TOGAF Explained: The ADM, Domains and How to Use It

A standard from The Open Group

TOGAF is an enterprise architecture standard published by The Open Group. Its 10th Edition comprises the Fundamental Content, which sets out the core concepts and practices, and the Series Guides, which advise on configuring them for an organisation’s context.

The Open Group makes the standard available free of charge for non-commercial use, which usually means use inside an organisation. Commercial use requires a licence. TOGAF certification validates an individual’s knowledge; it is not a condition for using the standard.

The ADM, a cycle of phases

The Architecture Development Method, or ADM, is the method for developing architecture described in the standard. The Open Group’s diagram shows it as a cycle: a Preliminary phase, then eight phases from A to H, connected to Requirements Management at the centre.

The cycle starts again when the need or the context changes. A team keeps the phases and deliverables that serve the decision it is preparing. A first engagement can be limited to the vision, the current state and target of the affected domains, then the migration plan.

• Preliminary phase: prepare the organisation for architecture work.
• A. Architecture Vision: set the scope and the reason for change.
• B, C and D. Business Architecture, Information Systems Architectures, Technology Architecture: describe the current state and the target.
• E and F. Opportunities and Solutions, Migration Planning: group the changes and put them in sequence.
• G and H. Implementation Governance, Architecture Change Management: check what is delivered and handle further change.
• Requirements Management: at the centre of the cycle, it connects requirements to every phase.

The architecture domains

Phases B to D cover four domains. Business architecture describes capabilities, processes and organisation. Phase C addresses data architecture and application architecture: the information the business depends on, then the applications supporting its processes. Technology architecture describes platforms and infrastructure.

Change is reasoned through the relationships between domains: which capability a process realises, which application holds which data, which technology it runs on. An assessment that documents these links sees what a change affects before it is decided.

TOGAF in ArchiLU

In ArchiLU, the architecture dossier follows the TOGAF approach: business and IT targets, questions, principles and waivers. It can start from a request or be opened independently. Landscapes carry the current state, the target and a dated roadmap; the gap gives each element its work package and due date.

The architecture board examines the submitted dossier and records the decision with its reasoning. The architecture review then confirms the delivered target before it enters the repository, which matches the purpose of phase G. The tool supports these steps; it does not make the organisation compliant with the standard. TOGAF is a registered trademark of The Open Group.