Introduction to TOGAF

TOGAF is one of the well-known leading Enterprise Architecture Frameworks used in the industry. As per the common goal, TOGAF is leveraged to make the enterprise for implementing and improving business efficiency. As the name stands, TOGAF insists the industry's architecture standard using the consistent methods, processes, and communication with the group of Enterprise Architecture professionals. In turn, the openness culture supports architecture practitioners to avoid the industry pain of proprietary lock mode.

Evolution of TOGAF 9.1

TOGAF's first version was developed during mid-1990s and continuously maintained by it based on experience and exposure from the United States Department of Defense, namely Technical Architecture Framework for Information Management (TAFIM). Later, the forum started releasing successive versions based on the fundamental blocks. Consider the following image:

The preceding image is a view of the timeline for the growth of TOGAF until the latest version, 9.1. This illustrates the long maturation cycle.

TOGAF 9 Technical Corrigendum 1 can be obtained from www.opengroup.org/bookstore/catalog/u112.htm.

As TOGAF has become more mature, the time period between publications has also increased.

Core components

TOGAF's core components construct the strong fundamentals of this open architecture framework. It is depicted in the following diagram:

The preceding diagram shows the structure in a graphical overview format calling out the main components, which are briefed as follows:

Architecture Development Method (ADM) is a kind of circular flow chart aimed to building an enterprise-level architecture. It has a set of resources and the related governance to support the enterprise applications development.

The Architecture Content Framework uses the following three categories to describe the type of architectural work product within the context of use:

Deliverables
Artifacts
Building blocks

Deliverables are the output of the project to be agreed and signed off by the enterprise stakeholders. Artifacts are represented as the content of the architectural repository of the firm. Building blocks are commonly represented as the reusable components of the enterprise platform.

As we know, architecture repository contains the enterprise designs, policies, framework, and so on. Enterprise Continuum is the method or mode to classify the repository content.

TOGAF 9 provides an Architecture Capability Framework that is a set of reference materials and guidelines to establish an architecture function or capability within an organization.

Core components of ADM and related topics are covered in details at Open Group site. It is a great industrywide reference artifact, available at http://pubs.opengroup.org/architecture/togaf9-doc/arch/chap05.html