Solution modeling and analysis toolset for enterprise software architecture

Abstract

Modeling an enterprise architecture includes associating a plurality of desired business capabilities with a plurality of requirements and associating each of a plurality of technology components with one or more of the plurality of requirements, based on a respective technology supporting the one or more requirements. Then a model may be constructed that includes linking each of the technology components with one or more of the desired business capabilities based on the associating of the plurality of desired business capabilities with the plurality of requirements and the associating of each of the plurality of technology components with one or more of the plurality of requirements.

1 . A method for modeling an enterprise architecture, comprising:
 associating, by a computer, a plurality of desired business capabilities with a plurality of requirements;   associating, by the computer, each of a plurality of technology components with one or more of the plurality of requirements, based on a respective technology component supporting the one or more requirements; and   based on the associating of the plurality of desired business capabilities with the plurality of requirements and the associating of each of the plurality of technology components with one or more of the plurality of requirements, constructing, by the computer, a model of the enterprise architecture, said constructing comprising linking each of the technology components with one or more of the desired business capabilities.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 constructing, by the computer, a plurality of capability modules, wherein each capability module is associated with a respective subset of the plurality of desired business capabilities, wherein the respective subset comprises a plurality of related capabilities.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 constructing, by the computer, a plurality of capability modules, wherein each capability module is associated with a respective subset of the plurality of desired business capabilities, wherein the respective subset comprises a subset of the plurality of capabilities that produce related outcomes.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the model of the enterprise architecture provides first traceability between each of the plurality of desired business capabilities and the plurality of requirements, second traceability between each of the plurality of requirements and the plurality of technology components, and third traceability between each of the plurality of technology components and the plurality of desired business capabilities. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein each of the first traceability, second traceability, and third traceability is bi-directional traceability. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 receiving a query which identifies one of the plurality of desired business capabilities; and   providing a response to the query,
 wherein the response comprises an identification of a subset of the plurality of technology components, the subset comprising those technology components linked with the one of the plurality of desired business capabilities. 
   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein each technology component in the subset is associated with a respective status indicator, wherein the respective status indicator is one of: technology currently implemented; technology available to be implemented; or technology to be developed. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising:
 identifying additional ones of the plurality of desired business capabilities, other than the one of the plurality of desired business capabilities, linked to one or more of the subset of technology components.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the response comprises the identified additional ones of the plurality of desired business capabilities. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising:
 identifying a subset of the plurality of requirements comprising those requirements of the plurality of requirements that are associated with the one of the plurality of desired business capabilities, wherein the response comprises the identified subset of the plurality of requirements.   
     
     
         11 . A system for modeling an enterprise architecture, comprising:
 a memory device storing executable code; and   a processor in communication with the memory device, wherein the processor when executing the executable code:
 associates a plurality of desired business capabilities with a plurality of requirements; 
 associates each of a plurality of technology components with one or more of the plurality of requirements, based on a respective technology component supporting the one or more requirements; and 
 based on the associating of the plurality of desired business capabilities with the plurality of requirements and the associating of each of the plurality of technology components with one or more of the plurality of requirements, constructs a model of the enterprise architecture, said construction of the model comprising linking each of the technology components with one or more of the desired business capabilities. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the processor, when executing the executable instructions:
 constructs a plurality of capability modules, wherein each capability module is associated with a respective subset of the plurality of desired business capabilities, wherein the respective subset comprises a plurality of related capabilities.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the processor, when executing the executable instructions:
 constructs a plurality of capability modules, wherein each capability module is associated with a respective subset of the plurality of desired business capabilities, wherein the respective subset comprises a subset of the plurality of capabilities that produce related outcomes.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the model of the enterprise architecture provides first traceability between each of the plurality of desired business capabilities and the plurality of requirements, second traceability between each of the plurality of requirements and the plurality of technology components, and third traceability between each of the plurality of technology components and the plurality of desired business capabilities. 
     
     
         15 . The m system of  claim 14 , wherein each of the first traceability, second traceability, and third traceability is bi-directional traceability. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the processor, when executing the executable instructions:
 receives a query which identifies one of the plurality of desired business capabilities; and   provides a response to the query,
 wherein the response comprises an identification of a subset of the plurality of technology components, the subset comprising those technology components linked with the one of the plurality of desired business capabilities. 
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein each technology component in the subset is associated with a respective status indicator, wherein the respective status indicator is one of: technology currently implemented; technology available to be implemented; or technology to be developed. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the processor, when executing the executable instructions:
 identifies additional ones of the plurality of desired business capabilities, other than the one of the plurality of desired business capabilities, linked to one or more of the subset of technology components.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the response comprises the identified additional ones of the plurality of desired business capabilities. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the processor, when executing the executable instructions:
 identifies a subset of the plurality of requirements comprising those requirements of the plurality of requirements that are associated with the one of the plurality of desired business capabilities, wherein the response comprises the identified subset of the plurality of requirements.