Key takeaways
- Objective 1: a Target Technology Architecture delivering building blocks through technology components and services.
- Objective 2: roadmap components derived from technology Baseline/Target gaps.
- Phase D starts from the outputs of B and C, notably the ARS constraints.
- Content: platforms, environments, locations, load, network, hardware.
- Roadmap components from Phases B, C, and D are consolidated in Phase E.
Purpose and objectives
Phase D completes the trio of domain phases. Like B and C, it aims at an architecture approved by stakeholders, with the gaps and the work to close them. Its specific feature: technology has no value in itself; it serves to realize what was decided for business, data, and applications.
- Develop a Target Technology Architecture through which the vision and the target business, data, and application building blocks can be delivered by means of technology components and services, while addressing the Statement of Architecture Work and concerns
- Identify candidate Architecture Roadmap components from gaps between Baseline and Target Technology Architecture
Main inputs
Phase D builds on everything the previous phases produced, especially the constraints Phase C formulated for it. It then follows the same steps as the other domain phases: choice of reference models and viewpoints, Baseline, Target, gaps, roadmap components, impact resolution, formal review, and finalization.
- Draft ADD and ARS enriched in Phases B and C
- Constraints on the Technology Architecture from Phase C
- Business, Data, and Application roadmap components
- Statement of Architecture Work, vision, and technology principles
Content of the Target Technology Architecture
The content describes the platform that hosts and connects applications. It includes logical elements, such as technology services, and more physical ones, such as hardware specifications.
- Technology components and their links to information systems
- Platforms and their decomposition into technology stacks
- Environments (development, production…) and locations
- Expected processing load and its distribution
- Physical communications and hardware and network specifications
Deliverables and hand-over to Phase E
Phase D completes the ADD with the technology Baseline and Target and their views. It enriches the ARS with gap analysis results, requirements received from Phases B and C, and updated technology requirements. It adds the technology components of the Architecture Roadmap.
Once all four domains have been described and reviewed, Phase E can consolidate all the gaps and candidate components to build the complete roadmap. If a technology choice cannot support an agreed building block, the team returns to the affected domains: this is iteration between phases.
TERMS TO KNOW
The terms, in context.
- Technology Architecture
- Description of the software and hardware capabilities supporting the deployment of business, data, and application services.
- Technology component
- Technology element, software or hardware, that realizes one or more technology services.
- Technology service
- Technical capability offered to applications, such as hosting, storage, or messaging.
- Architecture Roadmap
- Ordered list of changes, derived from candidate components, leading from Baseline to Target.