Enterprise Architecture: Components and Artifacts and the Five Hierarchical Levels

Chapter 6: Enterprise Architecture
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Enterprise Architecture
EA Components
“EA components are functional features of the enterprise’s technology and business operating environment” (Bernard, 2020, p. 122). Notably, these components include IT-related strategic initiatives and goals. Besides, other EA components are security solutions, video/data/voice networks, websites, databases, knowledge warehouses, software applications, and information systems. According to Bernard (2020), these components should function simultaneously to maximize the framework’s effectiveness. Equally important, the performance measures for these components include cost effectiveness, scalability, security, reliability, and availability (Bernard, 2020, p. 122). Overall, EA components are very important in developing an entire EA framework.
EA Artifacts
“EA artifact is a specific documentation that describes the EA components in detail” (Bernard, 2020, p. 122). These artifacts include video files, pictures, spreadsheets, charts, diagrams, and reports. Most importantly, these artifacts comprise low, middle, and high levels. The low level elaborates more on cable plants, network components, interfaces, technical standards, data dictionaries, and specific applications. Besides, mid-level artifacts are briefings, spreadsheets, charts, diagrams, and documents that define websites, networks, information flows, large systems, supply chains, ongoing projects, and organizational processes. High-level artifacts are usually diagrams or text documents describing the desired outcome, programs, and overall strategies (Bernard, 2020, p. 123). Overall, an enterprise attains optimal benefits when these artifacts function in unison.
How EA Artifacts and Components Relate
EA artifacts and components significantly relate due to their significance to the entire EA framework. EA artifacts provide the foundation for establishing EA components. “While an EA provides an overall structure for modeling the enterprise’s business and technology operating environment, components are the functional elements of the framework at each level. In other words, EA components are the “building blocks” that create a discrete part of the overall IT operational capability. EA artifacts describe EA components” (Bernard, 2020, p. 122). Besides, EA artifacts and components should...