A framework is defined as: “conventions, principles and practices for the description of architectures established within a specific domain of application and/or community of stakeholders.” (ISO, 2011). A framework is a logical structure for classifying and organizing complex information. An EA framework provides an organizing structure for the information contained in and describing an EA. This categorization of EA information facilitates thinking about the architecture and how the information fits together. The EA framework can specify the data, models, and views needed to describe the EA and show how to portray linkages between different types of EA information such as mission needs, business processes, and IT capabilities. The use of frameworks can speed the architecture development process. Using the same framework across different but related EAs increases the comparability of the EAs and facilitates communications among the architects, planners, and developers.

Prominent general EA frameworks include the Zachman Framework for Enterprise Architecture and The Open Group Architectural Framework (TOGAF). Frameworks focused on government EA include the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA), the U.S. DoD Architecture Framework (DoDAF), and the British MoD Architecture Framework (MoDAF). The latter two are in the process of unification in the Unified Profile for DoDAF/MoDAF (UPDM).

Further Reading

1. IFIP-IFAC Task Force, (1999). Generalized Enterprise Reference Architecture and Methodology
2. McCarthy, R., (2006). Toward a Unified Enterprise Architecture Framework: An Analytics Evaluation, Issues in Information Systems
3. Cameron, B.H., McMillan, E., (2013), Analyzing the Current Trends in Enterprise Architecture Frameworks, Journal of Enterprise Architecture