Caminao Charter

Objective

The aim of Caminao is to provide a comprehensive, modular, and ecumenical EA framework based on Enterprise Architecture Fundamentals.

Comprehensive

The whole range of issues pertaining to EA is considered:

• From Data Mining and Business Intelligence to Decision-making and Knowledge Management 
• From Agile development and Model-based Systems Engineering to Capacity and Maturity Architecture Assessment  

Modular

Five independent modules can be used to deal with all and every one of EA issues:

– A Blueprint, for actionable maps of enterprises’ organization and systems
– A modeling paradigm, for the representation of business and physical environments
– An ontological kernel, for a seamless integration of representations encompassing traditional modeling languages, semantic networks, and knowledge graphs
– A playbook, for an incremental deployment of agile, brainy, and competitive enterprise architectures along a smooth learning curve
– EA patterns, for a reasoned taxonomy of core issues and solution templates (soon to be published)

Ecumenical

The interoperability of modules is based on conceptual alignment with established modeling and design principles. Modules can thus be operated with different methods and tools, or within an integrated EA strategy.

Models, Architectures, Perspectives (MAPs)

Of all industrial artifacts, software components are the only ones that can be fully built from models. As a consequence, charting comprehensive and reliable maps should not only be feasible but also highly beneficial.

Caminao maps are built from models, architectures, and perspectives:

• Models set the stages, where targeted artifacts are defined depending on concerns.
• Architectures deal with the topography of objects depending on stakeholders situation: business objectives (enterprise), supporting systems (functionalities), implementation platforms (technology).
• Perspectives are set by stakeholders concerns and must be put into context as defined by enterprise, functional or technical architectures.

The aim of those maps is to provide reasoned tools for seasoned modelers, helping them in setting milestones, planning journeys, and appraising itineraries.

• Milestones are about sequences: they are necessary whenever expectations and commitments are set across different organizational units.
• Planning is about projects: once requirements are properly analyzed, maps can be used to sequence goals, set paths, and define tasks gauged according topography metrics.
• Appraising is about processes: given sound and objective metrics, tasks traceability to outcomes, and projects built alongside, roadmaps can be turned into development patterns depending on capabilities assessment.

That framework is to offer a modeling paradigm covering all options, phased (milestones) or agile (no models), for all levels of enterprise architecture.

Languages

Maps are to be drawn using a standard notation, and for that purpose Caminao uses a kernel of the OMG’s Unified Modeling Language.

UML# (for “charpente”, supporting structure in French),  is built on a core of UML syntactic constructs, using its stereotyping mechanism to define semantic qualifiers set along functional layers on one hand, OMG’s Model Driven Architecture on the other hand.

UML# objective is therefore not to be a substitute to UML but rather a compact and unambiguous subset dedicated to requirements and analysis, without affecting continuity with design and implementation models.

An ontological kernel (developed with Protégé/OWL 2) is added to ensure a seamless integration of the different levels of representation.

Concepts

As made clear by the wide range of semantics involved in today’s architectures, neither maps nor languages are meant to convey any guidance about course or discourse. Hence, as far as systems are concerned, modeling languages should remain neutral about what is to be represented and how it should be done. That cannot be achieved without a clear understanding of what models are meant to achieve.

Curiously, while core concepts are already at hand, most of the methodologies are either aimed at system design, or lean on fallacies about what analysis models should represent.

Caminao ultimate objective is therefore to bridge the conceptual gap between functional requirements and system analysis, bringing both semantics under a common roof. To that end, some principles are to be carried through:

• Comprehensive scope: concepts must deal with all and every configuration, without assuming any restriction about functional requirements.
• Closed paradigm: all descriptions of system functionalities and architectures must be upheld by a clearly circumscribed and self-contained number of concepts.
• Thorough and reasoned understanding: all stereotypes are to be unambiguously defined from the core concepts using a set of formal constructs applied uniformly.
• No expertise or best practices: maps must support all ventures and befit every methodological inclinations. As a consequence concepts and stereotypes must remain neutral and free of any preference or precedence.

Given the generalization of business environments, these objectives can only be achieved through:

• Integration of enterprise architecture and model driven engineering.
• Integration of information systems and business intelligence.

The Caminao solution is to use ontologies to consolidate the different kind of models pertaining to knowledge, enterprises, and systems descriptions.

What makes the Caminao Framework different ?

Caminao is the only comprehensive and reasoned framework fully available on-line without any string attached. Published year by year, step by step, and bottom-up from core concepts and principle to enterprise architecture and systems modeling, it comes with unparalleled characteristics:

• Clearly defined scope and purpose: a conceptual framework bringing together contexts, enterprises, and systems.
• Formal: given a set of eight well established and unambiguous concepts, everything pertaining to the scope can be logically derived.
• Open: since it only deals with the description of the three primary architectures (knowledge, organization, systems), it can support a wide range of methods according to context and purpose.
• Verified: no stone have been left unturned, question unanswered, or argument left standing.

The relevancy and soundness of this approach are now borne out by the generalization of digital environments and the merging of data mining, knowledge management, and information systems.

WHAT MAKES THE CAMINAO FRAMEWORK ecumenical ?

As for most of paradigm shifts, the novelty and added value of the Caminao framework are in the way established concepts and tenets are rearranged and reaffirmed:

• The Stanford Symbolic System paradigm is used to define the relationship between systems and environments (a).
• Whereas terminologies may differ, the three layers description of systems is widely accepted and also tallies with the OMG Model Driven Architecture paradigm (b).
• The Pagoda blueprint is directly derived from Zachman description of architecture capabilities (a*b).
• The functional stereotypes are defined according to the Model-View-Controller pattern (c).
• The four engineering workshops can be aligned with usual systems’ views and perspectives.
• The Liskov substitution principle, originally for software design (f), can also be used to validate the mapping of conceptual to functional models (e).
• Object Oriented and Domain and Aspect Driven approaches are framed within clear principles (f).
• The Observation-Orientation-Decision-Action (OODA) paradigm is for both business and engineering decision-making processes (g).

Beside the direct benefits for interoperability and reliability, a framework abutted on principled pillars paves the way to leveraged innovations across the whole of enterprise architecture endeavors.

Further Reading

• Overview
• Topics Guide
• The Book of Fallacies
• The Finger & the Moon: Fiddling with Definitions
• Reflections for the  Perplexed
• EA: The Matter of Layers
• EA: Maps & Territories
• EA: Work Units & Workflows
• Focus: Enterprise Architect Booklet
• Ontologies & Enterprise Architecture
• Ontologies as Productive Assets
• UML# Manifesto
• UML#: Core Artifacts
• Caminao & UML
• Caminao & EA
• Caminao & CMMI
• AAA+ for a New Year
• Selected Readings

External Links

• Caminao Project