TOGAF 9.2: What is New?

The TOGAF Standard, a standard of The Open Group, is a proven Enterprise Architecture methodology and framework used by the world’s leading organizations to improve business efficiency and is supported by a set of documents that provide specific guidance about how to use and adapt it to support new trends. This set of documents resides in the TOGAF Library and represents an extensive new body of knowledge that Enterprise Architecture practitioners can use to support the development of Enterprise Architectures.

TOGAF 9.2 New Release

As part of the evolution of the TOGAF standard, The Open Group released an update to the standard in April 2018. The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2 has been redesigned and restructured into a smaller publication that includes separate guides. The core of the TOGAF standard remains the same in the new version, but it now includes more on Business Architecture, Security Architecture, mappings to other industry reference models, and practical implementation guides. There is also more focus on digital trends and business transformation beyond IT.

The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2 provides:

• improved guidance,
• corrects errors,
• improves the document structure, and
• removes obsolete content.

The key enhancements made in this version include updates to the Business Architecture and the Content Metamodel. All of these changes make the TOGAF framework easier to use and maintain. It retains the major features and structure of the TOGAF 9.1 standard including:

Modular Structure: The TOGAF standard has a modular structure. The modular structure supports:

• Greater usability – the defined purpose for each part; can be used in isolation as a standalone set of guidelines
• Incremental adoption of the TOGAF standard
• Accompanying the standard is a portfolio of guidance material, known as the TOGAF Library, to support the practical application of the TOGAF approach

Content Framework: The TOGAF standard includes a content framework to drive greater consistency in the outputs that are created when following the Architecture Development Method (ADM). The TOGAF content framework provides a detailed model of architectural work products.

Extended Guidance: The TOGAF standard features an extended set of concepts and guidelines to support the establishment of an integrated hierarchy of architectures being developed by teams within larger organizations that operate within an overarching architectural governance model.

In particular, the following concepts are included:

• Partitioning – a number of techniques and considerations on how to partition the various architectures within an enterprise
• Architecture Repository – a logical information model for an Architecture Repository which can be used as an integrated store for all outputs created by executing the ADM
• Capability Framework – a structured definition of the organization, skills, roles, and responsibilities required to operate an effective enterprise architecture capability; the TOGAF standard also provides guidance on a process that can be followed to identify and establish an appropriate architecture capability

Architectural Styles: The TOGAF standard is designed to be flexible and it can be used with various architectural styles. Examples are provided both in the TOGAF standard, in Part III: ADM Guidelines & Techniques, and the TOGAF Library. Together these comprise a set of supporting materials that show in detail how the ADM can be applied to specific situations; for example:

• The varying uses of iteration that are possible within the ADM and when each technique should be applied
• The various types of architecture development required within an enterprise and how these relate to one another

TOGAF Series Guides

The TOGAF Series Guides contain guidance on how to use the TOGAF framework. The TOGAF® Series Guides are expected to be the most rapidly developing part of the TOGAF document set. While the TOGAF framework is expected to be longlived and stable, guidance on the use of the TOGAF framework can be industry, architectural style, purpose, and problem-specific.

It is supported by the following Series Guides:

• TOGAF SERIES GUIDE: VALUE STREAMS
• TOGAF SERIES GUIDE: BUSINESS CAPABILITIES
• TOGAF SERIES GUIDE: BUSINESS MODELS
• TOGAF SERIES GUIDE BUSINESS ARCHITECTURE SET
• TOGAF SERIES GUIDE: INFORMATION MAPPING
• TOGAF SERIES GUIDE SET
• TOGAF SERIES GUIDE: ARCHITECTURE PROJECT MANAGEMENT
• TOGAF SERIES GUIDE: A PRACTITIONERS’ APPROACH TO DEVELOPING ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE FOLLOWING THE TOGAF ADM
• TOGAF SERIES GUIDE: THE TOGAF LEADER’S GUIDE TO ESTABLISHING AND EVOLVING AN EA CAPABILITY
• TOGAF SERIES GUIDE: THE TOGAF INTEGRATED INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE REFERENCE MODEL (III-RM): AN ARCHITECTED APPROACH TO BOUNDARYLESS INFORMATION FLOW
• TOGAF SERIES GUIDE: BUSINESS SCENARIOS
• TOGAF SERIES GUIDE: THE TOGAF® TECHNICAL REFERENCE MODEL (TRM)