Key takeaways
- Phase C covers two architectures: Data and Application.
- Their target must enable the Business Architecture and the Architecture Vision.
- No imposed order: data first, applications first, or in parallel.
- The Phase C ARS passes constraints on to the Technology Architecture.
- Each part produces its own roadmap components from its gaps.
One phase, two architectures
Phase C groups the Data Architecture and the Application Architecture. The Standard does not fix the order: you may start with data, with applications, or run both in parallel, depending on context. The two remain closely linked, since a change to the data model often changes exchanges between applications.
Each part has two objectives of the same shape, following the Phase B pattern.
- Data: develop a Target Data Architecture that enables the Business Architecture and the vision, addressing the Statement of Architecture Work and concerns
- Data: identify candidate roadmap components from data Baseline/Target gaps
- Application: develop a Target Application Architecture that enables the Business Architecture and the vision, under the same conditions
- Application: identify candidate roadmap components from application Baseline/Target gaps
Data Architecture
It describes the main types and sources of data, their logical structure, their owners, and how they are managed. Three concerns come up often: data management, data migration to the target, and data governance.
- Business data model and logical data model
- Data management processes
- Data Entity/Business Function matrix
- Views suited to stakeholder concerns
Application Architecture
It describes the applications needed, their responsibilities, their interactions, and how they map to business functions and roles. It stays logical: it describes application components and services, not yet specific products, which are chosen later.
- Application portfolio and interfaces between applications
- Mapping between applications, business functions, roles, and organizations
- Communications and exchanges between application components
Inputs and deliverables
Phase C starts from Phase B outputs: draft ADD and ARS, Business roadmap components, along with the Statement of Architecture Work, the vision, and the principles, notably data and application principles. It follows the same steps as the other domain phases.
It enriches the ADD with the Baseline and Target of each architecture and their views, and the ARS with gap analysis results, interoperability requirements, updated requirements, and constraints on the Technology Architecture that Phase D will have to respect. It also adds the Data and Application components of the Architecture Roadmap.
TERMS TO KNOW
The terms, in context.
- Data Architecture
- Structure of the organization’s logical and physical data assets and the resources that manage them.
- Application Architecture
- Description of applications, their interactions, and their links to business processes.
- Logical data model
- Technology-independent representation of data entities and their relationships.
- Interoperability requirement
- Requirement stating how data and applications must be shared between systems.
- Data Entity/Business Function matrix
- Matrix showing which business functions create, read, or update which data entities.