# The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF)

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# Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Initialisms

Short Form Full Form
TOGAF The Open Group Architecture Framework

# Overview

The TOGAF Standard is a framework for Enterprise Architecture. It may be used freely by any organization wishing to develop an Enterprise Architecture for use within that organization.

The TOGAF approach helps practitioners avoid being locked into proprietary methods, utilize resources more efficiently and effectively, and realize a greater return on investment.

The TOGAF Standard makes adoption of best practices easier. It will show you where to find enduring and universal concepts and proven best practice and also it will underscore where to look for new emerging ideas.

# Domains

There are four architecture domains that are commonly accepted as subsets of an overall Enterprise Architecture, all of which the TOGAF Standard is designed to support:

  • Business Architecture
  • Data Architecture
  • Application Architecture
  • Technology Architecture

The Business Architecture defines the business strategy, governance, organization, and key business processes.

The Data Architecture describes the structure of an organization's logical and physical data assets and data management resources.

The Application Architecture provides a blueprint for the individual applications to be deployed, their interactions, and their relationships to the core business processes of the organization.

The Technology Architecture describes the digital architecture and the logical software and hardware infrastructure capabilities and standards that are required to support the deployment of business, data, and applications services. This includes digital services, Internet of Things (IoT), social media infrastructure, cloud services, IT infrastructure, middleware, networks, communications, processing, standards, etc.

There are many other domains that could be defined by combining appropriate views of the Business, Data, Application, and Technology domains. For example:

  • Information Architecture
  • Risk and Security Architectures
  • Digital Architecture

The TOGAF framework enables the creation of these multi-dimensional views and categorizes them to create specific domains that enable an enterprise to consider the wider scope of their enterprise and capabilities.

# Noteworthy

  • TOGAF is a means of incorporating security architecture with the overall business architecture.

# Sources