University of Technology Sydney

31276 Networked Enterprise Architecture

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Information Technology: Computer Science
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 31269 Business Requirements Modelling OR 31247 Collaborative Business Processes

Description

Organisations in Australia and around the world are increasingly recognising that they do not operate in isolation and that competitive advantage depends on business networks. The IT-business alignment has been the major challenge as organisations go through the transformation that keeps them competitive and agile. Employing successful enterprise architecture ensures that changes to the business process are correctly supported by information systems and their underlying IT infrastructure.

This undergraduate subject introduces ways in which information systems can support business networking, focusing on sharing information and integrating business activities with business partners. Students learn enterprise architecture methodologies and gain an understanding of the tools and techniques for the design of business.

Through case studies, this subject reinforces material provided in lectures and tutorials, and additional research while giving students scope to enhance their problem-solving, critical thinking and organisational skills. The subject stresses the development and assessment of real-world experience through applied and innovative tasks and with the team effort. Students develop the knowledge and skills required for using and managing information within an organisation.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. Identify enterprise architecture methodologies in industry and to establish an enterprise architecture practice within a business. (C.1)
2. Recognise ways in which business networks can result in innovation and competitive advantage, and how they can be supported by information technology. (B.1)
3. Elicit requirements and develop and document specifications for networked business environments. (B.1)
4. Demonstrate how Enterprise Architecture integrates business processes with supporting IS architectures to enable business objectives. (D.1)
5. Develop an in-depth understanding of cloud computing business models. (D.1)
6. Demonstrate the role of standards in inter-organisational business processes. (B.1)

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

  • Socially Responsible: FEIT graduates identify, engage, interpret and analyse stakeholder needs and cultural perspectives, establish priorities and goals, and identify constraints, uncertainties and risks (social, ethical, cultural, legislative, environmental, economics etc.) to define the system requirements. (B.1)
  • Design Oriented: FEIT graduates apply problem solving, design and decision-making methodologies to develop components, systems and processes to meet specified requirements. (C.1)
  • Technically Proficient: FEIT graduates apply abstraction, mathematics and discipline fundamentals, software, tools and techniques to evaluate, implement and operate systems. (D.1)

Teaching and learning strategies

The subject will be taught online by a combination of lectures (1.5 hours) and Tutorials (1.5 hours), individual and group work. It is a Faculty guideline that a 6-credit point subject requires a 9-hour weekly study load, which includes attending lectures and tutorials. This subject involves 3 hours of lectures and tutorials plus 6 hours of study outside class (which includes both individual and teamwork). Students are strongly advised to consider this workload when planning their academic effort this session.

Student learning is facilitated through online learning. Students are expected to undertake pre-work before each weekly session, which is available in Canvas. This involves reading selected textbook chapters, research articles, and watching Lynda.com courses related to the topic covered in lectures and tutorials. This is followed by a discussion during the tutorial. Students are required to complete all assessment tasks through tutorial activities: group work on a given case study during the tutorial sessions and out of class activities: Canvas discussion board and self-directed learning using Internet/handouts/workbook.

The lectures contain a collection of specifically focused collaborative online activities and exercises. In tutorials, students engage in small online group discussions and are required to provide the answers to the assigned case study. These discussions draw out key issues of the topic. Group findings are presented to the class with a view to consolidate and summarize the information. Each week these provide students with verbal feedback from their tutors, to gauge their progress and gain ideas for future direction. Online teaching in lectures/tutorials and students access of Canvas to view videos, reference materials, and communication tools help them to prepare and develop their individual and group work assessment tasks. Verbal feedback is integral to each tutorial collaborative activity. Tutor feedback during tutorials will support students to draft a report, and written feedback on the final report is also provided. All tutorial sessions and lectures are designed to help students to prepare for the final assessment.

The teaching and learning strategies in this subject support the UTS model of learning: 1) An integrated exposure to professional practice through dynamic and multifaceted modes of practice-oriented education; 2) Professional practice situated in a global workplace, with international mobility and international and cultural engagement as centerpiece; 3) Learning which is research-inspired and integrated, providing academic rigor with cutting edge technology to equip graduates for life-long learning. Real world problems and case studies will be discussed and students need to provide critical and relevant solutions. These approaches aim at preparing students to become more autonomous, involved and responsible for their own learning.

Content (topics)

The subject primarily covers the following topics:

  • Enterprise Architecture Frameworks and Principles
  • Modeling Enterprise Architectures with TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework)
  • The Architecture Development Method (ADM)
  • Delivering Enterprise Architecture with ArchiMate
  • Cloud Computing for Enterprise Architectures
  • Governance of the Information Systems Organization

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Individual contribution in tutorials and online discussion board

Intent:

Students demonstrate their ability to apply the theoretical concepts learnt to a problem presented.

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

1, 2 and 3

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

B.1 and C.1

Type: Exercises
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 10%
Length:

Minimum of 100 words per post.

Assessment task 2: Individual assignment tutorial activities

Intent:

Students demonstrate their ability to apply technological knowledge learnt to problem presented in practical manner.

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

1, 2, 3 and 4

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

B.1, C.1 and D.1

Type: Case study
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 20%
Length:

As instructed by the tutor.

Assessment task 3: Group assignment (team work)

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

4 and 5

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

D.1

Type: Case study
Groupwork: Group, group assessed
Weight: 30%
Length:

1500 - 2500 words.

Assessment task 4: Quiz

Intent:

To assess students’ knowledge, understanding, and insight gained during lectures and tutorials using MCQs and real-world scenario questions.

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

1, 2, 3, 4 and 6

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

B.1, C.1 and D.1

Type: Quiz/test
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 20%
Length:

Each quiz has one-hour completion time.

Criteria:

Open book. Quiz-1 will cover week 1 to 6 lecture topics

Assessment task 5: Exam

Intent:

To assess students’ knowledge, understanding, and insight gained during lectures and tutorials using MCQs and real-world scenario questions.

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

B.1, C.1 and D.1

Type: Examination
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 20%
Length:

One-hour completion time.

Criteria:

Open book.Exam will cover 40% from week 1 to week 6 lecture topics, and 60% from week-7 to week-11.

Minimum requirements

In order to pass the subject, a student must achieve an overall mark of 50% or more.

Required texts

Resources required to support teaching and learning in this subject will be made available on Canvas and updated throughout the session.

Recommended texts

  • An Introduction to Enterprise Architecture: Third Edition. By Scott A. Bernard
  • Enterprise Architecture at Work: Modelling, Communication and Analysis (The Enterprise Engineering Series). By Mark Lankhorst. 2017.
  • Modeling Enterprise Architecture with TOGAF: A Practical Guide Using UML and BPMN (1st ed.). By Philippe Desfray and Gilbert Raymond. 2014.
  • TOGAF 9.1 standard by the open group. Available http://pubs.opengroup.org/architecture/togaf9-doc/arch/

References

Collaborative Enterprise Architecture: Enriching EA with Lean, Agile and Enterprise 2.0 practices- First Edition. By Bente, Stefan, Bombosch, Uwe, Langade, Shailendra, 2012

Minoli, D. (2008). Enterprise Architecture A to Z: Frameworks, business process modeling, SOA, and Infrastructure Technology.

Hawryszkiewycz, Igor. 2017. Designing Creative Organization: Tools, Processes, and Practice.

Enterprise systems for management. The second Edition. By Motiwalla, Luvai F., and Jeffrey Thompson. Pearson, 2011.

U.S. Department of Defense. Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF) http://dodcio.defense.gov/Library/DoD-Architecture-Framework/

Case Studies http://www.opengroup.org/public/arch/p4/cases/case_intro.htm

A Comparison of the Top Four Enterprise-Architecture Methodologies. Microsoft. https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb466232.aspx

The Zachman Framework. https://www.zachman.com/about-the-zachman-framework

Force.com Platform Fundamentals An Introduction to Custom Application Development in the Cloud [https://developer.salesforce.com/page/Force_Platform_Fundamentals]

Other resources

Resources required to support teaching and learning in this subject (e.g., assignment specifications, checklists, books, academic papers, journal articles, videos, forms, etc.) will be made available on Canvas and updated throughout the session.

Some resources may be distributed in class depending on the requirements of the activities (e.g. in-class exercises).