Can enterprise architecture and agile development get along?
Enterprise architecture and agile development methodologies share common ground in that they are both decision-making frameworks. But where enterprise architecture focuses on a future vision for the entire enterprise, agile development’s focus is on project delivery. Enterprise architecture is about where the enterprise has to be tomorrow. Agile development is about where the project has to be today. Is there a basis for a lasting friendship here, or are these two headed for a cage match? A significant aspect of this rocky relationship is the difference between top-down architecture and bottom-up architecture, according to IT consulting firm Approach Alliance’s Ronald van Luttikhuizen, an Oracle ACE director specializing in SOA and middleware. “Top-down architecture, which is typically enterprise architecture, works toward a long-range vision, perhaps 5 or 10 years out,” van Luttikhuizen explains. “Bottom-up architecture addresses questions coming out of projects right now—questions th
