DND/CF Architecture Framework (DNDAF) Vol. 4- User Guide

1.1 Background
Within the IM Gp, the Director of Enterprise Architecture (DEA) through the DG IM Strategic Planning (DGIMSP) has been tasked with the development, implementation and management of an Enterprise Architecture capability for the DND/CF. The DND/CF Architecture Framework (DNDAF) and the DND/CF Architecture Data Model (DADM) has been published to meet this requirement. The effective capture, access and management of DND/CF EA information in a DNDAF/DADM compliant format is key to achieving the decision-support and reuse benefits expected from an enterprise architecture. This will require a suite of sophisticated EA development, access and management tools be made available to all DND/CF users.

1.2 Purpose
Enterprise Architecture (EA) must evolve to support the management and evolution of DND/CF Business, Operations and IM/IT capabilities by explicitly documenting and integrating this information in an architecture repository. The IM Group is now procuring a corporate EA toolset that will support architecture development, the collection and management of architecture information, analysis of architecture data, and guide in the transformation of architecture information into architecture products and other decision support products. This architecture information will be captured using standard formats, descriptions, and elements provided by through DNDAF/DADM thus facilitating its future integration into the DND/CF Architecture Registry and Repository System (DARRS). This User Guide will serve as the interim means of guiding the creation of architecture information and products until an EA toolset is procured and available for use by all DND/CF architecture projects and initiatives.

1.3 Scope
This User Guide provides DND/CF users (planners, developers and architects) with interim advice and guidance on how to effectively use the DNDAF and DADM to capture the architecture artifacts, data and models in a structured format. The User Guide currently focuses on the use of the MS Office suite of tools to capture architecture information in the absence of a Enterprise Architecture corporate tool. The data captured is formatted such that it can be imported by any Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC) compliant EA tool. The User Guide identifies the following tools and approach:

MS Office Suite. MS Office is a baselined and widely available desktop suite of applications across DND/CF. It is the minimum tool requirement to document DNDAF compliant EA products. To assist users, the DNDAF User Guide provides examples and the Data Collection Templates (DCT) created by using Visio, Word and Excel. For example, DEA has developed a series of Excel Spreadsheet templates to support the capture of all DADM entities and attributes in a standard format. A copy of this information may later be easily imported and integrated into any DNDAF/ DADM compliant repository. DND/CF users will be responsible for the management and update of these spreadsheets, and procedures are established in the User Guide to ensure that DEA receives current copies of this architecture information.