Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill The Zachman Framework What is it all about?

Introduction John A. Zachman is sometimes called the grandfather of EA His paper defined EA as a discipline His idea of an architecture is a set of documents that defines every thing needed to describe or construct a product His framework then defines the categories of these documents Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

The Matrix Two dimensional classification scheme for descriptive representations of an Enterprise. The columns are defined by questions one might ask about any endeavor –Who, what, where, when, how, why –Also called abstractions The row are defined by perspectives –Strategists, executives, architects, engineers, technicians, workers Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

One View Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Another Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Yet Another Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Generality Zachman claims this is an ontology –Also a normalized schema This matrix could be applied to any architecture, not just EA –Constructing cars, constructing buildings, constructing enterprises There is no methodology associated with this framework –Methodologies might change in each different context An implementation or instantiation is the finished product Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Claims An ontology represents knowledge as a set of concepts within a domain, and the relationships between pairs of concepts –The framework is an analytic tool The normalized schema has one meta-fact in each grid location –The rows and columns are in their correct order and are complete Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Another Representation Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

More Detail We have not enough to go on just yet We need a more thorough description of the various rows and column descriptions First the columns Next the rows Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

What The material abstraction What is it made out of –What components are used The bill of materials Semantic structures Process models This is about structure Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

How The functional abstraction How it works –How do the pieces work together Functional specifications of the transformations This is about process Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Where The geometry abstraction Drawings The spatial or relational or process network of interconnection This is about locations Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Who Who does what work? Workflow modeling Operating instructions What roles perform what actions This is about people and roles Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

When When do thing happen in relation to other things Timing diagrams Dynamic or time models This is about the dynamics or timing of events Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Why Design objectives Motivation models This is about s trategies Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Scoping boundaries Strategist’s perspective –The grand view of everything Context that establishes the inner and outer limits The list of relevant constituents that must be accounted for in the descriptive representations Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Requirements Conceptual view The nature of the business A model of the business The owners perspective The recipient (customer, user) of the end product What are we going to do with the end product Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Logical Designer’s perspective –Engineering descriptions Model of the systems Logical representation of the enterprise Interface between what is desirable and possible How is data transformed within the organization Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Builder’s Perspective Blueprints and schematics Manufacturing engineers description Technology model –Technologist determines what is possible –What technologies are available to solve business problems Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Tooling configuration Implementer's perspective Detailed representations –How does a department work? How do we convert from models and specification into the real item Specific applications and their detailed instructions Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Implementation This is the real thing, not an architecture The operator’s perspective Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Mappings The Zachman framework maps onto many methodologies OMG’s Model Driven Architecture contains –Computation Independent Model –Platform Independent Model –Platform Specific Model These three are three different rows in framework Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Column cells Lets zero in on the people or who column and look at the individual cells Objective or scoping row –Which organizational units will be considered? –Is this a department within a larger organization? –Do we need to look at groups outside, eg. Suppliers consumers? Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Owner intersect people The owner is a very high level view The organization chart is the key document It is annotated with upper level titles and duties Typically a department is represented only by its manager –Thus not every person is shown Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Architect intersect people This is the logical view of what people do The interactions they have with: –Employees –External people –Information technology What roles exist? Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Technology Designer Human computer interface –Type of data in the interface General specifications of the programs –Security considerations should be included here System architecture Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Builder Actual screen layout –Input from person –Outputs to the person Program architecture User guides Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Note The programs in the system need input from several cells of the framework The who column, builder row documents user interface The what column of the same row discusses the data to be used The how column looks at the internal structure of the program to be produced The programmer needs all of these Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill

Discussion Let’s consider the handout of the chart What does each cell represent? What sort of documentation should exist to cover the cell? Are you ready to gather some of this kind of data? Copyright © 2013 Curt Hill