Solution Architecture (SolA)
What is a Solution Architecture and why is it important?
Architects design enterprise-wide solutions. These solutions significantly impact the enterprise and its architectures.
Every solution has an architecture that is considered a standalone enterprise architecture.
A solution architecture blueprint or landscape is a standard EA product that gives an overview of the solution's concepts, principles, elements, and components.
Solution Architecture for CRM System Implementation.
One can deconstruct a solutions architecture into the various architectures that are part of the architecture framework of the organization and document its impact, or potential impact, on those architectures.
Imagine implementing a comprehensive CRM system across the entire enterprise. You would then design the solution architecture for CRM as shown above.
The way this CRM solution is architected will influence various aspects of the organization, including governance, business operations, information flow, applications, data management, and IT infrastructure.
Solution Architecture Framework
A solution architecture framework shows the architectures (groups of concepts and other parts like patterns, principles, and building blocks) that form a framework for a solution.
The framework provides extensive information about the concepts added to the organization for each architecture.
Matching the concepts in the solution framework with those in the EA framework, the impact analysis is underway. Here, specific issues can be prevented and resolved at an early stage.
Solution Architecture framework.
Domains and Functions
You use layers and domains in your solution architecture. You can easily map layers and domains to enterprise layers and domains and communicate how a change in this solution affects the organization.
A solutions architecture at the top level consists of a solution context, solution domains, and functions per domain.
- Per function, the concepts implemented to materialize the function are named and shown.
- Per concept, the principles that need to be considered are drawn up.
- Principles, in a solutions architecture, are translated into general rules (guidelines) and standards.
Key Benefits of SolA
Architects often use solutions architecture to design intelligent solutions. Management uses it to communicate issues and progress on the solution's design and implementation.
- Guidance to Projects Steering groups of strategic programs have a management instrument to direct and give focus to projects.
- Speed up Results Architects can have their version of the SolA landscape within weeks by only updating the example.
- Dynamic Visualizations If you change model data, the visualization template is automatically updated.
- Repository Collaboration Architects can be productive as a team, working together on solution architectures.
- Increase Efficiency of people and groups by deduplication of work and reuse of information.
What are Solution Architectures Practices?