Architecture is the basic building block or raw material of the metadata environment.
Organizations must review, document, and deploy architectures that support the business
objectives and strategic direction. Enterprise architecture planning is the process of defining
architectures (data, application, technology, and function) for the use of information
in support of the business and the plan for implementing those standards (Spewak, 1993).
Data architecture focuses on the data quality, data management, data content, data usage,
modeling, storage, and traditional metadata management. Technical architectures review the
hardware, software, and vendor relationships, while the functional architecture documents
the business processes. The final architecture is the application architecture, which works as
a conduit between the functional and technical specifications. Architectures define the rules
of the game within the corporate environment, and these rules can make or break the Web
application implementation. Spewak (1993) defines a collection of benefits of implementing
enterprise architecture:
??? Focus is on a strategic use of technology for managing data as an asset
??? Standard vocabulary facilitates communication and reduces inconsistency and data
redundancy
??? Documentation increases understanding of the business
??? New systems and integration concerns are melded
??? Architecture allows for a comprehensive, objective, and impartial approach
Figure 4.
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