Provide a Common Frame of Reference

Provide a common framework reference12/16/2004by Jeff tash realistic environment in the previous column I discussed the importance of modeling, and to establish communication technology infrastructure. However, not everyone would agree that my views. Here is how a reader with the title of Dr. enterprise architects response to the column: Jeff article is bestowed, has missed the point completely, and it strategic chessboard "Alignment." Conceptual Modeling "technology Building" isolationism is outdated, it is only one aspect of which is a whole construction, and we more interested in the modeling techniques to cover the operational aspects of technology. Modeling technology is very easy commercial and strategic very hard. Its unfortunate that people like Jeff is let enterprises outside the framework of such a stigma.

My view is how to define corporate structure, in line with the Open Group Architecture Framework (togaf), is an industry-standard architecture framework, described as a corporate structure consisting of four components: business structure data structure Application Architecture technology framework First, the medium-term framework means that the document. Different types of construction listed above for each document different aspects of a business. Architects business model business processes, including operations and business rules. Design model data representations, in the real world entities and relationships. Architects map part of the application process and data into specific examples of business solutions (that is, application).

But what technical architect model? What is the technical architecture? Most organizations struggle to examine ways to model to evaluate their own technology infrastructure. In fact, very few companies today claim that they have successfully imitated their own technology infrastructure. Many of the challenges facing is the breadth and scope, it seems so difficult, they do not know where or how to get started.

As with the business structure, data structure, and application architectures, the biggest challenge for the technical framework is to clarify whether the model. The most important objective is to allow such a technical and non-technical people can have both knowledge and understanding about, or even thinking, technology.

Employment technical architecture is to provide a common frame of reference, by helping people to better organize, visualization, and communication technology. Basic objective is to promote the exchange of ideas. Good products, cost savings, resulting in the consolidation and standardization of products.

Management lever every business decision-making, involving leverage one or more of the following factors: money, people, property or technology.

Each enterprises orbit, its financial assets. Each overseas business, its human resources. Each enterprise management of tangible assets (such as plant and equipment). But the technical measurement and tracking? Technology needs to describe, in any business owners, is not how many or how much. People need a framework of ideas and communication technology issues.

My views on how to start modeling technology, in accordance with the money. Look at the investment in technology. Focused on where all the money has been spent. All technology investments, together constitute a business combination of technologies (see "Architect your IT Portfolio").

Enterprises spent a lot of money to buy technology. They receive, in exchange for cash, products of the suppliers. Its too bad, though, this is a simple list in alphabetical order by product or vendor is not very useful. Otherwise, you can easily model of technical architecture, using simple spreadsheets or databases. On the contrary, the products must be organized, hierarchical categories can be divided into trees. Suddenly, rectangular electronic form or relational database is no longer so simple. Once you introduce grading, everything becomes much more difficult and complicated.

Tree on behalf of each type of classification. Taxonomy, make it so that different products that offer similar capabilities cluster together. Class trees, but also provided background. Classification and organization products to enter the category trees, the interest of the people, both technical and non-technical - a better understanding and a better understanding of when to discuss the technology. They also help to prevent unnecessary Apple to oranges comparison.

Products, the vendors and the types of trees are modeling technology into the basic elements of architecture. In addition, I suggest that you read the technical framework for the three different levels.

Representative of the underlying infrastructure. It is often very complex and expensive. However, their own infrastructure and not do anything. Value is derived only after the application has been layered with infrastructure. Applications, the middle layer can be customized to develop or purchase. Whether or not they are either under construction or purchase, the application of data, equivalent to the top. Most businesses want to mine, and their personal information, in order to improve business intelligence.

My net absorption is that our readers back in my previous column is not fully aware of the scale and importance of the document processing, as well as its profound and lasting feelers to the very business processes, he or her purpose is to stress. Consolidate and the technology may become standard framework can cut the cost of the package at least 10 percent, and when combined with the technical architecture, in equal measures, with the support of the other three pillars of business, data and application architecture, enterprise-class structure produced a strong and lasting line, and its business strategy.