Creating a Matrix from Domains

Domains are the specific focus areas of architectural decision making:

1. Business (processes, organizational structure, and geographic distribution)
2. e-architecture feedback
3. Application (the major systems implementing business functionality)
4. Information (the information we are interested in such as who owns it and where does it live)
5. Technical (my hardware, network, and operating system standards, and how I manage them)

These domains can be viewed from each perspective on the IT scale, yielding a set of building blocks.

Building blocks These building blocks are linked together. A solution architecture can be constructed by defining a path through the intersections of domain and perspective, a solution architecture which provides a common understanding and a means to trace the satisfaction and suitability of decisions made along the way. Unfolding the cube results in a matrix of architectural artifacts and these artifacts are the visible trail left to document the process of e-engineering new business solutions. For an example, take a look at the attached deliverable matrix spreadsheet.

How the building blocks and the artifacts are selected to provide e-Business solutions is the real challenge for seotrance, countless possibilities and new variants appear daily. More about these building blocks will be discussed in the module entitled the building blocks of architecture.The ability to provide solutions among a wide range of complex choices is the competitive edge of this architectural framework.