TOGAF 10 Foundation: Architecture Artifacts - Complete Guide

Architecture Artifacts in TOGAF 10 Foundation

Why Architecture Artifacts Are Important

Architecture Artifacts are crucial components of enterprise architecture because they:

• Provide tangible documentation of architectural decisions and designs that can be referenced, reviewed, and governed
• Enable communication between different stakeholders (business, technical, management) through standardized representations
• Support governance and compliance by creating an audit trail of architectural decisions and their rationale
• Facilitate reuse of architectural components and patterns across the organization
• Enable traceability from business requirements through to technical implementations
• Support change management by providing baselines against which changes can be measured
• Create architectural continuity when personnel changes occur within the organization

What Are Architecture Artifacts?

Architecture Artifacts are the tangible outputs and work products created during the TOGAF ADM (Architecture Development Method) process. They are structured representations of architectural knowledge, decisions, and designs.

In TOGAF 10, artifacts are categorized into three main types within the Architecture Content Framework:

1. Catalogs

Catalogs are structured lists of specific architecture components. They provide inventories and organized collections of architectural elements. Examples include:

• Applications Catalog - lists all applications in the enterprise
• Technology Catalog - lists technology components and standards
• Business Services Catalog - lists business capabilities and services
• Data Catalog - lists data entities and data structures
• Organization Catalog - lists organizational units and roles

2. Matrices

Matrices are two-dimensional representations showing relationships and mappings between architecture components. They provide traceability and impact analysis. Examples include:

• Business Interaction Matrix - shows interactions between business services
• Application to Business Service Matrix - maps applications to business services they support
• Application Communication Matrix - shows communication between applications
• Actor/Role Matrix - maps actors to roles and responsibilities
• Technology Matrix - shows technology component relationships
• Requirement Traceability Matrix - links requirements to architecture components

3. Diagrams

Diagrams are visual representations of architectural information using graphical notation. They provide easy-to-understand visualizations of complex relationships. Examples include:

• Business Architecture Diagrams - show business structures, processes, and capabilities
• Application Architecture Diagrams - show applications and their interactions
• Data Architecture Diagrams - show data flows and data structures
• Technology Architecture Diagrams - show infrastructure, platforms, and technology components
• Dependency Diagrams - show dependencies between components

How Architecture Artifacts Work

The Architecture Content Framework Structure

The Architecture Content Framework organizes artifacts into:

Architectural Content - divided into:

• Catalogs: Inventories of architectural components
• Matrices: Relationship tables showing mappings and dependencies
• Diagrams: Visual representations of architecture

Artifact Lifecycle

Artifacts progress through phases of the ADM:

1. Creation: Artifacts are created during each ADM phase (Preliminary, A through H)
2. Refinement: Artifacts are refined as the architecture evolves through iterations
3. Validation: Artifacts are validated against requirements and principles
4. Approval: Artifacts are approved by governance and stakeholder groups
5. Publication: Approved artifacts become part of the architecture baseline
6. Maintenance: Artifacts are maintained and updated as architecture changes

Artifact Relationships

Artifacts work together to provide comprehensive architectural documentation:

• Catalogs provide the inventory of components that are referenced in matrices and diagrams
• Matrices show how components from different catalogs relate to each other
• Diagrams visualize the information captured in catalogs and matrices
• Together, they create a complete, traceable architectural description

How to Answer Exam Questions on Architecture Artifacts

Common Question Types

Type 1: Definition and Purpose Questions
These ask what artifacts are or why they are used.

Example: "What is the primary purpose of Architecture Artifacts in the TOGAF framework?"
Answer Strategy: Focus on artifacts as tangible work products that document and communicate architectural decisions. Emphasize their role in providing structure and governance.

Type 2: Classification Questions
These ask you to identify whether an artifact is a catalog, matrix, or diagram.

Example: "Which type of artifact would you use to show the relationship between business services and applications?"
Answer Strategy: Remember that matrices show relationships between two sets of components, so this would be a matrix. Catalogs list items, diagrams visualize.

Type 3: Application and Scenario Questions
These provide a situation and ask which artifact type would be most appropriate.

Example: "A company needs to document all the technology components used in their enterprise. What artifact would be most suitable?"
Answer Strategy: A catalog is an inventory list, so this requires a Technology Catalog.

Type 4: Relationship and Integration Questions
These ask how artifacts relate to each other or to other TOGAF concepts.

Example: "How do catalogs, matrices, and diagrams work together in the Architecture Content Framework?"
Answer Strategy: Explain that catalogs provide the inventory, matrices show relationships, and diagrams visualize the information.

Key Concepts to Remember

• Catalogs = Lists/Inventories - Structured collections of specific architecture components
• Matrices = Relationships - Two-dimensional mappings showing how components relate to each other
• Diagrams = Visualizations - Graphical representations that communicate architecture visually
• Completeness: Together, these three types provide comprehensive architectural documentation
• Traceability: Artifacts enable tracing from requirements through to implementations
• Governance: Artifacts support architecture governance and decision documentation

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Architecture Artifacts

Tip 1: Understand the Three Categories

The TOGAF 10 exam heavily tests knowledge of the three artifact types. Create a mental model:

• Catalogs: Think of a phone book or library catalog - just lists items
• Matrices: Think of a spreadsheet with two dimensions - showing how rows relate to columns
• Diagrams: Think of blueprints or flowcharts - showing visual structure and flow

Tip 2: Use the "Two-Dimensional" Rule

When a question asks about showing relationships between TWO sets of components, think Matrix. Matrices always show relationships between two different dimensions or component types. If it's just listing or showing structure, it's likely a Catalog or Diagram.

Tip 3: Pay Attention to Keywords

• "Inventory", "list", "catalog of" → Artifact Type: Catalog
• "Relationship between", "mapping of", "traceability matrix" → Artifact Type: Matrix
• "Show", "visualize", "diagram of", "flowchart" → Artifact Type: Diagram

Tip 4: Remember Artifact Purpose

When answering why artifacts are important, remember the "5 Ps":

• Purpose: Document architectural decisions
• Proof: Provide evidence of due diligence
• Precision: Enable accurate communication
• Persistence: Create institutional memory
• Progress: Track and measure architectural evolution

Tip 5: Distinguish Between Artifact and Phase Outputs

Artifacts are what you produce. Phases (A, B, C, D, etc.) are when you produce them. If a question asks about artifact content or structure, focus on the artifact framework. If it asks about when artifacts are created, remember they are created throughout the ADM process.

Tip 6: Connect to ADM Phases

Different phases of the ADM produce different artifacts:

• Phase A (Architecture Vision): High-level diagrams and stakeholder catalogs
• Phase B (Business Architecture): Business service catalogs and process diagrams
• Phase C (Information Systems Architecture): Application and data catalogs with detailed matrices
• Phase D (Technology Architecture): Technology catalogs and infrastructure diagrams

Understanding this helps answer questions about which artifacts are created when.

Tip 7: Focus on Traceability

Many exam questions test understanding of how artifacts enable traceability. Key points:

• Matrices are especially important for showing traceability
• Requirements can be traced from business needs through applications to technology
• This traceability is critical for governance and change management

Tip 8: Don't Confuse with Other Frameworks

Remember that Architecture Artifacts are specific to TOGAF. In the exam:

• Focus on TOGAF's three-category framework (Catalogs, Matrices, Diagrams)
• Don't mix in concepts from other frameworks like Zachman Framework or ArchiMate
• While these frameworks may use artifacts, the TOGAF Foundation exam focuses on TOGAF's specific approach

Tip 9: Practice Identifying Artifact Examples

Be able to quickly categorize common artifacts:

Artifact Example	Type	Why
Applications Catalog	Catalog	Lists applications
Application to Technology Matrix	Matrix	Shows relationships between two component types
Enterprise Architecture Diagram	Diagram	Visual representation of structure
Technology Components Catalog	Catalog	Inventory of tech components
Business Service to Application Matrix	Matrix	Mapping between two dimensions
Data Flow Diagram	Diagram	Graphical representation of flows

Tip 10: Understand Governance and Approval

The exam may ask about artifact governance. Remember:

• Artifacts are work products that require review and approval
• They provide an audit trail of architectural decisions
• They support baseline management (what was approved at what time)
• They enable change impact analysis (what changes affect what)

Common Exam Question Patterns

Pattern 1: "Which artifact type...?"
Answer by identifying whether you need a list (Catalog), relationship map (Matrix), or visualization (Diagram).

Pattern 2: "What is the purpose of Architecture Artifacts?"
Answer with governance, documentation, communication, and traceability.

Pattern 3: "In which phase are these artifacts created?"
Reference the ADM phase and what is being analyzed in that phase.

Pattern 4: "How do artifacts support...?"
Answer by explaining the specific value (communication, traceability, governance, etc.)

Final Exam Strategy

• Before answering: Identify whether the question asks about artifact TYPE, PURPOSE, USAGE, or LIFECYCLE
• For type questions: Ask yourself if it's a list (Catalog), relationship (Matrix), or visual (Diagram)
• For purpose questions: Think about governance, communication, and documentation value
• For usage questions: Consider which ADM phase and which stakeholders
• For lifecycle questions: Remember creation, refinement, validation, approval, publication, maintenance
• When unsure: Fall back to the fundamental principle - artifacts are tangible work products that document and communicate architecture