The Open Group Architecture Framework is a framework for enterprise architecture which
provides an approach for designing, planning, implementing, and governing an enterprise
information technology architecture.
TOGAF has been a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other
countries since 2011.
TOGAF is a high level approach to design.
It is typically modeled at four levels: Business, Application, Data, and Technology.
It relies heavily on modularization, standardization, and already existing, proven technologies
and products.
Overview An architecture framework is a set of tools
which can be used for developing a broad range of different architectures.
It should: describe a method for defining an information
system in terms of a set of building blocks show how the building blocks fit together
contain a set of tools provide a common vocabulary
include a list of recommended standards include a list of compliant products that
can be used to implement the building blocks TOGAF is such an architecture framework.
The ANSI/IEEE Standard 1471-2000 specification of architecture may be stated as: "the fundamental
organization of a system, embodied in its components, their relationships to each other
and the environment, and the principles governing its design and evolution."
However TOGAF has its own view, which may be specified as either a "formal description
of a system, or a detailed plan of the system at component level to guide its implementation",
or as "the structure of components, their interrelationships, and the principles and
guidelines governing their design and evolution over time."
The Architecture Development Method is core of TOGAF which describes a method for developing
and managing the lifecycle of enterprise architecture.
History
TOGAF was initiated early 1990s as methodology for the development of technical architecture,
and has been developed by The Open Group into an extensive enterprise architecture framework.
In 1995, the first version of TOGAF was presented.
This version was mainly based on the Technical Architecture Framework for Information Management,
developed since the late 1980s by the US Department of Defense
In December 2001 TOGAF 7, the "Technical Edition", was published.
TOGAF 8 was first published in December 2002 and republished in updated form as TOGAF 8.1
in December 2003.
Around 2005 TOGAFTM became a registered trademark of The Open Group.
In November 2006 the Open Group released TOGAF 8.1.1.
According to The Open Group, as of February 2011, over 15,000 individuals are TOGAF Certified.
As of September 2012 the official register has over 20,000 certified individuals.
The latest version is TOGAF 9.1, launched on 1 December 2011.
An evolutionary development from TOGAF 8, TOGAF 9 includes many new features including:
Increased rigor, including a formal Content Metamodel that links the artifacts of TOGAF
together Elimination of unnecessary differences
Many more examples and templates Additional guidelines and techniques include:
A formal business-driven approach to architecture Business capability-based planning
Guidance on how to use TOGAF to develop a Security Architecture or SOA
The Open Group provides TOGAF free of charge to organizations for their own internal noncommercial
purposes.
TOGAF topics Enterprise architecture domains
TOGAF is based on four interrelated areas of specialization called architecture domains:
Business architecture which defines the business strategy, governance, organization, and key
business processes of the organization Applications architecture which provides a
blueprint for the individual application systems to be deployed, the interactions between the
application systems, and their relationships to the core business processes of the organization
with the frameworks for services to be exposed as business functions for integration
Data architecture which describes the structure of an organization's logical and physical
data assets and the associated data management resources
Technical architecture, or technology architecture, which describes the hardware, software, and
network infrastructure needed to support the deployment of core, mission-critical applications
Architecture Development Method The Architecture Development Method is applied
to develop an enterprise architecture which will meet the business and information technology
needs of an organization.
It may be tailored to the organization's needs and is then employed to manage the execution
of architecture planning activities.
The process is iterative and cyclic.
Each step checks with Requirements.
Phase C involves some combination of both Data Architecture and Applications Architecture.
Additional clarity can be added between steps B and C in order to provide a complete information
architecture.
Performance engineering working practices are applied to the Requirements phase, and
to the Business Architecture, Information System Architecture, and Technology architecture
phases.
Within Information System Architecture, it is applied to both the Data Architecture and
Application Architecture.
Enterprise Continuum The Enterprise Continuum is a way of classifying
solutions and architectures on a continuum that ranges from generic foundation architectures
through to tailored organization-specific both within and outside the Architecture Repository.
These include architectural models, architectural patterns, architecture descriptions, and other
artifacts.
These artifacts may exist within the enterprise and also in the IT industry at large.
The Enterprise Continuum consists of both the Architecture Continuum and the Solutions
Continuum.
The Architecture Continuum specifies the structuring of reusable architecture assets and includes
rules, representations, and relationships of the information system(s) available to
the enterprise.
The Solutions Continuum describes the implementation of the Architecture Continuum by defining
reusable solutions building blocks.
TOGAF Certified Tools The Open Group has a certification program
for TOGAF 8 Tools, and as of early 2011 plans to extend that to cover TOGAF 9 Tools.
For the latest register of certified tools see The Open Group register.
Qualifications The Open Group oversees formal qualifications
in TOGAF at two levels, which can be taken following formal training or self-study.
Foundation (Level I) Ensures that an individual understands
Enterprise Architecture along with core concepts and terminology of TOGAF.
Certified (Level II) Further to the Foundation qualification,
this establishes that the candidate is able to analyse and apply their knowledge.
Gaining TOGAF Certified status automatically confers free membership of the Association
of Enterprise Architects.
References
External links Official website
TOGAF 9.1 Online TOGAF 8.1.1 Online
The TOGAF information site Developer.com: TOGAF: Establishing Itself
As the Definitive Method for Building Enterprise Architectures in the Commercial World
TOGAF or not TOGAF: Extending Enterprise Architecture beyond RUP
Practical advice: How to bring TOGAF to life Togaf Modeling using UML and BPMN