How Enterprise Architecture Acts as the Principal Enabler to Address Interoperability

Interoperability Needs and Challenges

There is a growing need to transform data into actionable information and ensure dependable mission execution. My team experienced this challenge while supporting a functional domain with a core capability that is enabled by a system-of-systems that are centrally sponsored, managed and integrated; but they have different acquisition and technology timelines. Also, this centrally managed and integrated capability faced security considerations and standard compliance that created obstacles to information flow, and required balancing risks with operational effectiveness, especially when crossing functional domains both internally and externally.

What Is Interoperability

There are numerous definitions of interoperability, which is why it is such a challenging topic to cover. Some people think of interoperability as something specific to IT, but it is actually a characteristic of any system. Following are some relevant definitions:

• (DOD) The condition achieved among communications-electronics systems or items of communications-electronics equipment when information or services can be exchanged directly and satisfactorily between them and/or their users. The degree of interoperability should be defined when referring to specific cases. (Joint Pub 1–02)
• (IEEE) the ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and to use the information that has been exchanged.
• (TOGAF®) defines interoperability as the ability to share information and services; the ability of two or more systems or components to exchange and use information; the ability of systems to provide and receive services from other systems and to use the services so interchanged to enable them to operate effectively together. (25. Interoperability Requirements)

Integrated Architecture Development

This section describes and discusses the elements of an interoperability implementation within an enterprise or domain. The Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF) specifies a common approach for describing, comparing and presenting enterprise-wide component architecture. Each architecture product listed in Table 1 were chosen to ensure uniformity and standardization in documenting architectural concepts from the perspective of interoperability and traceability to the overall architecture.

Table 1: DoDAF views used for Interoperability implementation

• The headstone of an interoperability implementation project is the Capability Taxonomy (CV-2). A CV-2 is a hierarchy of capabilities which specifies all the capabilities that are referenced throughout the architectural description. A Capability is the ability to achieve a Desired Effect under specified (performance) standards and conditions through combination of ways and means (activities and resources) to perform a set of activities.
• The Operational Resource Flow (OV-2) applies the perception of the operational interoperability architecture capabilities to a community of anticipated users.
• The Organizational Relationship Chart (OV-4) provides a listing of the relationships between the operational facilities of the system and its interface to different external organizations.
• The Operational Activity Model (OV-5) provides an activity model that traces high-level interoperability project capabilities to information technology activities.
• The Operational Event Trace (OV-6c) is an operational trace diagram that provides timing and data sequences for information to flow through the system.
• The System Functionality Description (SV-4) is a listing of all the high and low-level functions that the system performs.
• The Operational Activity to Systems Traceability Matrix (SV-5b) provides a mapping of systems back to operational activities.
• The Systems Resource Flow Matrix (SV-6) provides details of system resource flow elements being exchanged between the interoperability project system and other internal and external components.
• The Standards Profile (StdV-1) provides a technical standards profile of the interoperability project system and lists each of standards that are in use within each system component.

Figure 1 illustrates a flowchart of the integrated architecture products and how they work together to ensure interoperability.

Figure 1: Flowchart of Supporting Integrated Architecture products

Interoperability is defined by DoD Instruction 8330.01 as “both a technical exchange of information and an end-to-end operational effectiveness of that exchange of information as required for mission accomplishment.”

Interoperability is hard to achieve because interoperability can be defined in many ways. Interoperability is more than just information exchange, interoperability includes application to application interoperability, or application to business process interoperability, and may also need to establish interoperability between enterprise and external systems or components.

Conclusion

Interoperability characteristics include systems, processes, procedures, organizations, and missions over the life cycle and must be balanced with cybersecurity.(DoDI 8330.01) The diagrams that are required for any one engagement depends on the Capability being architected. For now, I refer you to The Heart and Brain of Your Business Figure 36: Methods and Tools are Foundational, for more information and guidance.