Once a capability has been defined adequately, mapping to the components that enable it are possible. These components are part of the resource classes originally envisioned in the conceptual model for Active Directory:
- Hardware
- Software
- Human
- Intellectual Capital
- Financial
- Temporal
Within these class structures further specification is accomplished based upon performance requirements and constraints. A suite of tools were envisioned to exploit the active directory conceptual model providing status, history and planning functions.
The CIO Workbench was envisioned as an application to act as an Enterprise Architecture Repository and Planning Tool using an Active Directory database that fulfilled both I.T. and Enterprise Configuration Management Data Base Functions.
As technology has evolved today several technology functions have been developed. The raw CMDB capability System Center suite can provide, project server has matured enough to manage project portfolios, etc. The SharePoint 2010 with BCS appears to be able to fulfill the integration layer that connects these top applications.
What was not address in the model above was the ability for customers to order and track fulfillment of service requests. However, the ITIL model previously described in this blog could integrate seamlessly in this model.
The component model above was used as a planning tool to assist in creating enterprise architectures. It becomes difficult at times to keep track of not only components in an architecture, but the levels of abstractions used also (. e.g., a Reference Model that is used as guide for an industry architecture reference model that is used to create an architecture for a specific enterprise which is further used as a reference for developing roadmaps and designs.) This MS Access DB proved invaluable during the past years as I worked through these issues.
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