ARIS Defense Solution (DoDAF/C4ISR)

Modern organisations are more complex than ever and rely upon sophisticated business processes supported by enterprise systems. Enterprise architectures have emerged as the primary tool for the documentation and analysis of these complex environments.

Enterprise architectures are captured within the structure of an architecture framework, which defines the required information for a complete architecture. ARIS Defense Solution enables organisations to optimise enterprise architecture management based on the DoD Architecture Framework (DoDAF) and Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR).

The DoDAF defines a common approach for Department of Defense (DoD) architecture design, development, presentation and integration. DoDAF Version 1.0 is based on the C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) Architecture Framework Version 2.0.

The framework defines what should be included in an architecture description and ensures that architecture descriptions can be compared and related across organisational boundaries. Designed to be a flexible architectural framework, the DoDAF does not define the architecture description, nor does it limit the supporting tools and notations used to build DoDAF-compliant architectures.

ARIS Defense Solution offers the guidance to build enterprise architectures based on the DoDAF. With a selection of method types for DoDAF and a wide range of methods available through the ARIS Process Platform, ARIS Defense Solution offers standardisation and flexibility at the same time. ARIS Defense Solution allows users to have all enterprise architecture artefacts integrated in one common repository, which is the key to successful enterprise architecture management.

ARIS analysis and reporting functionalities generate value for all projects based on an integrated architecture. The ARIS client-server architecture and Web-based solutions allow collaboration across organisational boundaries and geographical distance.

In the framework, there are three major perspectives, Operational View (OV), Systems View (SV) and Technical Standards View (TV) that logically combine to describe the enterprise architecture. Each of these views consists of certain architecture products (Figure 1). In turn, each of the products depicts specific architecture objects, such as organisation, function, application or information. Some objects bridge two views and provide integrity, coherence and consistency to architecture descriptions. Closing the space between operational and systems view will ensure the development of applications based on the true requirements of the operational command organisations.

ARIS uses an object-oriented approach to enable the reuse of architecture elements across all DoDAF architecture views and products. For example, a user can define business requirements in form of operational activities in the Operational View, capture the applications needed to support his business requirements in the Systems View by linking applications to system functions. Operational activity and system function are based on the same object allowing the user to navigate across different views, following the object relations. This enables the user to better understand the integration aspect of his enterprise architecture and to make educated decisions based on a holistic view of his organisation.

The integration aspect of ARIS creates flexibility in the approach for the architecture development. ARIS Defense Solution supports a top-down approach as easily as a bottom-up approach. An integrated approach is used to define core elements like organisations, systems, activities and data in specific architecture products such as the OV-4, OV-5 and SV-1.

From there it is easy to create the necessary aggregated and detailed views to complete that architecture. Architecture development and maintenance is also supported by an automated generation of selected architecture products. ARIS Defense Solution is an integrated component of the ARIS Process Platform. The suite of ARIS solutions enables the user not only to build and view an enterprise architecture based on the DoDAF standard, but also to apply the architecture to the full set of ARIS functions, such as simulation, time and cost analysis, powerful reporting and publishing, implementation and configuration support, and performance monitoring.

Through the ARIS Defense Solution, all architecture products are captured by the ARIS repository. ARIS facilitates the exchange of information with third party products and offers a wide set of standardised interfaces based on XML, XMI, BPML, BPEL and others. To integrate with the DoD Standard Architecture Repository (DARS), ARIS for DoDAF provides an interface that exchanges information based on CADM (Core Architecture Data Model) XML standard. Through the CADM interface, defence organisations can exchange and share architecture products within DARS.