madhavrao…

The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) is a framework - a detailed method and a set of supporting tools - for developing an enterprise architecture.

What is framework?
As per dictionary its

• A hypothetical description of a complex entity or process
• The underlying structure
• A structure supporting or containing something

As per context we are going to discuss, I would like to make it more specific as "set of tools" + "set of guidelines" + "set of best practices" + "set of process"

What is an enterprise?
An enterprise is an organization created for business ventures. An enterprise can be government agency, a whole corporation, a single department or chain of geographically distant organizations linked together with common ownership.

What is an architecture?
An architecture means structure. As per TOGAF architecture has two meanings depending its contextual use:

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.

What is an architectural description?
An architectural 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.

What is an architectural framework?
An architectural framework is a tool which can be used for developing 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 block fit together.
• contain a set of tool and provide common vocabulary.
• include set of recommended standards and compliant products that can be used to implement the building blocks.

What is an enterprise architecture?
Enterprise Architecture is the description of the current and/or future structure and behavior of an organization’s processes, information systems, personnel and organizational sub-units, aligned with the organization’s core goals and strategic direction. Although often associated strictly with information technology, it relates more broadly to the practice of business optimization in that it addresses business architecture, performance management, organizational structure and process architecture as well.

What is business architecture?
Wikipedia definition of business architecture is: The grouping of business functions and related business objects into clusters (“business domains”) over which meaningful accountability can be taken as depicted in the high level description of the related business processes
Business architecture is an architecture that structures the accountability over business activities prior to any further effort to structure individual aspects (process, data, functions, organization, system, application etc). It arranges accountability accountability around the most important business activities and economic activity in the domain. (This definition needs to be supported with heavy dose of explanation, will try some time later)

What is performance management?
Performance measurement is the process of assessing progress towards achieving predetermined goals. Performance Management is building on that process, adding relevant communication and the action on the progress achieved against these pre-determined goals. (One of the areas which is often ignored by most of the enterprises)

What is organizational structure?
The form of an organization that is evident in the way divisions, departments, functions, and people link together and interact. Organization structure reveals vertical operational responsibilities, and horizontal linkages, and may be represented by an organization chart. The complexity of an organization’s structure is often proportional to its size and its geographic dispersal. (Organization structure can be classified into different types. Will get into it some other time.)

What is process architecture?
Process architecture is the structural design of general process systems and applies to fields such as computers (software, hardware, networks, etc.), business processes (enterprise architecture, policy and procedures, logistics, project management, etc.), and any other process system of varying degrees of complexity.