Key Terminology

Question 1

Application

Answer 1

A deployed and operational IT system that supports business functions and services; e.g. payroll. Applications use data and are supported by multiple technology components but are distinct from technology components that support the application.

Question 2

Application architecture

Answer 2

n applications architecture describes the behavior of applications used in a business, focused on how they interact with each other and with users. It is focused on the data consumed and produced by applications rather than their internal structure. In application portfolio management, the applications are usually mapped to business functions and to application

Description of the major logical grouping of capabilities that manage the data objects necessary to process data and support the business.

Question 3

Architecture

Answer 3

Formal description of a system or the detailed plan of the system at component level to guide its implementation.
Structure of components their inter-relationships and the principles and guidelines governing their design and evolution over time.

Question 4

Architecture continuum

Answer 4

Part of Enterprise continuum. Repository of architecrtural elements with increasing details and specialization. Reference modesl, strategies, building blocks .. Industry architectures and specific organization architectures

Question 5

ABB Architecture Building Blocks

Answer 5

A building block describes a single aspect of the overall architecture model.

Question 6

Architecture Development Method (ADM)

Answer 6

Core of TOGAF standard. Step by step approach to develop and use an enterprise architecture.

Question 7

Architecture Domain

Answer 7

Architectural area being considered. TOGAF has 4 domains: Business, data, application and technology.

Question 8

Architecture Framework

Answer 8

Conceptual structure used to develop, implement and sustain an architecture.

Question 9

Architecture Principles

Answer 9

Qualitative statement of intent that should be met by the architecture. Has at least a supporting rational and a measure of importance.

Question 10

Architecture Vision

Answer 10

A concise description of the target architecture that describes its business value and the changes to the enterprise that will result from its successful deployment. Serves as an aspirational vision and a boundary for detailed architecture development.

Question 11

Baseline

Answer 11

Specification that has been formally reviewed and agreed upon that thereafter serves as the basis for further development or change.

Question 12

Building Block

Answer 12

Potential reusable component of business, IT or architectural capability that can be combined with other building blocks to deliver architectures and solutions.
Can be defined at various level of detail. E.g. name or outline description or later one BB becomes multiple supporting BB and are accompanied by specifications. BB can relate to architectures or solutions.

Question 13

Business Architecture

Answer 13

Description of structure and interaction between the business strategy organizations functions, business processes and information needs.

Question 14

Business Governance

Answer 14

Ensuring that the business processes and policies deliver the business outcomes and adhere to relevant business regulation

Question 15

Capability

Answer 15

An ability that an organization, person or system possesses. Typically expressed in general and high-level terms

Question 16

Concerns

Answer 16

Key interests that are crucially important to the stakeholders in a system and determine the acceptability of the system.

Question 17

Constraint

Answer 17

External factor that prevents an organization from pursuing particular approaches to meet its goals.

Question 18

Data Architecture

Answer 18

Description of structure and interaction of enterprise major types and sources of data, logical data assets, physical data assets and data management resources.

Question 19

Deliverable

Answer 19

Work product that is contractually specified and in turn formally reviewed, agreed, and signed off by stakeholders. Output of projects and deliverables in documentation form might be archived or used as reference models, standards at end of a project.

Question 20

Enterprise

Answer 20

Highest level of description of an organization and typically covers all missions and functions. Enterprise typically spans multiple organizations.

Question 21

Enterprise Continuum

Answer 21

Mechanism for classifying architecture and solution artifacts internal and external as they evolve from generic to specific.

Question 22

Foundation Architecture

Answer 22

Generic building blocks, their inter relationship with other BBN combined with principles and guidelines that provide a foundation on which more specific architectures can be built.

Question 23

Gap

Answer 23

Statement of difference between two states. Used In the context of gap analysis for difference between baseline and target architectures are identified.

Question 24

Governance

Answer 24

Discipline of monitoring, managing and steering a business to deliver the business outcome required.

Question 25

Information

Answer 25

Any communication or representation of facts, data or opinions in any medium or form including textual, numerical, graphical, narrative or audio visual.

Question 26

IT Information Technology

Answer 26

Lifecycle management of information and related technology used by an organization.
Umbrella term that includes all or some of the subject areas relating to the computer industry.

Question 27

Logical (Architecture)

Answer 27

Implementation independent definition of the architecture.

Question 28

Metadata

Answer 28

Data about data of any sort in any media that describes the characteristics of an entity.

Question 29

Metamodel

Answer 29

Model that describes how and with what the architecture will be described in a structured way.

Question 30

Method

Answer 30

Defined repeatable approach to address a particular type of problem

Question 31

Methodology

Answer 31

Defined repeatable series of steps to address a particular type of problem, which typically centers on a defined process, but may also include definition of content.

Question 32

Model

Answer 32

Representation of a subject of interest. Provides a smaller scale, simplified or abstract representation of the subject matter.

Question 33

Modeling

Answer 33

A technique through construction of models which enables a subject to be represented in a form that enables reasoning, insight and clarity concerning the essence of the subject matter.

Question 34

Objective

Answer 34

Time bounded milestone for an organization used to demonstrate progress towards a goal. E.g. increase capacity utilization by 30% by the end of 2019 to support the increase in market share.

Question 35

Physical

Answer 35

Description of a real world entity.

Question 36

Reference Model

Answer 36

Abstract, framework for understanding signification relationships among the entities of an environment and for the development of consistent standards or specifications supporting that environment. Based on a small number of unifying concepts and may be used as a basis for education and explaining standards to a non-specialist.

Question 37

Repository

Answer 37

System that manages all of the data of an enterprise including data and process models and other enterprise information. Much more extensive than in a data dictionary which only defines the data making up a data base.

Question 38

Requirement

Answer 38

Statement of need that must be met by a particular architecture or work package.

Question 39

Segment Architecture

Answer 39

Detailed, formal description of areas within an enterprise, used at the program or portfolio level to organize and align change activity

Question 40

Solution Architecture

Answer 40

Description of a discrete and focused business operation or activity and how IT supports that operation.

Question 41

Solution Building Block (SBB)

Answer 41

Candidate solution which conforms to an architecture building block

Question 42

Solution Continuum

Answer 42

Part of the enterprise continuum. A repository of reusable solutions for future implementation efforts. Contains implementations of the corresponding definitions in the architecture continuum.

Question 43

Stakeholder

Answer 43

Individual, team or organization with interest in or concerns relative to the outcome of the architecture. Different stakeholders in different roles have different concerns.

Question 44

Strategic architecture

Answer 44

Summary formal description of the enterprise, providing an organizing framework for operational and change activity and an executive level long term view for direction setting.

Question 45

Target architecture

Answer 45

Description of a future state of the architecture being developed for an organization. May be several future states developed as a roadmap to show the evolution of the architecture to target state

Question 46

Technical Reference Model (TRM)

Answer 46

Structure which allows the components of an information system to be described in a consistent manner

Question 47

Technology Architecture

Answer 47

Description of the structure and interaction of the platform services, logical and physical technology components.

Question 48

Transition Architecture

Answer 48

Formal description of one state of the architecture at an architecturally signification point in time.

Question 49

View

Answer 49

Representation of a related set of concerns. View is what is seen from a viewpoint. An architecture view may be represented by a model to demonstrate to stakeholders their areas of interest in the architecture. Does not have to be visual or graphical in nature.

Question 50

Viewpoint

Answer 50

Definition of the perspective from which a view is taken. Specification of the conventions for constructing and using a view. A view is what you see. A viewpoint is where you are looking from.