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Notes on Enterprise Architecture, Systems Integration, and anything else that interests me this week...

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Modeling User Experience Scenarios
I’m working on modeling some requirements for a document management system.  I’m a big fan of using models to represent every element, from goals and strategies through to business processes.  From there, I model use cases and requirements and Read More...
How to Develop a Governance Program (that doesn’t suck the life out of your organization)
Enterprise Architecture has a role to play in both developing a vision of the future, and in providing governance and oversight to make sure that the organization can measure its progress towards that future. The governance part is tricky.  Architectural Read More...
The Semantic Language of Architecture
For most of the last decade, we’ve seen a steady growth in the use of a simple “recommended practice” in the world of software architecture.  Well known by it’s designation, IEEE-1471 is officially titled “ Recommended Practice for Architectural Read More...
Test yourself: 25 most dangerous security programming errors
The SANS institute has published a list of the top 25 most dangerous programming errors.  Not only is this a must-read , but it is critical for architects, developers and testers, of all stripes, to be aware of these programming errors.  Unless Read More...
Towards an Enterprise Business Motivation Model
Today marks the end of a long dry spell.  As of today, I’m back in print with an article in the Architecture Journal called “ Towards an Enterprise Business Motivation Model .” Of interest to Business Architects, Strategists, Business Planners, and Read More...
Reducing IT overhead by managing the list of IT standards
In tough economic times, we tend to look for ways to cut costs and reduce overhead, so that we can “do more with less.”  In our team, we’ve stumbled upon one such way that I’d like to share. One of the responsibilities that tend to fall to Enterprise Read More...
Is it time to create an MBA in Business Architecture?
Assuming that “Architecture” can be generically defined as “the art and science of designing or constructing something” (adapted from here and here ), then what exactly is Business Architecture? Extending the generalized definition above, a Business Architect Read More...
Architecture in a hot air balloon
There is a joke that I sometimes like to refer to, more as an allegorical story than anything else.  This version is from AJokeADay.com : A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended Read More...
A first look at TOGAF 9.0
Well, it is February 2nd, and today, the Open Group is announcing the general availability of TOGAF version 9.0 .  For those of you not familiar with TOGAF, it is an ambitious and maturing Enterprise Architecture Framework created by the members Read More...
The bizarre assumption of functional decomposition
I ran into a friend today and, as friends often do, we let our conversation wander over the different "broken things" in IT in general (and a few in Microsoft in specific).  One thing that I'd like to share from that conversation: a truly Read More...
Alignment - the missing Viewpoint
The (ISO Standard) RM-ODP model is a powerful and well reasoned mechanism for creating Architectural descriptions ("architectures"). Leveraging the IEEE-1471 taxonomy , and building out a visual style and standardized approach, there is tremendous value Read More...
Extending Professional Software Architecture
Imagine a time when building architecture meant "sketches" that would vary from one architect to another, one type of building to another.  It must have been quite difficult for the skilled tradesmen to build anything more than individual Read More...
Enterprise SOA needs a Federated Evolutionary Modeling Environment
I've been thinking a lot lately about the gap between "what we have" and "what we need" in the Enterprise SOA space. I think I have a need that is not yet filled by software. (that I'm aware of). I put up a post back in June about the difficulty in creating Read More...
Blame the Computer: A Business Process Modeling Anti-pattern
Whenever you model a business process, it is inevitable that, sooner or later, you will come to an activity that is entirely automated. As time goes on, more and more of the activities slip quietly into the technology. However, I'm noticing a troubling Read More...
Standards and Innovation
When I opened my call for a Shared Global Integration Model , I expected some folks to say "we don't need that." What I didn't expect was the argument that standards are somehow a bad idea. It's hard to consider an argument against standards with a straight Read More...
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