The SOA Enterprise Architecture Framework (SOA~EAF)

The SOA Enterprise Architecture Framework or SOA~EAF™ is the framework used to capture and manage all the documentation and metadata needed to support, manage and maximize an SOA Architecture Practice. The Framework is also the mechanism that provides traceable linkages from the highest corporate strategic level down to the physical SOA implementations.

The Framework is comprised of five columns and seven rows (or layers). The five columns represent the individual frameworks applied to each of the focus areas of the SOA Practice. These frameworks are:

1. The Corporate Strategy SOA Assessment Framework
2. The Business Unit Operational Plan SOA Assessment Framework
3. The SOA Business Architecture Framework
4. The SOA Reference Architecture Framework
5. The SOA Platform Architecture Framework

While the Architecture Practice facilitates and manages all 5 of these frameworks, the first three are owned and driven by the business. Architecture also manages the direct correlation and linkages of the artifacts and metadata across the five columns at each layer.

The seven layers that are the same for each of the individual Frameworks are:

1. The “Constituent” Domain Layer
2. The Business Channel Domain Layer
3. The Business Process Domain Layer
4. The Business Service Domain Layer
5. The Service Integration Domain Layer
6. The “Legacy” Application Domain Layer
7. The “Legacy” Platform Domain Layer