Enterprise Architecture frameworks

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A framework is a matrix or repository that defines and stores the contents, boundaries, and inter-relationships of models and components (e.g., Zachman).

The term “framework” is often used as a synonym for an architecture. Others, however, use the term “framework” to describe specific approaches to organizing an enterprise architecture.

The U.S. Treasury, for example, adopted a framework that it calls the Treasury Enterprise Architecture Framework (TEAF). In this case, the TEAF matrix has four rows and four columns. In essence, the TEAF has omitted the bottom two rows of the Zachman Framework and combined four of the Zachman columns into two.

Other Enterprise Architecture frameworks are the Performance Reference Model (PRM), the Extended Enterprise Architecture Model and the The Open Group Architectural Framework (TOGAF).

Each organization needs to determine just what types of documents and models it

will include in its enterprise architecture. The result defines that organization’s

framework. Most organizations start with something like the Zachman Framework,

and then tailor it to their specific needs. Each organization that elects to rely on an

enterprise architecture must necessarily decide on the specific types of documents

and diagrams they intend to keep track of with their architecture. Many begin with a

subset simply to limit the time required to establish all the necessary relationships,

in order to get an initial enterprise architecture in place quickly. Later, when the

initial architecture is established, they expand the framework and commit to the

addition of new information.