The Essential Project (AI3)
Summary (AI4)
The Essential Project is the collective name for a set of free, open source, Enterprise Architecture support tools that have been developed for use in conjunction with a variety of Enterprise Architecture approaches and frameworks (including TOGAF). (AI5)
Homepage (AI6)
http://www.enterprise-architecture.org (AI7)
Screenshots (AI8)
Screenshots of Modeling Enterprise Architecture
(AIG)
Screenshots of Viewing / Analysing Enterprise Architecture
(AIH)
Description (AIB)
The tools of the Essential Project are focused solely on providing capabilities that are "essential" to maximising the value of enterprise architecture (EA); helping organisations manage and analyse the knowledge needed to make decisions that impact or are impacted by their EA. More specifically, the tools currently available from the Essential Project are: (AIC)
- Essential Meta-Model: An ontology for the domain of Enterprise Architecture that has been developed from over ten years of applying enterprise architecture practices with a variety of EA frameworks and tools. Importantly, the Essential Meta-Model does not represent an attempt to supersede or conflict with well-established EA frameworks and their associated meta-models. Rather, the intention is to provide a comprehensive and extensible set of concepts and relationships, with clear semantics that can be easily mapped to the concepts, activities and tools of the established EA frameworks. (AID)
- Essential Architecture Manager: A knowledge repository (Protege + custom plug-ins) and browser-based reporting tool for capturing and then presenting/analysing information based on the Essential Meta-Model. (AIE)
However, the Essential Project is not only about the tools. It also provides a useful, active forum for sharing ideas and experiences of applying Enterprise Architecture practices to real world business problems. The overall objective is to encourage the sharing of real world experiences of Enterprise Architecture; what works and what doesn't, best practices, hints and tips etc. The aim is to move Enterprise Architecture away from its often-perceived ivory tower - of benefit only to large, complex organisations - to a necessary and valuable capability in any organisation. (AIF)