TOGAF Reference Models - what exactly are they?

Question

What are the 2 TRM supplied by TOGAF 9.1 and what is their purpose and how do they differ?

My theory as of now is, that their purpose is to structure the Enterprise Continuum, is that right?

Answer 1

The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) Reference Models are high-level representations of commonly accepted best practices and standards for enterprise architecture. These models provide a framework for designing, implementing, and managing an enterprise architecture.

There are four reference models in TOGAF:

• The Business Architecture Reference Model: This model describes the organization's business objectives, processes, organizational structure, and business functions.

• The Data Architecture Reference Model: This model describes the organization's data assets, including data models, data definitions, data flows, and data storage.

• The Application Architecture Reference Model: This model describes the organization's application systems, including software components, interfaces, and infrastructure.

• The Technology Architecture Reference Model: This model describes the organization's technology infrastructure, including hardware, software, networks, and security.

The TOGAF Reference Models provide a common language and framework for describing enterprise architecture, allowing different stakeholders to communicate effectively and make informed decisions about architecture design and implementation. They also provide a basis for evaluating existing architectures and identifying areas for improvement.

Answer 2

So the reference models included in TOGAF (TRM and III-RM) are, to be honest, not entirely useful for much. They were included to show what the concept of a technical reference model is.

Reference models are just very generic, easily adaptable, ways that you can structure your software designs. TRM, if you look at it closely, is VERY generic and can apply to almost anything. It's basically describing applications sitting on top of a communications network. That could be anything. That's why it's Foundation Architecture. Foundation Architecture in the Enterprise Continuum is the most generic reusable components of your architecture.

The III-RM is said to represent a more provider-consumer type model (client server for instance). But even then it's very generic and needs to be tailored to your company before it can be used. It's an "Common Systems Architecture" in the Enterprise Continuum classification.

So I cannot agree with the statement "their purpose is to structure the Enterprise Continuum". Better to say that they are example architectures that can be classified as completely generic (Foundation Architecture) and mostly generic (Common Systems Architecture).

Answer 3

The Architecture Continuum illustrates how architectures are developed and evolved across a continuum ranging from Foundation Architectures, such as the one provided by TOGAF, through Common Systems Architectures, and Industry Architectures, and to an enterprise's own Organization-Specific Architectures.

Thus, Architecture Continuum is evolved from more general, fundamental architecture to more application specific architecture, or take a look of a good general TOGAF overview related to TOGAF continuum for more details (here)