Key takeaways
- The metamodel describes types; a model describes instances.
- An artifact can contribute to several deliverables.
- Content should remain usable and proportionate to the work.
- Architecture Definition Document
- Describes the architecture, such as applications and their relationships. It contains artifacts such as a diagram.
- Architecture Requirements Specification
- Specifies verifiable conditions, such as the service responding within two seconds under agreed conditions.
- Architecture Roadmap
- Sequences work packages and transitions over time to reach the target.
Illustrative example: names, measures and decisions depend on the context. An artifact describes an aspect; a deliverable formalizes a result subject to review and approval.
A structure and vocabulary
The Content Framework organizes architecture work products and supports consistent classification. The Content Metamodel defines entity types, their characteristics, and their relationships. It can, for example, express that an application supports a capability and uses particular data. Tailoring it helps retain information relevant to organizational decisions.
A viewpoint library and shared conventions support model reuse. The metamodel is not itself the complete description of an enterprise: it supplies a structure for building that description. Models instantiate the structure with actual elements and relationships belonging to the enterprise being studied.
Detailed product or accepted result?
An artifact describes an aspect of architecture, often as a catalog, matrix, or diagram. A deliverable is a contractually specified work product, formally reviewed, approved, and signed off by stakeholders. One deliverable may contain several artifacts. Once accepted, relevant results can be stored in the repository with their status and version.
- Choose content according to the questions to resolve.
- Define relationships needed for traceability.
- Avoid models that do not support a decision.
TERMS TO KNOW
The terms, in context.
- Artifact
- Work product describing a particular aspect of architecture.
- Deliverable
- Contractually specified work product, formally reviewed, approved, and signed off by stakeholders.