Modeling Methods and Processes

Enterprise Architecture efforts generally include a number of modeling methodologies and processes.   Below are brief descriptions and links to a number of the more commonly used ones.

IDEF • Integrated Definition Language

A series of modeling methodologies based on Structured Analysis and Design, they have been developed and vetted over many years.   Still in use within the commercial and government worlds, the various methodologies (among which IDEF0, IDEF1x, and IDEF3 are the most popular) tend to be strongest in the description of the business components of an Enterprise Architecture.   With the advent of UML ® , this is starting to change, but we are still in the transition period, and an enterprise architect must be aware of, and be able to utilize, both major methodologies.

The following link is designed and maintained by KBSI, Inc., makers of a series of IDEF modeling tools.   While it is a commercial site, it is the most complete and easiest to navigate source to access descriptions of the IDEF methodologies without being a member of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.), the standards body that governs IDEF.

www.idef.com

IDEF • UML • ABM • Top

UML® • Unified Modeling Language

Primarily used for software engineering, UML® helps you specify, visualize, and document models of software systems, including their structure and design, in a way that meets all of these requirements. (UML can be used for business modeling and modeling of other non-software systems too.) Using any one of the large number of UML -based tools on the market, the Enterprise Architect can analyze a future application's requirements and design a solution that meets them, representing the results using UML 's twelve standard diagram types .

Many UML® based tools are moving into the Enterprise Architecture world (as opposed to the software or systems architectures that they have been traditionally utilized for), and as such have developed extensions for specific EA frameworks, especially the DoD Architecture Framework (DoDAF).   We are still in a transition period though, and enterprise architects and software users should be aware that structured analysis diagrams are often still utilized, especially for describing the business components of an enterprise.

http://www.uml.org/

IDEF • UML • ABM • Top

 

ABM • Activity-Based Methodology

The Activity-Based Methodology (a concept developed by The MITRE Corporation and Lockheed-Martin, Copyright © 2003) is a process to assist in the creation of DoDAF (Department of Defense Architecture Framework) compliant architectures.   The methodology is designed to maximize information reuse and minimize repetition and wasted time.   

"The Activity Based Methodology establishes a common means to express integrated DOD architecture information consistent with intent of DoD Architecture Framework (DoDAF) and the Clinger-Cohen Act. The methodology consists of a tool-independent approach to developing fully integrated, unambiguous, and consistent DODAF Operational, System, and Technical views in supporting both "as-is" architectures (where all current elements are known) and "to-be" architectures (where not all future elements are known). It is based on a set of DoDAF Operational and System architecture elements aligned to each other from which four Operational and four System architecture elements provide the core building block foundation of integrated architectures. An integrated architecture is the basis for any type of subsequent architecture analysis for any purposes such as impact analysis and for identifying redundant, conflicting, missing, and/or obsolete architecture elements. The DoDAF Architecture Description Specification Model (DADSM), derived from the aligned DoDAF architecture elements, will be presented as well as the mapping of DADSM to military DOTMLPF. Workflow steps to creating integrated DoDAF operational and system architecture descriptions will be described. The Activity Based Methodology also enables the transition to executable process models and their associated time-dependent behavior and dollar cost analysis of complex, dynamic operations and human and system resource interactions that cannot be identified or properly understood using static models." *

*From "An Activity-Based Methodology for Development and Analysis of Integrated DoD Architectures," March 2004; Steven J. Ring, The MITRE Corporation, Dave Nicholson, The MITRE Corporation, Jim Thilenius, The MITRE Corporation, Stanley Harris, Lockheed-Martin Corporation

http://www.mitre.org/work/tech_papers/tech_papers_04/ring_dodarch/

IDEF • UML • ABM • Top