View source for British Ministry of Defence Architecture Framework (MODAF)

== What is the British Ministry of Defence Architecture Framework (MODAF)? ==

MODAF is an internationally recognized enterprise architecture framework that is designed to help Defence planners and change managers effectively understand complex issues. It provides a structured way of defining, analyzing, visualizing, and managing the elements of [[Enterprise Architecture|enterprise architecture]] in order to create an approach for managing change within organizations. MODAF uses a set of models and diagrams such as AV-1 and OV-1 to help guide architects through creating a comprehensive architecture for their organization. These diagrams allow architects to visualize the various components that make up the framework, as well as map out existing processes so they can identify areas where improvements could be made or new processes could be added. By providing this information in one easily accessible package, MODAF enables architects to assess the current state of their organization’s architecture while also looking ahead at potential future updates or changes needed to stay competitive in their industry.

== What is the Unified Profile for DoDAF? ==

The Unified Profile for DoDAF (UPDM) is a visual modeling standard that unites the [[Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF)]] and the UK Ministry of Defence Architecture Framework (MODAF). UPDM allows architects to develop architectures at a high level of abstraction in a consistent way that can be extended down throughout system layers. It is based on OMG's Unified Modeling Language (UML) 2.0, Systems Modeling Language (SysML), and Service Oriented Architecture Modeling Language (SOAML), making it suitable for use with multiple tool vendors. UPDM has found widespread use amongst companies and government organizations, and there is an active task force dedicated to its revision. Enterprise Architect also supports UPDM, enabling defense systems engineers to create models tailored to specific stakeholder needs.

== What are the Services and Architecture? ==

The book provides an overview of the MODAF Architecture Framework (MAF), including AV-1 and OV-1 diagrams and examples, to guide architects in working with service-oriented architectures. It covers two popular frameworks used in defense communities around the world: DoDAF and MODAF, which promote interoperability between branches by defining services, their capabilities, and how they are orchestrated together. The book focuses on COM technology for communication between computers.

== What is the Enterprise Architecture Framework? ==

The Enterprise Architecture Framework (EAF) is a methodology used to guide businesses and IT teams in collaborating effectively. It is designed to ensure that organizations are able to identify opportunities for improvement and develop plans to modify the current system architecture. The purpose of EAF is to provide a blueprint for how organizations can align their systems with their strategic objectives and ensure that all parts of the organization work together as one cohesive unit. The MODAF framework, built upon EAF, provides a comprehensive set of rules and guidelines for defense planning and change management activities.

== What are the Views? ==

The Views, as part of the MODAF Architecture Framework (MAF), are used to help organizations understand their goals and the processes needed to reach them. They outline standards, rules, and policies for different aspects of architectural development. The different types of Views include the AV-1 and OV-1 Diagrams which provide users with an overview of architecture systems along with examples to illustrate how they work in practice.

== What is the Guidance? ==

The Guidance is a flexible framework developed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for understanding, defining, designing, implementing, and governing information systems. At four different levels of granularity – strategic, operational tactical, and technical – this framework provides models and views which can be used in decision-making. Thus, the Guidance helps architects to identify the appropriate information system architecture for their specific situation. The MODAF Architecture Framework (MAF) includes two diagrams - AV-1 & OV-1 - which offer an overview of how each level fits together in terms of functional components and relationships between them. Furthermore, MAF also provides examples that demonstrate how these diagrams are used to solve real-world problems.

== What are the Models? ==

This software, Enterprise Architect, provides users with tools to create models compliant with the Systems Modeling Language (SysML), DoDAF, and MODAF metamodels. The MODAF metamodel (M3 or M3) included in this software defines the structure required to store architectural information within an Enterprise Architect project and some common modeling aspects such as relationships between artifacts and their dependencies on each other. Version 1.2.004 of the M3 of M3 is now available for download so that users can start using it immediately in their projects.

This software provides tools for creating models which are then compliant with the Systems Modeling Language (SysML) and other popular frameworks, such as the DoDAF and MODAF metamodels.

The goal of Enterprise Architect is to provide "model-driven" views to the user, meaning that the underlying data required to generate these views are either stored in the tool itself or in a repository.

The M3 of M3 meta-model ( MODAF ) is provided as part of this software, defining both the structure of architectural information that may be stored within an Enterprise Architect project and also some common modeling aspects, such as relationships between artifacts and their dependencies on each other.
Version 1.2.004 of the M3 of M3 is now available for download, so you can start using it in your projects right away!

== What is the Operational Viewpoint? ==

The Operational Viewpoint is an important component of the MODAF Architecture Framework (MAF) for architects. It provides a high-level overview of the architecture, separating it into communities of interest (COIs). This allows organizations to focus on particular aspects of their architecture without needing to understand and deal with all aspects. The Operational Viewpoint helps define desired outcomes or goals, as well as the capabilities needed to achieve these. Additionally, there are six categories within the viewpoint that take different perspectives on the model, providing more detail about how it works and can be used. AV-1 and OV-1 diagrams are specific examples used in this viewpoint to help visualize an enterprise architecture's design.

== What is the Description? ==

The MODAF Architecture Framework (MAF) provides architects with an overview of the architecture, using AV-1 and OV-1 diagrams and examples. The all-views viewpoint includes an architecture view (AV) which describes the elements of the architecture, as well as system views (SVs) that describe resource functions and interactions between resources. The system view viewpoint includes a resource view (SV), which provides detailed descriptions of how the resources realize capabilities specified in logical OV architectures. Furthermore, SVs can be used to provide more detail to these logical architectures.

== What are the Systems Views? ==

Systems Viewpoints (SVs) are used to understand complexity by providing a description of the functions and interactions between different resources. They can be used to specify solutions that fulfill requirements or simply provide more detail on the logical architecture described by Operational Views (OVs). SVs help architects visualize how their design will interact with other elements in the system and make informed decisions about how to best achieve their desired goals.



==See Also==
*[[Enterprise Architecture Framework]]
*[[Enterprise Architecture Governance]]




==References==
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