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Introduction
Structure of the TOGAF Document | Downloads | Frequently Asked Questions

The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) is a framework - a detailed method and a set of
supporting tools - for developing an enterprise architecture. It may be used freely by any organization
wishing to develop an enterprise architecture for use within that organization (see Conditions of Use).

TOGAF was developed by members of The Open Group, working within the Architecture Forum
(www.opengroup.org/architecture). The original development of TOGAF Version 1 in 1995 was based
on the Technical Architecture Framework for Information Management (TAFIM), developed by the US
Department of Defense (DoD). The DoD gave The Open Group explicit permission and
encouragement to create TOGAF by building on the TAFIM, which itself was the result of many years
of development effort and many millions of dollars of US Government investment.

Starting from this sound foundation, the members of The Open Group Architecture Forum have
developed successive versions of TOGAF each year and published each one on The Open Group
public web site.

If you are new to the field of enterprise architecture and/or TOGAF, you may find it worthwhile to read
the set of Frequently Asked Questions (Frequently Asked Questions), where you will find answers to
questions such as:

What is an architecture framework?

What kind of "architecture" are we talking about?
How does my organization benefit from using TOGAF?

Structure of the TOGAF Document

There are four main parts to the TOGAF document:

PART I
(Introduction) This Part provides a high-level introduction to some of the key concepts behind
enterprise architecture and in particular the TOGAF approach.
PART II
(Architecture Development Method) This is the core of TOGAF. It describes the TOGAF
Architecture Development Method (ADM) - a step-by-step approach to developing an enterprise
architecture.
PART III
(Enterprise Continuum) This Part describes the TOGAF Enterprise Continuum, a virtual
repository of architecture assets, which includes the TOGAF Foundation Architecture, and the
Integrated Information Infrastructure Reference Model (III-RM).
PART IV
(Resources) This Part comprises the TOGAF Resource Base - a set of tools and techniques
available for use in applying TOGAF and the TOGAF ADM.

Downloads
Downloads of the TOGAF documentation, including a printable PDF file, are available under license
from the TOGAF information web site (www.opengroup.org/architecture/togaf). The license is free to
any organization wishing to use TOGAF entirely for internal purposes (for example, to develop an
Information Systems Architecture for use within that organization).
 Conditions of Use

The TOGAF documentation is freely available for viewing online without a license. Alternatively, the
complete TOGAF documentation set may be downloaded and stored under license, as explained on
the TOGAF information web site.

In either case, the TOGAF documentation may be used freely by any organization wishing to do so to
develop an architecture for use within that organization. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, for any other purpose including, but not by way of limitation, any use for
commercial gain, without the prior permission of the copyright owners.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an enterprise? ...

A good definition of "enterprise" in this context is any collection of organizations that has a common set
of goals and/or a single bottom line. In that sense, an enterprise can be a government agency, a whole
corporation, a division of a corporation, a single department, or a chain of geographically distant
organizations linked together by common ownership.

The term "enterprise" in the context of "enterprise architecture" can be used to denote both an entire
enterprise, encompassing all of its information systems, and a specific domain within the enterprise. In
both cases, the architecture crosses multiple systems, and multiple functional groups within the
enterprise.

Confusion also arises from the evolving nature of the term "enterprise". An extended enterprise
nowadays frequently includes partners, suppliers, and customers. If the goal is to integrate an
extended enterprise, then the enterprise comprises the partners, suppliers, and customers, as well as
internal business units.

Large corporations and government agencies may comprise multiple enterprises, and hence there
may well be separate enterprise architecture projects. However, there is often much in common about
the information systems in each enterprise, and there is usually great potential for gain in the use of a
common architecture framework. For example, a common framework can provide a basis for the
development of an architecture repository for the integration and re-use of models, designs, and
baseline data.

... an architecture? ...

The definition of an architecture used in ANSI/IEEE Std 1471-2000 is:

"The fundamental organization of a system, embodied in its components, their

relationships to each other and the environment, and the principles governing its design
and evolution."

At the present time, TOGAF embraces but does not strictly adhere to ANSI/IEEE Std 1471-2000
terminology. In TOGAF, "architecture" has two meanings depending upon its contextual usage:

1. A formal description of a system, or a detailed plan of the system at component level to guide its
implementation
2. The structure of components, their inter-relationships, and the principles and guidelines governing their
design and evolution over time.

In TOGAF we endeavor to strike a balance between promoting the concepts and terminology of
ANSI/IEEE Std 1471-2000 - ensuring that our usage of terms defined by ANSI/IEEE Std 1471-2000 is
consistent with the standard - and retaining other commonly accepted terminology that is familiar to
 the majority of the TOGAF readership. For more on terminology, refer to Part IV: Resource Base,
Developing Architecture Views .

... an architecture description? ...

An architecture description is a formal description of an information system, organized in a way that

supports reasoning about the structural properties of the system. It defines the components or building
blocks that make up the overall information system, and provides a plan from which products can be
procured, and systems developed, that will work together to implement the overall system. It thus
enables you to manage your overall IT investment in a way that meets the needs of your business.

... an architecture framework? ...

An architecture framework is a tool which can be used for developing a broad range of different
architectures. It should describe a method for designing an information system in terms of a set of
building blocks, and for showing how the building blocks fit together. It should contain a set of tools
and provide a common vocabulary. It should also include a list of recommended standards and
compliant products that can be used to implement the building blocks.

Why do I need an enterprise architecture?

The primary reason for developing an enterprise architecture is to support the business by providing
the fundamental technology and process structure for an IT strategy. This in turn makes IT a
responsive asset for a successful modern business strategy.

Today's CEOs know that the effective management and exploitation of information through IT is the
key to business success, and the indispensable means to achieving competitive advantage. An
enterprise architecture addresses this need, by providing a strategic context for the evolution of the IT
system in response to the constantly changing needs of the business environment.

Furthermore, a good enterprise architecture enables you to achieve the right balance between IT
efficiency and business innovation. It allows individual business units to innovate safely in their pursuit
of competitive advantage. At the same time, it assures the needs of the organization for an integrated
IT strategy, permitting the closest possible synergy across the extended enterprise.

The technical advantages that result from a good enterprise architecture bring important business
benefits, which are clearly visible in the bottom line:

A more efficient IT operation:

Lower software development, support, and maintenance costs
Increased portability of applications
Improved interoperability and easier system and network management
Improved ability to address critical enterprise-wide issues like security
Easier upgrade and exchange of system components
Better return on existing investment, reduced risk for future investment:
Reduced complexity in IT infrastructure
Maximum return on investment in existing IT infrastructure
The flexibility to make, buy, or out-source IT solutions
Reduced risk overall in new investment, and the costs of IT ownership
Faster, simpler, and cheaper procurement:
Buying decisions are simpler, because the information governing procurement is readily
available in a coherent plan.
The procurement process is faster - maximizing procurement speed and flexibility without
sacrificing architectural coherence.
Why do I need a framework for enterprise architecture?

Using an architecture framework will speed up and simplify architecture development, ensure more
complete coverage of the designed solution, and make certain that the architecture selected allows for
future growth in response to the needs of the business.

Architecture design is a technically complex process, and the design of heterogeneous, multi-vendor
architectures is particularly complex. TOGAF plays an important role in helping to "de-mystify" the
architecture development process, enabling IT users to build genuinely open systems-based solutions
to their business needs.

Why is this important?

Those IT customers who do not invest in enterprise architecture typically find themselves pushed
inexorably to single-supplier solutions in order to ensure an integrated solution. At that point, no matter
how ostensibly "open" any single supplier's products may be in terms of adherence to standards, the
customer will be unable to realize the potential benefits of truly heterogeneous, multi-vendor open
systems.

What specifically would prompt me to develop an architecture?

Typically, an architecture is developed because key people have concerns that need to be addressed
by the IT systems within the organization. Such people are commonly referred to as the "stakeholders"
in the system. The role of the architect is to address these concerns, by identifying and refining the
requirements that the stakeholders have, developing views of the architecture that show how the
concerns and the requirements are going to be addressed, and by showing the trade-offs that are
going to be made in reconciling the potentially conflicting concerns of different stakeholders.

Without the architecture, it is highly unlikely that all the concerns and requirements will be considered
and met.

What is TOGAF?

TOGAF is an architecture framework - The Open Group Architecture Framework. It enables you to
design, evaluate, and build the right architecture for your organization.

The key to TOGAF is the Architecture Development Method (ADM) - a reliable, proven method for
developing an IT enterprise architecture that meets the needs of your business.

What kind of architecture does TOGAF deal with?

There are four types of architecture that are commonly accepted as subsets of an overall enterprise
architecture, all of which TOGAF is designed to support:

A Business (or Business Process) Architecture - this defines the business strategy, governance,
organization, and key business processes.
A Data Architecture - this describes the structure of an organization's logical and physical data assets
and data management resources.
An Applications Architecture - this kind of architecture provides a blueprint for the individual application
systems to be deployed, their interactions, and their relationships to the core business processes of the
organization.
A Technology Architecture - this describes the logical software and hardware capabilities that are
required to support the deployment of business, data, and application services. This includes IT
infrastructure, middleware, networks, communications, processing, standards, etc.
Who would benefit from using TOGAF?

Any organization undertaking, or planning to undertake, the design and implementation of an

enterprise architecture for the support of mission-critical business applications, using open systems
building blocks.

Customers who design and implement enterprise architectures using TOGAF are ensured of a design
and a procurement specification that will greatly facilitate open systems implementation, and will
enable the benefits of open systems to accrue to their organizations with reduced risk.

What specifically does TOGAF contain?

TOGAF provides a common-sense, practical, prudent, and effective method of developing an

enterprise architecture.

TOGAF consists of three main parts:

1. The TOGAF Architecture Development Method (ADM), which explains how to derive an organization-
specific enterprise architecture that addresses business requirements. The ADM provides:
A reliable, proven way of developing the architecture
Architecture views which enable the architect to ensure that a complex set of requirements are
adequately addressed
Linkages to practical case studies
Guidelines on tools for architecture development
2. The Enterprise Continuum, which is a "virtual repository" of all the architecture assets - models,
patterns, architecture descriptions, etc. - that exist both within the enterprise and in the IT industry at large,
which the enterprise considers itself to have available for the development of architectures. At relevant
places throughout the TOGAF ADM, there are reminders to consider which architecture assets from the
Enterprise Continuum the architect should use, if any. TOGAF itself provides two reference models for
consideration for inclusion in an enterprise's own Enterprise Continuum:
1. The TOGAF Foundation Architecture - an architecture of generic services and functions that
provides a foundation on which specific architectures and Architecture Building Blocks (ABBs) can
be built. This Foundation Architecture in turn includes:
The TOGAF Technical Reference Model (TRM), which provides a model and taxonomy
of generic platform services
The TOGAF Standards Information Base (SIB), which is a database of open industry
standards that can be used to define the particular services and other components of an
enterprise-specific architecture
2. The Integrated Information Infrastructure Reference Model (III-RM), which is based on the
TOGAF Foundation Architecture, and is specifically aimed at helping the design of architectures that
enable and support the vision of Boundaryless Information Flow.
3. The TOGAF Resource Base, which is a set of resources - guidelines, templates, background
information, etc. - to help the architect in the use of the ADM.

Just how do you use TOGAF?

TOGAF is published by The Open Group on its public web site, and may be reproduced freely by any
enterprise wishing to use it to develop an enterprise architecture for use within that enterprise.

Basically, information about the benefits and constraints of the existing implementation, together with
requirements for change, are combined using the methods described in the TOGAF ADM, resulting in
a "Target Architecture" or set of Target Architectures.

The SIB provides a database of open industry standards that can be used to define the particular
services and components required in the products purchased to implement the developed architecture.
The SIB provides a simple and highly effective way to procure against an enterprise architecture.
 How much does TOGAF cost?

The Open Group operates as a not-for-profit consortium committed to delivering greater business
efficiency by bringing together buyers and suppliers of information systems to lower the barriers of
integrating new technology across the enterprise. Its goal is to realize the vision of Boundaryless
Information Flow.

TOGAF is a key part of its strategy for achieving this goal, and The Open Group wants TOGAF to be
taken up and used in practical architecture projects, and the experience from its use fed back to help
improve it.

The Open Group therefore publishes TOGAF on its public web server, and allows and encourages its
reproduction and use free-of-charge by any organization wishing to use it internally to develop an
enterprise architecture. (There are restrictions on its commercial exploitation, however; see Conditions
of Use).

Since TOGAF is freely available, why join The Open Group?

Organizations wishing to reduce the time, cost, and risk of implementing multi-vendor solutions that
integrate within and between enterprises need The Open Group as their key partner.

The Open Group brings together the buyers and suppliers of information systems worldwide, and
enables them to work together, both to ensure that IT solutions meet the needs of customers, and to
make it easier to integrate IT across the enterprise.

The Open Group Architecture Framework is a key enabler in this task.

Yes, TOGAF itself is freely available. But how much will you spend on developing or updating your
enterprise architecture using TOGAF? And how much will you spend on procurements based on that
architecture?

The price of membership of The Open Group is insignificant in comparison with these amounts.

In addition to the general benefits of membership, as a member of The Open Group you will be eligible
to participate in The Open Group Architecture Forum, which is the development program within which
TOGAF is evolved, and in which TOGAF users come together to exchange information and feedback.

Members of the Architecture Forum gain:

Immediate access to the fruits of the current year's TOGAF work program (not publicly available until
publication of the next edition of the TOGAF document) - in effect, the latest information on TOGAF, as
opposed to information that is up to a year old
Exchange of experience with other customer and vendor organizations involved in enterprise
architecture in general, and networking with architects using TOGAF in significant architecture
development projects around the world
Peer review of specific architecture case study material

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Navigation

The TOGAF document set is designed for use with frames. To navigate around the document:

In the main Contents frame at the top of the page, click the relevant hyperlink (Part I, Part II, etc.) to
load the Contents List for that Part of the TOGAF document into the Secondary Index frame in the left
margin.
 Then click in that Contents List to load a page into this main frame.

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Downloads

Downloads of the TOGAF documentation, are available under license from the TOGAF information
web site. The license is free to any organization wishing to use TOGAF entirely for internal purposes
(for example, to develop an information system architecture for use within that organization). A
hardcopy book is also available from The Open Group Bookstore as document G063.

Copyright © 1999-2006 The Open Group, All Rights Reserved

TOGAF is a trademark of The Open Group

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