Welcome to GTRA

One of the greatest innovations in TOGAF 9 is the addition of a Content Framework, which is tied both to a new explicit Metamodel and to the well proven Architecture Development Method (ADM). Federal TOGAF users already had considerable power by linking the ADM to the Reference Models of the FEA. Now they will be able to more easily and flexibly create metamodels. They will also be able to tie artifacts defined in the Content Framework to their own metamodels and to the phases of the ADM as they populate their versions of the five Reference Models of the FEA. Because the Metamodel is modular, it is very suitable for assisting architects to define and model within segments.

The TOGAF Content Framework unambiguously (finally) defines deliverables, artifacts and building blocks, and how they relate to each other. I won’t present these definitions here, but this diagram should give some hints. Deliverables are containers for artifacts, which describe building blocks.

Let’s digress for a moment to the Metamodel, which will help us understand the final presentation of the content framework. The highest level representation of the Metamodel is closely related to the ADM. You’ll see this if you look at these two diagrams together.

A more granular look at the Metamodel shows how high-level building blocks map into its structure. This is very useful to Agency architects because it is very consistent with component-based architecture, an essential element of Federal EA practice.

 The modularity of the TOGAF Metamodel also helps achieve component-based architecture. This diagram shows how the core of the Metamodel can be augmented by extensions. If you Agency is doing a SOA implementation, then adding the ‘Services’ and ‘Governance’ extensions may help you create a workable metamodel without using everything conceivable.

This brings us back to the Content Framework. In this Taxonomy of Views diagram, all artifacts described in TOGAF 9 are mapped to the Phases of the ADM and to Core and Extension portions of the Metamodel. It gives the architect a starting point from which to add Federal or Agency specific artifacts.

I’ve only touched the highpoints regarding the Content Framework and Metamodel – important additions to TOGAF with Version 9. Please download the full version at xxx or contact me at john.polgreen@architecting-the-enterprise.com  or at 410-980-6287 for information on certification courses and consultancy.