Enterprise Architecture

The definition of an architecture used in ANSI/IEEE Std 1471-2000 is: "the fundamental organization of a system, embodied in its components, their relationships to each other and the environment, and the principles governing its design and evolution."

An enterprise architecture (EA) is a conceptual tool that assists organizations with the understanding of their own structure and the way they work. It provides a map of the enterprise and is a route planner for business and technology change.

Normally an enterprise architecture takes the form of a comprehensive set of cohesive models that describe the structure and the functions of an enterprise. Important uses of it are in systematic IT planning and architecting, and in enhanced decision making.

The individual models in an EA are arranged in a logical manner, and this provides an ever-increasing level of detail about the enterprise, including:

• Its objectives and goals.
• Its processes and organization.
• Its systems and data.
• The technology used.