TOGAF -or The Open Group Architecture Framework- is the most widely-used and popular set of best practices and guidelines for implementation of Enterprise Architecture in an organization. It provides approaches to planning, designing, governing, and implementing Enterprise Information Technology Architecture. TOGAF is maintained by the Open Group, which is an independent industry association. An earlier framework called TAFIM -or the Technical Architecture Framework for Information Management- is what TOGAF is built on. The emphasis of TOGAF is upon devising concrete IT architectures.
A high-level approach to design, TOGAF is modeled at four levels:
1. BUSINESS
2. APPLICATION
3. DATA
4. TECHNOLOGY
TOGAF relies heavily on the use of standardization and modularization and existing technologies and products. TOGAF 9.1 is an update to the TOGAF, version 9, and contains a set of corrections to address the issues that were raised since the introduction of the TOGAF 9 in 2009. TOGAF 9.1 supersedes TOGAF 9. The chief focus of this change is the quality improvements to ensure the consistent use of terminology. TOGAF 9.1 was launched on December 11th, 2011.
