[What is Enterprise Architecture]什么是企业架构
Posted on Sat 08 December 2007 in it
开始关注公司的信息化建设,一个名词走进了视野--Enterprise Architecture,简称EA,中文叫企业架构。这是一种把组织战略目标映射到IT总体建设的蓝图设计,是西方发达国家经常采用设计方法。由于涉及到方法论层面,开始慢慢学习,逐步实践吧。
第一步,概念
从wikipedia上检索基本概念,搞清楚企业架构是什么。以下文字引用自http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_architecture
//概念一:来自MIT,说EA是业务过程和IT基础设施的组织逻辑,这种组织逻辑映射了对运营模型的整合及标准化需求。
A formal definition of the structure of an enterprise comes from the MIT Center for Information Systems Research:
Enterprise Architecture is the organizing logic for business processes and IT infrastructure reflecting the integration and standardization requirements of the firm’s operating model.[1]
//概念二:EA是关于企业的完整概念;一个整合各方力量的主要计划:1. 商业计划方面,例如目标、远景、策略和管理制度;2. 业务运营方面,例如业务名词、组织结构、流程和数据;3. 系统自动化方面,例如信息系统和数据库;4. 技术和基础设施的可行性方面,例如系统硬件、操作系统和网络等。
Another comprehensive definition of enterprise architecture is provided by the IFEAD (Institute for Enterprise Architecture Developments) as:
Enterprise Architecture is a complete expression of the enterprise; a master plan which “acts as a collaboration force” between aspects of business planning such as goals, visions, strategies and governance principles; aspects of business operations such as business terms, organization structures, processes and data; aspects of automation such as information systems and databases; and the enabling technological infrastructure of the business such as computers, operating systems and networks.[2]
无论我们是否去明确的描述,EA都是客观存在的,当我们关注现有系统中的EA,这听起来很合理。事实上,对企业架构的实践已经逐渐浮现出来了--在系统架构中抽象企业架构,从业者被称作"enterprise architects."
第二步,关系
除了企业架构(Enterprise Architecture),还有部门架构(Segment Architecture)/业务流程重建(Business Process Reengineering) 以及解决方案架构(Solution architectures)。
Activities such as software architecture, network architecture, database architecture may be seen as partial contributions to a solution architecture.
第三步,视图
从以下4个视角考察一个企业架构:
- Business:
- Strategy maps, goals, corporate policies, Operating Model
- Functional decompositions (e.g. IDEF0, SADT), capabilities and organizational models
- Business processes
- Organization cycles, periods and timing
- Suppliers of hardware, software, and services
- Information:
- Metadata - data that describes your enterprise data elements
- Data models: conceptual, logical, and physical
- Applications:
- Application software inventories and diagrams
- Interfaces between applications - that is: events, messages and data flows
- Intranet, Extranet, Internet, eCommerce, EDI links with parties within and outside of the organization
- Technology:
- Hardware, platforms, and hosting: servers, and where they are kept
- Local and wide area networks, Internet connectivity diagrams
- Operating System
- Infrastructure software: Application servers, DBMS
- Programming Languages, etc..
第四步,框架
Zachman框架
John Zachman是公认的企业架构领域的理论开拓者,现有的企业架构框架大都由Zachman框架派生而来。
Zachman框架起源于John Zachman在1987年发表的题为“信息系统开发框架”(A Framework for Information Systems Development)的学术论文,文中阐述了在信息系统开发工作中对软件体系结构的看法:系统开发是由具有不同关注视点的若干层面人员共同完成的,这与认识到系统开发是由不同阶段完成的同等重要;在系统开发中,考察对象不应仅限于数据和功能,还应包括地点。Zachman给出了一个矩阵,将关注视点放在 列上,角色层面放在行上。
此矩阵最初有是什么(What)、如何做(How)和在哪里(Where)三列。后来,Zachman又增加了是谁(Who)、什么时间(When)时间和为什么(Why)三列。Zachman框架可以用来指导信息化建设过程,并管理此过程中的设计产物。
FEAF框架
1999年,美国政府组建美国联邦CIO委员会,发布了联邦企业架构框架(FEAF,Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework),此后美国政府机构也相继基于FEAF发布了各自的部门级企业架构框架。这是企业架构在政府领域的首次应用,带动了企业架构在西方发达国家政府的大范围推广。
2001年,美国联邦CIO委员会发布《FEAF实践指南》(A Practical Guide to FEA)。之后,又发布了由绩效参考模型(PRM)、业务参考模型(BRM)、服务参考模型(SRM)、技术参考模型(TRM)、数据参考模型(DRM)等五个参考模型。
FEAF由当前架构、目标架构、转换流程(标准)组成,当前架构和目标架构分解为业务架构、数据架构、应用架构和技术架构,后来又增加了绩效架构。