Architecture Definition Document
Purpose
The Architecture Definition Document is the deliverable container for the core architectural artefacts created during a project and for important related information. The Architecture Definition Document spans all architecture domains (Business, Data, Application, and Technology) and also examines all relevant states of the architecture (Baseline, Transition, and Target).
A Transition Architecture shows the enterprise at an architecturally significant state between the Baseline and Target Architectures. Transition Architectures are used to describe transitional
Target Architectures necessary for effective realisation of the Target Architecture.
The Architecture Definition Document is a companion to the Architecture Requirements
Specification, with a complementary objective:
- The Architecture Definition Document provides a qualitative view of the solution and aims to communicate the intent of the architects
- The Architecture Requirements Specification provides a quantitative view of the solution, stating measurable criteria that must be met during the implementation of the architecture
Content
- Typical contents of an Architecture Definition Document are:
- Scope
- Goals, objectives, and constraints
- Architecture Principles
- Baseline Architecture
- Architecture models (for each state to be modeled):
- Business Architecture models
- Data Architecture models
- Application Architecture models
- Technology Architecture models
- Rationale and justification for architectural approach
- Mapping to Architecture Repository:
- Mapping to Architecture Landscape
- Mapping to reference models
- Mapping to standards
- Re-use assessment
- Gap analysis
- Impact assessment
- Transition Architecture:
- Definition of transition states
- Business Architecture for each transition state
- Data Architecture for each transition state
- Application Architecture for each transition state
- Technology Architecture for each transition state