A paper exploring the different architecture frameworks used and whether it matters which one we choose.

Architecture Frameworks lie at the heart of EA work, but there remains a great deal of confusion about the subject. While different architects prefer one framework over another they don’t often make their selection criteria explicit.

Why and how do we choose an architecture framework? And does it matter which one we choose and use? In this paper I will explain why frameworks are important, show that the framework we choose does indeed have an impact on our success, provide some criteria to make a selection, and suggest that we need to use more than one at a time!

Zachman or TOGAF®, or ...

Should Enterprise Architects use the Zachman Framework, or The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF), or the Pragmatic Enterprise Architecture Framework (PEAF), or Information FrameWork (IFW), or .... Well this list could go on and on! If you search on the Internet you will even find sites that have catalogued the available architecture frameworks. I found one claim that there were more than 900 architecture frameworks, although more considered lists put the number at around 50i .

Please login to continue reading this white paper discussing the different architecture frameworks from Roger Evernden.