Overall - Stuff that is difficult to remember

Question 1

What can be internal drivers for EA?

Answer 1

• Audit of systems, processes, data etc.
• Specifying Management Information
• Manage IT system portfolio
• Manage sourcing relationships
• Guide system development
• Preparing a merger or acquisition
• Reducing complexity
• Reducing time to market

Question 2

What is refactoring?

Answer 2

Restructuring an existing body of code when you make changes.

*When this is not done it can lead to design debt.

Question 3

How can you recognize design debt?

Answer 3

• No visible architectural champion
• Lack of balance between business and IT department
• No decommissioning strategy
• Duplicate systems
• Geological time scales required to make simple business changes (No agility)
• Lack of confidence that change will actually work
• Project over-burn budget and schedule
• IT costs erode business margins
• Brand erosionq

Question 4

What are EA principles?

Answer 4

Guiding principles for an architecture’s design and evolution.

Question 5

What are the three most important characteristics for principles to be considered principles instead of non-principles?

Answer 5

1. Principles are used to govern architecture design and evolution;
2. Principles should be used to limit design space and guide design decisions;
3. Principles should concern architecture design points to harmonize IT project to predefined goals;

Question 6

What does portability lead to?

Answer 6

Flexibility in hardware & vendor selection, lower cost and facilitates migration to new technologies.

Question 7

What are 5 general characteristics of principles?

Answer 7

1. Can be attributed to different architectural layers.
2. Should be based on business and IT strategies
3. Refer to the construction of an organization
4. Metrics can be identified for each principle to measure its fulfilment.
5. Each principle should be described in a principle statement, along with a rationale to explain why this principle is helpful in attaining a predetermined goal, as well as implications that describe how to implement the principle.

Question 8

What are the 9 stages in the ADM of TOGAF?

Answer 8

Phase: Preliminary - Framework and principles
Phase A - Architecture vision
Phase B - Business Architecture
Phase C - Information System Architecture
Phase D - Technology Architecture
Phase E - Opportunities and Solutions
Phase F - Migration Planning
Phase G - Implementation Governance
Phase H - Architecture Change Management

Question 9

How does the architecture process look in FEA?

Answer 9

Step 1. Architectural analysis (simple vision for segments)

Step 2. Architectural Definition (developing the EA)

Step 3. Investment and funding strategy

Step 4. Program management plan and execution of projects

Question 10

What are three ways of reducing objective complexity according to the picture approach?

Answer 10

1. Reduce the number of system functions
2. Reduce the number of components/interfaces
3. Reduce the number of people dealing with the sytsem

Question 11

How can you reduce subjective complexity according to the picture approach?

Answer 11

Improve communication between actors involved (group decision support system), aiming for shared views on the system complex

Question 12

What is a system complex?

Answer 12

Automated systems and manual procedures linked to one another and to external systems and actors in various ways.

Question 13

In short, what are the goals in the picture approach?

Answer 13

1. Reduce subjective (increase communication) and then objective complexity
2. Clarify the existing system complexes (IST)
3. Present proposals for the future situation (SOLL)
4. Clarify a process to support decision-making on the IST and SOLL.

Question 14

What is a picture and what does it include?

Answer 14

Representation of the organizational processes that maps out the functions of the various IS within processes.

Includes:

• Information flows and the role of IS in these flows (arrows)
• Physical documents or tapes used in the process
• Actors and their position in the process and information flow
• The different type of interfaces
• Factsheets

Question 15

What is given on the fact sheets of the picture approach?

Answer 15

1. Sustainability of the IT Architecture (hardware, OS, tools, data, databases) (as is and to-be)
2. Systems functionality
3. Process support (division of tasks between systems and users)
4. Cost and benefits (estimated cost of migration etc.)
5. Risks (of the system complex and potential migration)

Question 16

• How many weeks does the picture approach take?
• How many fact sheets per picture?
• How many photos are required to create 1 picture?
• How many pictures of the as is situation?
• How many architectures and pictures of the to be situation?

Answer 16

• Around 10 weeks
• 5 to 6 fact sheets per picture
• 3 - 4 photos to create 1 picture
• As is: 1 architecture with 1 picture
• To be: 2-4 architectures, each 1 picture. Finally, 1 is chosen.

Question 17

How can you measure business agility?

Answer 17

Percentage of revenue created from new products – the more agile, often the higher percentage;

Question 18

What is the foundation of execution?

Answer 18

The IT infrastructure and digitized business processes automating a company’s core capabilities.