| Written for trained professionals in business, industry, government, and education, as well as for graduate students and researchers, this book approaches the subject of enterprise architecture and the best applications of current technology from many viewpoints. Producers, consumers, designers, and end users are considered, as is practical everyday implementation of advanced technology from both entrepreneurial and academic perspectives.
Designing the proper network and using it to integrate the computers and communications resources of our enterprise is a demanding task. It means, first and foremost, having an architectural concept. It also calls for becoming familiar with hundreds of suppliers of hardware and software, including network switching, transmission, management, and maintenance gear, as well as of methods and techniques for system integration. The primary role of an enterprise architecture is to tie together all components into one aggregate; define the functions to be supported, including their tolerances, their resource requirements and their timing;
answer enduser needs with precision, but also in the most cost effective manner. The enterprise architecture incorporates the protocols under which the different components must operate, as well as the interfaces — including user interfaces. On the whole, this must follow open architectural principles, providing compatibility between systems and devices procured from different vendors but working together seamlessly. This text helps to understand the issues and interpret the significance of changes underway so that interpretation can become a liaison agent.
Both policy and technical issues are considered. The 16 chapters present what needs to be known about effective use of technological resources currently at our disposal or available in the next couple of years. |
