Zachman Framework for Enterprise Architecture

Zachman Framework for Enterprise Architecture

Introduction

In the last two decades, there were many significant challenges facing information technology (IT) and business management for organizations. IT and business were different fields. The former that includes hardware, software, tools, databases, etc. is mostly in the technical area while the latter that includes sales, marketing, services, products, etc. is in business operations. The major problem was the mutual ignorance for the body of knowledge between these two groups (i.e., IT and business) (Reich, & Benbasat, 1996). IT strategies and business plan were not synchronized. The enterprise has grown globally with related complexity while IT has expanded rapidly in technically sophisticated manner. The conceptual information systems architectural framework was introduced by Zachman (1987) to initially solve some of these distinct problems for an organization’s success.

This Unit 2 Individual Project document consists of three main sections: (a) enterprise architecture, (b) frameworks of enterprise architectures, and (c) conceptual enterprise architecture framework. The enterprise architecture will briefly define the terms of enterprise architecture and framework. The frameworks of enterprise architectures will be explained. And the conceptual enterprise architecture framework will discuss historical background, Zachman enterprise architecture framework, extending Zachman EA framework, and an application of Zachman EA framework in software development process. 

Enterprise Architecture

            According to Sessions (2007) from ObjectWatch, the conceptual information systems architectural framework is changed to an enterprise-architecture framework to address two initial problems in an organization: (1) the complexity of the IT systems, and (2) the sophisticated IT-business alignment. Enterprise architecture (EA) is defined as a fundamental system including many components in their relationships with guiding principles for design and evolution for an organization.  The American Heritage Dictionary (2006) defines a framework as a skeletal structure of architectural artifacts such as data, design document, report, analysis, model, etc. that can interact each other.

Frameworks

            In general, many scholars agree that there are four main methodologies for enterprise architecture frameworks: (a) The Open Group Architectural Framework (TOGAF), (b) The Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA), (a) The Gartner enterprise architecture, and (d) The Zachman Framework for Enterprise Architectures. While the TOGAF is an EA framework defined as a process of building an EA, the FEA can be seen as a proscriptive methodology to create an implemented EA. The Gartner enterprise architecture is viewed as an EA in practice. Conversely, the Zachman Framework for Enterprise Architectures offers a methodology or taxonomy, rather than a framework, to arrange and categorize architectural artifacts (Sessions, 2007). This document will focus only on the Zachman Framework for EAs due to a requirement for this assignment.

Conceptual Enterprise Architecture Framework

     a. Historical Background

            In the IBM System Journal, Zachman (1987) published an article titled “A Framework for Information Systems Architecture" to provide the challenge and vision of EAs that could guide the IT field in the future. Managing a complexity of distributed IT systems was a real challenge and EA that would support an enterprise to run business activities and operations successfully was his vision. His artifacts-oriented framework for information systems architecture was known as Zachman enterprise-architecture framework (EAF) under various perspectives.       

            Zachman’s EA work influences on enterprise architecture, Technical Architecture Framework for Information Management (TAFIM) sponsored by US Government, the Department of Defense (DoD) in 1994. It became popular with IT Management Reform Act. In 1996, Zachman’s EAF later was a foundation for the standardized Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF) in 1999 for all deferral agencies (Sessions, 2007). Notice that Zachman’s work focuses on defining enterprise architecture framework and limits itself from information strategy and business planning (Zachman, 1987; Chan & Reich, 2007).

     b. Zachman Enterprise Architecture Framework

In his own words, Zachman (2008) defines the Zachman Framework is a schema that is intersection between two historical classifications: (a) the fundamental columnar classification of what, how, when, who, where, and why, and (2) the transformative row classification of Identification, Definition, Representation, Specification, Configuration and Instantiation. The transformative row classification can be derived from the generic Contextual, Conceptual, Logical, Physical, and Detailed views (Zachman, 2008). Figure 1 displays the fundamental Zachman EA framework at the high level concept.

Figure 1: The fundamental Zachman Enterprise Architecture framework.

Source: Adapted from Zachman, 2008.

     c. Extending Zachman EA Framework

            Zachman’s conceptual framework for enterprise architecture is viewed as a methodology or taxonomy, rather than a framework, to arrange and categorize architectural artifacts that include specification, design documents, and models under the views of target users on a variety of perspectives. The views of the target users can be the view of scope, owner, designer, builder, detailed view, and operational view in respect of the various perspectives such as data, functionality, network, people, time, and motivation (Sessions, 2007). Zachman framework of EA can be illustrated as a matrix or 2-dimension (2D) table in Figure 2.

            Figure 2: Zachman Framework for enterprise architecture in 2D Table.

Source: Adapted from Sessions, 2007.

Using an analogy to building a building, Zachman creates the EA framework in cross-disciplinary architectural representations. Those architectural representations can be produced in building any complex products extending far beyond IT. For example, they provide over the process of building a complex project in analogy to the building, airplane, information systems communities, etc. Thus, Zachman’s framework is a taxonomy or methodology to address two dimensions X and Y. X is a set of architectural representations produced by the process of building a complex product for different perspectives and Y is the same product that can be described in different ways for different purposes.

     d. Application of Zachman EA Framework     

            Zachman suggests the architectural representations X can be the players such as a planer, owner, designer, builder, subcontractor and enterprise, and the architectural representations Y can be the descriptive foci, e.g., data, function, network, people, time, and motivation. These X and Y can be organized in a table or grid as shown in Figure 3.

            Figure 3: Zachman EA grid.

            The Extending Zachman EA Framework can be applied in software development process whose deliverables are the software packages to determine the effectiveness and inclusiveness of the products. The first dimension representation X includes four software development phases, e.g., inception, elaboration, construction, and transition. The second dimension representation Y consists of nine components: business modeling,

requirements, analysis and design, implementation, test, deployment, configuration and change management, project management, and an environment. The unified software development process can be in several iteration cycles as shown in Figure 4 below.

            Figure 4: A unified software development process using Zachman EA framework.

Source: Adapted from Dr. Kapoor, 2017.

Conclusion

Today, IT has changed the way companies run business, organize their business process, provide products and services, and interact with customers. IT complexity that becomes the major concern for both IT and business leaders led to the discipline of enterprise architecture framework. This document presented the Zachman framework of enterprise architecture at the high level visionary concept that had a strong impact on the economy, culture, humanity, society, and particularly information technology. It covered basic definitions of enterprise architecture and framework, mentioned four types of EA frameworks, and discussed the conceptual enterprise architecture framework. The Zachman EA framework was discussed in-depth on extending concept for a set of EAs, and its application in software development process.

REFERENCES

Chan, Y.E., & Reich, B.H. (2007). IT alignment: What we have learned? Journal of Information Technology, 22, Retrieved January 16, 2017 from from http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jit/journal/v22/n4/full/2000109a.html

Kapoor, B. (2017). Zachman framework of enterprise architecture. Retrieved May 1, 2017 from Live Chat 4, Colorado Technical University http://ctuadobeconnect.careeredonline.com/p5g0xcfsnvv/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal

 

Reich, B.H, & Benbasat, I. (1996). Measuring the linkage between business and information technology objectives. MIS Quarterly 20(1): 55-81.

Sessions. R. (2007). A comparison of the top four enterprise-architecture methodologies. Retrieved April 30, 2017 from https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb466232.aspx

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2006). Framework. Fourth Edition. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Zachman, J. (1987). A framework for information systems architecture. IBM Systems Journal, 26(3). 276. Retrieved from the Zachman International Web site: http://www.zachman.com/ea-articles-reference/49-1987-ibm-systems-journal-a-framework-for-information-systems-architecture

Zachman, J. (2008). John zachman’s concise definition of the zachman framework. Retrieved May 01, 2017 from https://www.zachman.com/about-the-zachman-framework.