jaxmagazine - MDA r.a.d.a.r

How to Harmonise with the Other Standards

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 11:48:46 +0100

This issue focuses on how the harmonisation capability of the Harmony Classification Framework can provide you with WYGIWUW (What You Get Is What You Want)

64 Chambers of Enterprise Architecture Development: Chamber 0

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 10:57:03 +0100

This issue introduces the 'Enterprise Architecture Hieroglyphic' that forms the base to understanding the enterprise. This issue discusses the Chamber 0 of the 'Enterprise Architecture Hieroglyphic' to help understand the objective of the enterprise architecture development exercise.

64 Chambers of Enterprise Architecture Development: Explore the Success Formula of Enterprise Architecture

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 10:43:04 +0100

Harmony Classification Framework has developed a simple, 64-celled kaleidoscope to experience the beauty of the enterprise architecture and a step-by-step success pattern building the enterprise called the �preventive enterprise�. Last issue I detailed �Chamber 0�, the meditation chamber that will help you to stabilise your enterprise mind and facilitate the understanding of the enterprise. This issue unravels the 64 most powerful chambers of Harmony Classification Framework.

INTEGRATED Enterprise: Transformation Through Technology Innovation

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 13:45:35 +0100

Integration is the key to almost all enterprise system development. In this week�s issue I will explain ways to demystify the integration puzzle and also discuss how harmony and the enterprise classification framework play a crucial role in this enterprise integration playground.

Harmony, the Enterprise Classification Framework: �The Eixample and Modernisme�

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 11:13:47 +0100

The latest issue elaborates the capability of harmony enterprise classification framework to simplify the enormous complexity of the enterprise classification. This week I�ll also detail how this classification framework can be married with the GERA recommended enterprise features and enterprise master plan, which are the master formulae to establish a successful enterprise...

Building in Harmony with Model Driven Enterprise: Demystify the Art of Enterprise Ecology

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 13:55:17 +0100

Enterprise ecology is a mystic thirst that drives every enterprise thought leader into diverse innovative directions. In this week�s column, discover the melodic art of enterprise �harmony� interoperable through a powerful classification framework...

Model Driven Enterprise Architecture: Unleash the CORE

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 08:14:43 +0100

Meta-information (or models) is one of the key aspects of the new generation enterprise. The enterprise should also be able to seamlessly interact with other the enterprises using disparate technology. The key is the CORE (Classify, Organize and Relate the Entities) feature that facilitates wiring the enterprise meta-information together in a robust, decoupled, on-demand enterprise environment. This week�s discussion will detect and analyse the CORE signal...

Information Systems to (Meta-Information) Model Driven Enterprise Systems

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 08:13:22 +0100

Today information systems are no more synonymous to the enterprise systems. The enterprise is now more of a demand-supply chain relationship between suppliers, partners, and customers. The enterprise systems are also now ready to realise the benefits of MDA. This week�s discussion will help you to understand how the enterprise is passing through a paradigm shift that will help us to classify enterprise systems most effectively.

Enterprise Classification Framework: The Art of 'How' to Think About 'What' the Enterprise is

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 15:23:08 +0100

The terms Enterprise Taxonomy or Classification, Enterprise Architecture Frameworks and Enterprise Reference Architecture Frameworks are often confused and used interchangeably. This is the starting of the enterprise puzzle. The Enterprise Rubik Cube has now become the prime game for all enterprises. However, "The rules of logic are to mathematics, as those of structure are to architecture." This week's issue will explain the clear differences between each of these three puzzles. Our discussion will build a solid foundation for the mind-boggling enterprise mazes with the help of the labyrinths of enterprise classification frameworks.

Enterprise Strategy and Governance: An Easy Way to Get Lost in Translation

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 15:22:55 +0100

Enterprise strategic direction plan and governance is the most remunerative consulting area in the market at present. Various consulting management companies and research organizations such as the Butler Group, Forrester Research, and Gartner have on offer numerous analyses on the enterprise strategy plan and governance. A search for this topic on Google will also yield innumerable results. However, these sources do not present the accurate picture. The concepts of strategy and governance have been grossly modified and confined to represent the management, based on the assumption that the board of directors alone has the experience to control the business climate of the enterprise and manage traditional risks. Such a thought confuses cultural transparencies with the leadership qualities it takes to manage an enterprise�s intellectual capital and information. In this week�s issue, we will highlight the concepts of governance and analyze them to reveal their true essence.

Enterprise Unified Process: Low Cholesterol, High Fiber Enterprise Diet

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 15:22:43 +0100

It is a universally accepted fact that a fundamental process is necessary for a stable foundation. Even nature follows a systematic algorithm, right from the genetic biorhythm to human evolution. The enterprise is not alien to this concept. In fact, the success of an enterprise is governed by a unified process. However, a common problem in industries is the absence of a process that is aligned with enterprise recommendations and has architecture-centric, technology-driven project delivery models. Most industries adopt an easy and fast Return on Investment (RoI) policy whose theoretical or conceptual foundations are infected and inadequate. This can be remedied with a refactoring of IT strategies, architectures and policies. In this issue, we will learn more about an enterprise process that aligns the enterprise with its architectural foundations. The Enterprise Unified Process (EUP) can reduce enterprise health hazards and help maintain a balance within the enterprise.

Enterprise Architecture Economic Benefit Analysis: True Lies, More Art and Less Math

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 15:22:33 +0100

The term �financial performance analysis� often crops up in the context of organizational economic quantification. With the help of management consulting experts, several organizations go through multi-million dollar economic transformation programs that span many years. However, before entering into the lucrative jargon trap, understanding the economic benefits of the proposed enterprise integration effort is a fundamental necessity for any enterprise. Since ancient times, people have been using numbers without understanding the mathematics behind them. To get better quantification, we require more art and less math. Therefore, the economic benefit analysis of an Enterprise Architecture Integration program is vital to the success of an Enterprise Architecture program. The Enterprise Integration program should be tightly aligned with business effectiveness through technology innovation.

Enterprise Master Plan Development: The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 15:22:25 +0100

Since childhood, we have heard about the benefits of positive influences on mental growth. For example, a proper farming plan is a must for better agricultural production. The enterprise is not an exception to the proverb, �Morning shows the day�. Enterprise Architecture is a journey, not a destination. This journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step called the Enterprise Master Plan. Depending upon business requirements, the management�s SWOT analysis and a forecast of the economic climate, the Enterprise Master Plan can vary. Moreover, the type of the industry, its functional variance (ISV versus Consulting versus. Product Show Case) and the size of its units also influence the creation of an Enterprise Master Plan.

Enterprise Master Plan: Not a Playground for Snakes and Ladders

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 15:22:13 +0100

Last week, we introduced different business planning terms. This week, we will introduce the Enterprise Master Plan concept, the first step in strategic planning and orientation towards enterprise governance. The Enterprise Master Plan is the master key that guides an enterprise towards the organizational operational process workflow. Its implementation represents the project/service/consulting project opportunity that enables business effectiveness whilst utilizing technology innovation. The Enterprise Master Plan is the strategic abstraction of the philosophy in practice. The PERA Master plan is one of the basic requirements for any successful enterprise architecture program implementation.

Understanding Business Principles and Directions: Finding Neverland

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 15:22:05 +0100

Through the last few editions of MDA Radar we established the foundations of our knowledge about enterprise architecture. With the help of this base, we can consider ourselves empowered to build our enterprise � our flower garden with every possible color in it. Although we have sown the seeds in our garden, we are still a few steps away from seeing the flowers bloom. You must be ready to understand the soil and the seasons. These are two very important concepts for any gardener to understand. Over the next few weeks, we will engage in a new discussion that will revitalize enterprise strategic concepts and enterprise governance. In this week�s installment, we will try to enrich our enterprise glossaries in the context of enterprise business entity. Ever since we acquired initial knowledge about enterprise architecture, we have heard of or experienced the existence of different schools of thought. These schools show characteristics similar to the fabled blind men trying to explain the parts of an elephant. They concentrate only on certain parts of the enterprise and use their own methods to make MDA work. Our objective is to keep a safe distance from these players. As already mentioned in our previous discussions, the concepts behind an enterprise business entity are fundamental in understanding the concepts of enterprise strategies and plans. On identifying the right enterprise entity, our next step is to understand the terminologies associated with business strategic principles.

Enterprise Views: The Kaleidoscope of the Enterprise

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 15:21:52 +0100

Within any enterprise architecture, concerns of stakeholders are considered the most important as it effectively drives us to consider different �views� and �viewpoints� that finally shape the real picture of the enterprise architectural landscape. A �view� is what we see at a particular point of time, whereas a �viewpoint� is what we are looking from at that particular point in time. Therefore, time alongside stakeholders become another important parameter to get a right view. This is why it becomes important for the enterprise architectural governance or the �master plan� to consider situations like �was�, �as-is� and �to-be� in every respect, leaving aside situations like �should-be�, �needs-are� and �could-be� as optional. We will be discussing more about these situations in the upcoming editions of MDA Radar. This edition will answer the question, �Why do we get different colors to our enterprise architecture landscape kaleidoscope?� It will effectively discuss the views required to conclude our trio series on Entity, Stakeholders and Views.

Enterprise Stakeholders

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 15:21:38 +0100

Stakeholder role identification and analysis is an inevitable part of enterprise architecture development. In last week�s discussion, we briefly covered the importance of enterprise entity and its various types. Enterprise stakeholder analysis and identification should be the next step towards building the foundation for enterprise architecture. Identifying stakeholder taxonomy within enterprise entity development allows for effective requirement traceability and change management. �Stakeholder surrogacy has powerful and paradoxical connotations in requirements engineering. It is almost a dogma that projects should seek out ever-closer dialogue with stakeholders � consider the current fashion for Integrated Project Teams, facilitated workshops, rapid prototyping, agile development with user stories, etc. Yet all the time, the obvious truth is glossed over: that it is remarkably rare to be able to talk to many stakeholders in the flesh.� (Alexander). Stakeholder analysis is one of the most common treatments in any project. On the other hand, it is also a puzzle that suffers from wrong diagnosis and treatment. Enterprise Stakeholders may be human beings, an entity or a computational system. This week, we will introduce enterprise stakeholders and discuss their importance within enterprise architecture.

Enterprise Entity

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 15:21:22 +0100

In our Enterprise Architecture discussion series, we have recently introduced the concept of reference architecture framework that helps build the actual enterprise architecture frameworks eventually helping build an enterprise. We have presumably read tons of enterprise architecture articles which talk about different topics on the subject. Now let us frame a few questions about enterprise architecture. Who builds the enterprise? What do we build within the enterprise? What are the basic activities that happen within the enterprise? All these questions are very important in terms of understanding enterprise architecture. The enterprise is actually represented by �Enterprise Business Entity� or �Enterprise Entity� or simply �Entity�. Therefore, enterprise entity builds the enterprise. In other words, we can say that understanding the concept of Enterprise entity will help us understand the enterprise puzzle.

Enterprise Architecture Concepts

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 15:21:12 +0100

In last few weeks we have traveled across few major sectors of Enterprise Architecture Framework concepts. This week we will try to understand the different concepts emphasised by enterprise architecture frameworks. In the current market all of us may have come across different players in enterprise architecture framework arena. There are different top management organisations who have build their own enterprise architecture framework and advised their customers to use them. On the contrary few other well-known independent enterprise architecture frameworks also exist and do very well. However, one very common similarity between them is that none of them are derived from enterprise reference architecture framework like GERAM. These EAs deliver different parts of enterprise concepts, but mostly fail to address different important aspects of any enterprise architecture concepts. This week we will train our neurons to get some knowledge about the EA world concepts.

Enterprise Reference Architecture Framework

Fri, 12 May 2006 14:42:33 +0200

So far we have got a clear understanding of the matrix nature of the enterprise. We have acknowledged enterprise as a complex adaptive system. As a complex adaptive system enterprise organisations must be able to respond to a multi-dimensional formidable array of challenges to survive within this adaptive ecology. Today�s enterprise leaders are scratching their hair in an attempt to survive the emergence nature of the enterprise, maintain the requisite variety of nested systems in a sub-optimal level with the right level of iterative co-evolution. One of the most important challenges is to manage on the edge of chaos of ever changing new business models and unpredictable nature of customer demand. On the other hand enterprise is still struggling to find out a simple equation between outsourcing, service oriented digitalised globalisation, international competition, mergers & acquisitions of companies, technological innovation and information exchange flow. This complex adaptive system needs a complete solution to meet the challenges and create enterprise architecture with the recommendation of enterprise architecture framework, which in turn is created under the foundational recommendation of reference architecture.

Enterprise Genetics: A Complex Adaptive System

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 13:22:44 +0200

In the last edition of MDA Radar, we briefly touched on the enterprise as a matrix. As part of that discussion, we also introduced the modified IEEE 1471-2000 standard-based enterprise architecture, besides introducing the concept of enterprise mission and the PERA Master Plan concept. This week we will peer from the other side of the enterprise fence, investigating it from the perspective of a complex adaptive system. The main objective of this discussion is to understand the enterprise before embarking onto the details of its classification framework, enterprise reference architecture and enterprise architecture in the forthcoming editions of MDA Radar. Moreover, all this understanding will facilitate the building of a model driven enterprise classification framework to build the enterprise architecture with a strong foundation of enterprise concepts and models.

Enterprise Architecture Apocalypse

Wed, 12 Apr 2006 06:23:18 +0200

Through the last few editions of MDA Radar, we journeyed across some of the major parts of MDA. Now that we have an idea about the promise of MDA and how enterprises can benefit from it, we will spend the next few weeks focusing on enterprise architecture. Our main objective is to suggest a model driven enterprise classification framework within the enterprise architecture context and solve some important puzzles of this enterprise Rubik cube.

MDA T.R.E.N.D: Transform and Refine Enterprise Nomenclature and Definition

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 11:07:12 +0200

In last week�s discussion, we analysed different aspects of currently available MDA tools. We identified the master key of MDA success. We considered different aspects of MDA-based layered transformation of models. So far, we have a clear view of the current MDA tool status and OMG�s MDA specification. This week, we will discuss how MDA can help in making a significant transformation of enterprise layers and different emerging and ongoing possibilities. Our objective is to shed light on changing this new T.R.E.N.D (Transform and Refine Enterprise Nomenclature and Definition), and drawing a roadmap for the future.

MDA Tools Comparison Matrix: A Guided Tool Adoption Roadmap for MDA Adopters

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 08:24:17 +0200

In the editions of MDA Radar so far, we focused on the different MDA tools out there, provided a fair amount of intersectional views about their capabilities, features and weaknesses. This week we will try to summarize our findings about these tools and provide a clearer picture about the tool aspects of MDA. This discussion will also help facilitate your MDA tool adoption decisions and strategies. Tool vendors will also be able to get the right directions about their next release plan. Irrespective of the tools, the main objective of this week�s discussion is to understand the MDA tool market and help every enterprise architectural decision maker perfect their strategy MORE (Model Once Reuse Elsewhere) successfully.

MDA Tools Evaluation - Part IV: Investigating Model Transformation Tools, Model Repository Tools & Model Generation Tools

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 08:21:47 +0200

Last week�s edition of MDA Radar evaluated Model-in-Action and XMF Mosaic. In the final installment of the MDA tool evaluation series, JAX Magazine author Soumen Chatterjee investigates different model transformation tools, model repository tools and model generation tools.

MDA Tools Evaluation - Part III: MIA & XMF-Mosaic

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 08:20:55 +0200

Last week, author Soumen Chatterjee dissected Compuware OptimalJ using MDA Radar�s Tools Evaluation template and summarized it as not only an excellent contribution towards the MDA-driven community, but also an impressive success story. The template also identified some important functionality that will make OptimalJ a more comprehensive, robust tool for the MDA community. In the third part of the MDA tool evaluation series, MDA Radar tunes into MIA and XMF Mosaic. Read onto find out how they fare in the MDA Radar template test.

MDA Tools Evaluation - Part II: Evaluating Compuware OptimalJ

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 08:20:06 +0200

Last week, author Soumen Chatterjee dissected ArcStlyer using MDA Radar�s Tools Evaluation template and summarized it as a promising modeling initiative with several good features. The template also threw up a lot of missing MDA issues that are yet to be addressed in ArcStyler. In the second part of the MDA tool evaluation series, MDA Radar tunes into OptimalJ, Compuware�s Model-driven Java development tool. Read onto find out how OptimalJ fares in the MDA Radar template test. To know more about OptimalJ itself, read �OptimalJ - Delivering on the Essence of MDA�, a JAX Magazine article by Wim Bast, Chief Architect Compuware.

MDA Tools Evaluation - Part I: Evaluating ArcStyler

Thu, 09 Mar 2006 09:56:33 +0100

In the first edition of the MDA Radar, we briefly categorized the tools, listed the reputed ones, and provided a template to capture all of the important MDA aspects of the Object Management Group�s MDA specification. This week we will evaluate the tool, ArcStyler.

MDA Tools Classification Approach: An Evaluation Template

Thu, 09 Mar 2006 09:53:17 +0100

Model Driven Architecture(MDA) is the brain child of the Object Management Group(OMG) to revolutionalise the traditional software development approach with reusable model driven architecture based methodologies. It has introduced a standard modeling specification, providing an efficient modelling technique to model different enterprise domain, transformation techniques to transform one type of model to another, and mapping techniques to generate implementation code from the models. MDA is based on model layers and MDA tools play a major role in the successful adoption of MDA across the enterprise. The first edition provides a tools classification and a tool evaluation template to understand the industry maturity versus hype. It will be a useful guide for all tool vendors.