Describe Technology Boundaries

Establish the types of technologies and the range of capabilities needed to support users and external systems.

Introduction Activities Roles and Responsibilities Artifacts Additional Resources

A-TARS: - Technology Boundary Descriptions - Technical Architecture Work Plans and Direction - AIS Design and Implementation Info. - Strategic Analysis and Data - Changes Characterize External User Entities Characterize External Automated Entities Integrate, Review, and Publish Boundary Descriptions Update Boundary Descriptions A-TARS: Technology Boundary Descriptions - Changes - Ancillary Design Information - Status - Technical Architecture Team - Other Analysts

Introduction

These activities create the Technology Boundaries Descriptions. That portion of the A-TARS describes the external entities and their interaction across the Enterprise's Technology boundaries - the points where users or external systems access the HS Agency-automated applications. Settings in which the interactions take place for the environments are addressed. The interacting entities and their usage goals are described. The relationships between the external entities, their settings, the interaction platforms they use, and usage goals are established.

The architectural approach is an outside-in approach, starting with an understanding of existing and future real-world entities. The goal of these activities is to document an understanding of the range of current and future technology needs and expectations. The boundary descriptions provide the basis for later Technical Architecture design activities, determining the capabilities of the interaction platforms and interfaces. This analysis therefore establishes the assumptions for the other Technical Architecture design decisions. This can range from the types of technologies that must be included in the TRM, to the arrangement of the processing nodes and networking, even the types of application and lower-level services and equipments needed.

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Activities

Consolidated guidelines are available to perform the following key activities:

1. Characterize External User Entities. These actions describe the technology capabilities needed from the current or future end user perspective. An end-user is any individual that may access the automated applications. The following types of information are collected:
   • Descriptions of each of the usage environments

   • Essential characteristics of the end users

   • Locations where the end users will access the systems

   • End-users goals

   • The types of interaction platforms used

2. Characterize External Automated Entities. These actions build on the analysis of the external automated systems and their major interfaces performed during the analysis of the situation activities. The technical aspects of the interfaces that will continue to be maintained, are new, or will be replaced or discarded are considered. Guidance comes from the strategic initiatives in the IT Strategic Plan. The following types of information are collected:

   • Characteristics of the external system

   • Characteristics of the settings in which the external systems operate

   • Characteristics of the interfaces

   • Information-sharing goals and limitations

3. Integrate, Review, and Publish Boundary Descriptions. The effort to collect the boundary descriptions may be spread across many specialized teams, each one exploring a separate usage environment. These actions consolidate their inputs and produce a coordinated description of all the boundary information. When necessary, ancillary material such as notes, glossary, or references can be included.

   The descriptions should be reviewed across teams and consolidated, as appropriate. The review should include checking for consistency with the Strategic Plan. When selecting individuals to participate in the review, consider including those that will use the documentation, such as the other Technical Architecture Core Team members. This helps ensure that the boundary descriptions meet their needs. Peer review techniques as identified in ( CMU SEI 1995) can be used to conduct these reviews.

   The descriptions can be packaged as a separate document and released independently of the other A-TARS elements, if needed.

4. Update Boundary Descriptions. These actions keep the descriptions of the boundaries current and adjust dependent A-TARS elements accordingly. The boundary descriptions are a main source of input to the other parts of the A-TARS. Dependencies need to be considered if significant change is made to the boundary description. The need to update dependent descriptions should be limited to situations where new types of external entities are introduced, previous classes of external entities are no longer significant, or the type of capabilities existing entities need significantly changes.

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Roles and Responsibilities

The key roles and their responsibilities are as follows:

• Technical Architecture Team. These individuals are responsible for producing the boundary descriptions, either as authors or technical managers. They are members of the Core or Extended Technical Architecture Team. They are knowledgeable in the types of interactive platforms, external systems, and how they can be used.
• Other Analysts. These individuals support the definition of the boundaries, either as authors or Subject Matter Experts. They are familiar with the users, their capabilities, and their information needs. These individuals have business process analysis, modeling, or other skills. These specialties may be obtained from within the HS Programs or external (consultants), as needed.

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Artifacts

The following information is used or produced by these activities. Templates, examples, and checklists for identifying and documenting items are available through the Additional Resources section at the end of this page.

• A-TARS. The previous version of the A-TARS (if it exists) is used to determine the scope of the changes for an iteration of these activities. The following key part is used:
  • Technology Boundary Descriptions. These descriptions are the main product of these activities, updating the previous version, if it exists.
• Technical Architecture Work Plans and Direction. These work plans guide the execution of these activities, coordinating the individuals performing these activities with other Technical Architecture tasks and the IT projects.
• AIS Design and Implementation Info. An understanding of the existing technology is used when defining the boundaries, especially if the legacy systems will be retained in the next version of the A-TARS. This provides a ready source of detailed design information for backward compatibility and existing capabilities.
• Ancillary Design Information. Information associated with the definition of the boundaries is retained, as needed (e.g., models, scenarios, business processes documentation, and business plans).
• Strategic Analysis and Data. The strategic direction, specifically the decisions to keep, replace, renovate, or build on existing IT assets, guides the choice of technology and the integration of legacy system applications into the overall Technical Architecture.
• Changes. Changes provided to these activities represent those things in the current A-TARS descriptions that must change. Changes for other parts of the A-TARS also can be generated, such as updates to the TRM, integrated descriptions, data stores, services, equipment, or networking.
• Status. Progress and issues in developing the descriptions are forwarded to the management activities to ensure coordination between these activities and other Technical Architecture and IT project activities.

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Additional Resources

Items that can be used to perform these and other activities are consolidated in the Resources portion of the IT Planning and Management Guides. Resources specific to this activity are cataloged below.

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