Topic 6 / Post 2 – Emerging Business Architecture / Enterprise Solution Architecture and Artifacts

April 3, 2016 / Dennis Holinka

Topic 6 – Emerging Business Architecture

This week's posts go over the Emerging Business Architecture, the various perspectives, and related reflections in the blog.

Post 2 – Enterprise Solution Architecture and Artifacts

          In the effort of realizing the enterprise architecture of a firm, we must eventually use the enterprise architecture future state to develop roadmaps that lead us to creating solution architectures.  The solution architectures are more than one time created artifacts for a particular pain point solution.  That is, we must develop or rather assemble solutions from a fixed set of inventory of items or work to develop a set of inventory of items for the creation of solutions for the enterprise.  The process of enabling this effort must proceed from a methodology that leads to the development of such an inventory of items that can be made available for reuse.  As recommended by the Gartner metholdology, we should embark on a process of developing sets of solution portfolios which can be categorized and organized by technical patterns and services.  
          We must develop the Solution Architecture to align with the Enterprise Architecture Future State in alignment with the business context as outlined by Gartner's process.  The process will include determining high level options for the solution, analyze the benefits and disadvantages of each option and chosing, determine if there are any existing solutions or reusable solution assets either in the form of a reference architecture or reusable architecture instead of buying and/or building new solutions or components.  Next, determine any relevant design patterns and technology standards apply while making sure that the current solution is architected and leveraged for future potential reuse.  Provide documentation and explain architecture trade off decisions such as identifying any key issues, risks or challenges and propose risk mitigation approaches or trade off options analysis.  The solution architecture is the intersection of the business, information, and technology architecture as specified by the Gartner process and provided here as a model.

Figure:  Generic TOGAF and Gartner Solution Architecture framework

Adapted from http://pubs.opengroup.org/architecture/togaf9-doc/arch/chap35.html#tagfcjh_75 and https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1772177/files/77042619/download?wrap=1

It is important that a number of artifacts be developed that provide the articulated solution architecture models that are assembled from the distinct list of relevant models as they relate to the distinct solution categories in the enterprise.  It is important that a categorized inventory of models be cataloged and indexed for reuse using the Technology Reference Model (TRM) as specified by the TOGAF framework.

Figure:  TOGAF TRM for Cataloging Reusable Solutions

http://pubs.opengroup.org/architecture/togaf9-doc/arch/chap43.html

There is a required set of artifacts that are needed to be developed from the the various TRM categories or from the design pattern and service catalog.  This requires that a solution be assembled using an approach of using the available inventory or creating inventory in the process of solving the transformation at hand.  You can provide the following artifacts as listed in the depicted set as a starter for the models required to provide a comprehensive solution.

Figure:  Generic Gartner and TOGAF Solution Architecture Example Deliverables

Adapted from http://pubs.opengroup.org/architecture/togaf9-doc/arch/chap35.html and https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1772177/files/77042619/download?wrap=1

Last, we must assure that the artifacts provided are assured in a review process to guarantee that quality architectures are being developed and that organizational policies and principles are followed.  Therefore, we must ensure that all solutions are aligned appropriately to the enterprise strategic direction, standards, and enterprise transformation roadmaps.  Review that all solution architectures have quality design, are robust, and meet all functional and non-functional technology requirements.  We must review the solution and apply a consistent set of rules, guidelines, and decisions across all solution architectures developed.  The review also provides the appropriate forum to discuss and resolve key design challenges that may require new designs, reference architectures, standards, technologies, and other non-functional requirements that impact the enterprise.  The reviews must incorporate solution architecture models to contain the completeness and accuracy of the systems to be built by the development teams. Solutions must reuse enterprise blueprint solutions and meet horizontal business needs across the Enterprise according to stakeholder consensus.