Is the overarching structure that encompasses all IT and business architectures within an organization.
Contains high-level directives such as principles, policies, and business rules that must be universally applied within the enterprise.
May include various subdomains such as business architecture, data/information architecture, applications architecture, and infrastructure/technology architecture.
Is responsible for steering the organization in the strategic direction and ensuring consistency and a complete understanding to aid decision-making.
Domain Architecture is:
Refers to the specific architectures within enterprise architecture, like business, data, applications, infrastructure, and security architectures.
These architectures are more specialized and detail-oriented compared to the general directives of enterprise architecture.
They apply across the entire enterprise and define specific aspects such as data structures for customers or business processes.
Solution Architecture is:
Deals with designing solutions to business problems, taking a holistic approach that covers not just IT systems but also people, organizational structures, processes, information (POPIT).
Focuses on satisfying business requirements and how these can be logically achieved, hence it often overlaps with the business, data, and applications domains of enterprise architecture.
Part of the solution architecture may involve software components, and there is an architectural discipline for these called software architecture, which deals with the physical aspects like interfaces, data structures, and system infrastructure.
Explain the purpose and role of standards and frameworks in architecture:
Captures Best Practice: Frameworks incorporate best practices that can be adapted to fit the structure and culture of an organization, making these practices widespread within the organization or enterprise.
Promotes Consistency: Utilizing a framework ensures consistency in solution architecture work, as it relies on proven techniques and standards. This consistency aids practitioners across different business areas in understanding and adopting a common approach, enhancing their flexibility and mobility within the organization.
Builds Confidence: Stakeholders gain confidence from seeing consistent results and familiar communication tools, knowing what to expect from the solution architecture process.
Increases Reusability: The consistent approach and standard definition of artifacts such as views and viewpoints mean that work done in one project can benefit others, reducing the need for rework. This reusability extends across both solution and enterprise architecture practices.
Increases Maturity: The use of a framework serves as both an induction and training tool for new practitioners and a quality assurance mechanism for the organization, thereby enhancing the maturity of the solution architecture practice within the organization.
What is DoDAF
Department of Defense Architecture Framework: Framework optimised for the military and defense concerns, focusing on the specific needs and structures within the United states department of defense
What is the Zachman Framework:
Zachman framework consists of a six-by-six grid, with rows representing different stakeholder perspectives and columns representing various architectural elements. It acts as a comprehensive checklist to ensure all elements are considered from multiple viewpoints, making it adaptable to any organisation
What is TOGAF:
The Open Group Architecture Framework: TOGAF is a detailed methodology and framework that guides the process and creation of enterprise architectures. It includes the Architecture Development Method (ADM), which outlines a life cycle for architecture development, including phases from Vision to implementation and change management
What is ISO 42010 - Technical standard
(Systems and software engineering – Architecture description): This standard addresses the creation, analysis and sustainment of system architectures through architecture descriptions, defining key terms and processes involved in architecture throughout a systems life cycle
ISO 42010 is a standard that addresses the creation, analysis
and sustainment of architectures of systems through the use of
architecture descriptions.
The ISO 42010 standard defines a number of terms:
Architecture: fundamental concepts or properties of a
system in its environment embodied in its elements,
relationships, and in the principles of its design and
evolution.
Architecture description: work product used to express an
architecture.
Architecting: process of conceiving, defining, expressing,
documenting, communicating, certifying proper
implementation of, maintaining and improving an architecture
throughout a system’s life cycle.
What is ISO 9241-11 - Technical standard
(Ergonomics of human system interaction): Defines usability and provides guidance on how to measure and quantify aspects of usability, such as effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction, in the context of human-system interaction
