This view
represents concepts and involves stakeholders such as service-oriented architecture (SOA)
governance bodies and Center of Excellence groups that devise architectural standards,
best practices, and policies.
CONCEPTUAL ARCHITECTURE LAYERS
Remember, a conceptual architecture embodies architectural ideas and technological abstractions
of existing service-oriented software assets and operations. But a conceptual architecture must
also represent a business direction and strategies4 that is supported by business stakeholders and
partners. What then are the major elements that make up conceptual architecture? There are
three key conceptual architecture layers that embody technological abstractions in an enterprise:
business environment, technological environment, and architectural concepts.
Exhibit 15.2 illustrates this formation. The bottom layer represents business interests that
are dominated by business domains. The middle level denotes the technological environment,
in which all technological constituents integrate and collaborate. This constitutes the existing
service-oriented software assets, such as infrastructure, services, legacy applications, and even
middleware. Finally, the top layer identifies architectural concepts. These are the abstractions that
generalize the overall technological landscape.
Conceptual Architecture Layers 313
Architectural Concepts
Technological Environment
Business Environment
EXHIBIT 15.
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