Key takeaways
- The repository supports reuse and traceability.
- Information volume does not replace reliability.
- The Architecture Landscape represents current and planned states.
More than a document folder
The Architecture Repository stores and organizes architecture work results at different levels of abstraction. It supports retrieval of reusable assets, requirements, decisions, and current or planned descriptions. Its usefulness depends on information quality and maintenance; storing every possible file can instead make decision-making harder.
Its components include the Architecture Metamodel, Architecture Capability, Architecture Landscape, Standards Library, Reference Library, Governance Repository, Architecture Requirements Repository, and Solutions Landscape. The Standards Library contains standards to comply with; the Reference Library supplies reusable guidance, templates, and patterns. These components provide complementary perspectives on the practice, rules, architectures, and solutions.
Preserve useful connections
The Architecture Landscape includes architectures in use or planned at a particular point in time. Governance information records decisions, reviews, and changes of status. Requirements should remain connected to relevant descriptions and solutions. A team can then understand why a choice was approved and which conditions still need to be satisfied.
- Capture information needed for decisions and follow-up.
- Define ownership, versions, status, and maintenance rules.
- Reuse assets after checking whether their assumptions and information remain current.
TERMS TO KNOW
The terms, in context.
- Architecture Repository
- Organized collection of architecture information and assets.
- Governance Log
- Record of governance activities and decisions.