The Enterprise Continuum is an approach for categorizing architectural source material – both the contents of the organization's own Architecture Repository, and the set of relevant, available reference models in the industry.

The creation and approval of the architecture vision document is done during Phase A.

Enterprise continuum A model for classifying artifacts.

Enterprise continuum sets the broader context for an architect and explains how generic solutions can be leveraged and specialized in order to support the requirements of an individual organization.

The Enterprise Continuum is a view of the Architecture Repository that provides methods for classifying architecture and solution artifacts as they evolve from generic Foundation Architectures to Organization-Specific Architectures.

The Enterprise Continuum comprises two complementary concepts: the Architecture Continuum and the Solutions Continuum.

Supporting the Enterprise Continuum is the concept of an Architecture Repository which can be used to store different classes of architectural output at different levels of abstraction, created by the ADM.

An artifact is an architectural work product that describes an aspect of the architecture.

Artifacts are generally classified as catalogs (lists of things), matrices (showing relationships between things), and diagrams (pictures of things).

An architectural deliverable may contain many artifacts and artifacts will form the content of the Architecture Repository.

A building block represents a (potentially re-usable) component of business, IT, or architectural capability that can be combined with other building blocks to deliver architectures and solutions.

Architecture Building Blocks (ABBs) typically describing the required capability in order to shape the Solution Building Blocks (SBBs) which would represent the components to be used to implement the required capability.

Phase E identifies transition architecture.

Phase G prepares and issues Architecture Contracts.

Version 1.0 represents formally reviewed documents.

The following are the dimensions for Limiting the Scope of the Architecture Activity: breadth, depth, time period, architecture domain.

Breadth is the full extent of the enterprise, and what part of that extent should the architecting effort deal with?

Depth – represents what level of detail should the architecting effort go.

Time Period is the time period that needs to be articulated for the Architecture Vision, and does it make sense (in terms of practicality and resources) for the same period to be covered in the detailed architecture description.

The Architecture Capability Framework is a set of best practices and guidelines.

Reference Data, Process Status, Audit Information are the recommended information areas managed by a governance repository.

Reference Data is used for guidance and instruction during project implementation.

The reference data includes a description of the governance procedures themselves.

Process Status is a record of all information regarding the state of any governance processes.

Examples of process status include outstanding compliance requests, dispensation requests, and compliance assessment investigations.

Audit Information is a record of all completed governance process actions.

The Enterprise Continuum provides methods for classifying architecture and solution artifacts, both internal and external to the Architecture Repository, as they evolve from generic Foundation Architectures to Organization-Specific Architectures.

The parts of Enterprise continuum are Enterprise Continuum, Architecture continuum and Solutions Continuum.

The Enterprise Continuum - classifies assets related to the context of the overall enterprise architecture.

The Architecture Continuum - offers a consistent way to define and understand the generic rules, representations, and relationships in an architecture, including traceability and derivation relationships.

The Architecture Continuum assets will be used to guide and select the elements in the Solutions Continuum.

The Architecture Continuum shows the relationships among foundational frameworks (such as the TOGAF framework), common system architectures (such as the III-RM), industry architectures, and enterprise architectures..

The Solutions Continuum provides a consistent way to describe and understand the implementation of the assets defined in the Architecture Continuum.

Reference Model (III-RM) is a reference model that supports describing Common Systems Architecture in the Application domain that focuses on the requirements, building blocks, and standards relating to the vision of Boundaryless Information Flow.

Example Foundation Solutions would include programming languages, operating systems, foundational data structures (such as EDIFACT), generic approaches to organization structuring, foundational structures for organizing IT operations (such as ITIL), etc.

A Common Systems Solution is an implementation of a Common Systems Architecture and is comprised of a set of products and services, which may be certified or branded.

TOGAF standard itself provides two reference models for consideration for inclusion in an organization's Enterprise Continuum: the TOGAF Foundation Architecture and the Integrated Information Infrastructure Reference Model (III-RM).

The Architecture Repository is a model for a physical instance of the Enterprise Continuum.

Components of architecture repository are: Architecture Metamodel, Architecture Capability, Architecture Landscape, Standards Information Base, Reference Library.

The Architecture Metamodel describes the organizationally tailored application of an architecture framework, including a method for architecture development and a metamodel for architecture content.

The Architecture Capability defines the parameters, structures, and processes that support governance of the Architecture Repository.

The Architecture Landscape presents an architectural representation of assets in use, or planned, by the enterprise at particular points in time.

The Standards Information Base captures the standards with which new architectures must comply, which may include industry standards, selected products and services from suppliers, or shared services already deployed within the organization.

The Reference Library provides guidelines, templates, patterns, and other forms of reference material that can be leveraged in order to accelerate the creation of new architectures for the enterprise.

The Architecture Landscape is divided into three levels of granularity: Strategic Architectures, Segment Architectures, Capability Architectures.

Strategic Architectures show a long-term summary view of the entire enterprise. Strategic Architectures provide an organizing framework for operational and change activity and allow for direction setting at an executive level.

Segment Architectures provide more detailed operating models for areas within an enterprise. Segment Architectures can be used at the program or portfolio level to organize and operationally align more detailed change activity.

Capability Architectures show in a more detailed fashion how the enterprise can support a particular unit of capability.

Deliverables from previous architecture work is NOT an example of an external architecture or solution artefact.