Enterprise, Systems and Application Architecture (Best Practice?)

You seem to have a really good grasp of the situation and the understanding of the realm of artchitecture.

"Systems" Architecure is little harder to define - may be look for "solution" or "IT", but it sounds like your looking for how your software architecture relates to the physical server world, with a bit of networking thrown in

"We have a lot of smart people doing the right things, but just not consistently and repeatably."

Then, being TOGAF 8 certifed myself, - I would say that TOGAF brings a sense of "methodology" to different aspects of defining architecture and a way to bring a variours specialist technical groups together and pinning that firmly to the business objectives. TOGAF also helps understand the need for Architecture governance and firmly brings the idea of change (from all parts technical, data, systems, software and business) into the process.

The

1. Architecture Development Method
2. Technical Reference Model
3. Standards Information Base
4. Enterprise Continuum

All help gather information about the Archtecture effort and provide a consistant approach to developing and EA.

It also helps customers understand what you are doing and how you can present TOAGF as the method of showing how it fits together.

PS - I only state TOGAF as being useful do the quote that i have pulled out as TOAGF would address this for you.

There are other architect framworks out there.

I submitted the question a couple of days ago, but by continued research and after reading littlegeek's reponse, I think I have found an interesting white paper that I found very informative and interesting.

Read: A Comparison of the Top Four Enterprise-Architecture Methodologies By: Roger Sessions

a snippet...

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Many enterprise-architectural methodologies have come and gone in the last 20 years. At this point, perhaps 90 percent of the field use one of these four methodologies:

• The Zachman Framework for Enterprise Architectures—Although self-described as a framework, is actually more accurately defined as a taxonomy
• The Open Group Architectural Framework (TOGAF)—Although called a framework, is actually more accurately defined as a process
• The Federal Enterprise Architecture—Can be viewed as either an implemented enterprise architecture or a proscriptive methodology for creating an enterprise architecture
• The Gartner Methodology—Can be best described as an enterprise architectural practice

This white paper discusses these four approaches to enterprise architecture. It does so within the context of a fictional company that is facing some very nonfictional operations problems. These problems include:

• IT systems that have become unmanageably complex and increasingly costly to maintain.
• IT systems that are hindering the organization's ability to respond to current, and future, market conditions in a timely and cost-effective manner.
• Mission-critical information that is consistently out-of-date and/or just plain wrong.
• A culture of distrust between the business and technology sides of the organization.

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The White Paper helped me in several ways.

1. It gave me a good introduction and history of Architecture (Enterprise Architecture specifically)
2. It introduced me to what the author suggest is the 4 leading Enterprise Architectures available.
3. And then continues to compare them in a logical and simple manner with good examples that I could relate to.

I cannot say that all my questions have been answered and I am now ready to die :-), but much has become clearer and thus I thought that someone else out there may also find this useful.

I would still value any additional comments, suggestions and questions you may have on this subject.