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Every Viewpoint Has to Be Distinct - Say “Goodbye” to the TRAK CVp-02 Concept Viewpoint

Every viewpoint in TRAK is a specification for an architecture description view. In accordance with ISO/IEC 42010 each address one or more typical concerns using a combination of tuples (stereotype - relationship - stereotype combination taken from the TRAK metamodel). The tuples have therefore to contain the right types and relationships to address the concern and the concerns (and therefore the tuple sets) must be distinct from those addressed by other viewpoints. This keeps clear water between viewpoints and it means that the number of viewpoints needed is kept to a minimum because they aren’t driven by domain or application of viewpoints.

What then of the TRAK CVp-02 Concept Viewpoint? This is currently defined as answering concerns has the concept purpose been identified? and How is it seen as being used? and the tuples as:

Expected to be largely textual and scenario based but with use of other concept perspective architecture views to illustrate, expand, define.The set of tuples will be those from the mandatory sets of the concept perspective views used against CVp-01, CVp-03, CVp-04, CVp-05 and CVp-06.The selection of concept views used to illustrate the scenarios is left to the architect.

from TRAK. Enterprise Architecture Framework Viewpoints. 2nd October 2011

This isn’t good enough. None of this needs anything which isn’t already provided by one or more of the other viewpoints in the TRAK Concept Perspective. The purpose of a concept is embodied through its relationships with the solution or potential solutions that realise it and its relationship with the enterprise and the enterprise goals. The content of a concept is already covered by existing viewpoints and there is nothing that makes this viewpoint distinct from any others. Historically it was an analogue of the MODAF OV-1 which included a high level graphic and a textual version used to present ideas to senior management in an easy to digest form:

The OV-1a provides a graphical executive summary of the architectural endeavour, which describes the interactions between the subject architecture and its environment, and between the architecture and external systems. A textual description accompanying the graphic is essential, with labels on the graphic and a detailed description in the OV-1b. Graphics alone are not sufficient for capturing the necessary architecture data.
The purpose of OV-1a is to provide a quick, high-level description of the business objective that the architecture is addressing, and how that objective might be achieved. An OV-1a can be used to orient and focus detailed discussions. Its main utility is to communicate the purpose of the architecture to non-technical, high-level decision makers.

from The MODAF Operational Viewpoint. 26th April 2010.

In TRAK any view can be presented using graphical elements as long as the type of object is shown and with simple text labels on relationships it is easy to produce something that most people can simply read in a natural way so the presentation is never a justification for a separate viewpoint.

On the face of it there is no good reason for keeping this viewpoint and the best thing is to remove it. The recommendation has been made as a change request (#3475115) and unless anyone makes a good reason to keep it the sentence will soon be carried out ....

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TRAK Article Published by The Institution of Engineers (Singapore)

This is one of those slightly strange happenstance events - completely unplanned although not beyond the original intent.

At the 2010 INCOSE Annual Systems Engineering Conference Chris Lowe and I presented on ‘Human Factors - On the Right TRAK?’ which looked at the consideration of human factors in the design or TRAK itself and the use of TRAK for human factors work’. At the time INCOSE only really wanted the presentation and anything else was optional. In the end we decided to go over the top and produce an accompanying document in some detail. As much as anything this was to make sure the essence / thinking was preserved since looking at some thinly-worded slides might not convey what was done in person at the time.

Some months later the Singapore Institution of Engineers approached INCOSE to ask if they could reproduce the article. Naturally we said “yes” - the original is on Slideshare in any case. Many more months passed and nothing happened and then in September 2011 they asked for the source files but had some problems using them which meant their deadline was missed. Anyway it looks to have been published at long last.

Having had a look it looks as though they’ve missed Chris off the headline (but he is in the acknowledgement at the end). Had we have been asked we could have provided decent graphics since it looks as though something has got munged in the publication.

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TRAK is a Finalist in the 2011 IET Innovation Awards

TRAK is a finalist in the 2011 IET Innovation Awards. As the IET say:

The IET Achievement Awards recognise the exceptional achievements of individuals working in the engineering and technology profession, from the well-known scientist to the fledgling engineer.

It was judged under the IET’s Asset Management category. It wasn’t easy to submit since it didn’t easily fit any of the categories against which judging was to be made. This is an all-too typical problem for systems engineering itself, for example under which subject category in a bookshop do you look for systems engineering books?

The IET’s judging criteria for the Asset Management category is:

The judges will look for originality and will place significant emphasis on the contribution made to whole life asset management, risk management and the impact on business performance.  Other factors include progress with implementation, integration into the business and the contribution to asset knowledge.

Last Friday (23rd September) the response came back:

I am delighted to inform you that your entry “TRAK - An Open Source Enterprise Architecture Framework”, reference 0383 has been selected as a finalist for the Asset Management category of the IET Innovation Awards 2011.

It was extremely competitive, with over 400 entries to the awards, but the judges felt that your innovation was amongst the best.

The finalists are listed on the IET Innovation Awards website.

Awards will be announced on 9th November at the Intercontinental Hotel in London.

The IET Innovation Awards 2011 will be hosted by Robert Llewellyn, actor, writer and presenter best known for playing the role of ‘Kryten’ in the hit science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf.

We’ve always thought of TRAK as innovative not just in the product and its definition but in the approach and how it is managed. It’s nice to know that people that are independent think this as well!

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