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Enterprise Architecture

Enterprise Architecture includes the comprehensive business, information and service architecture for state information systems. Minnesota has adopted the Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework, which includes a business architecture, an information architecture, and a service architecture. When implemented effectively, this framework will highlight the interrelationships among agency business operations and the underlying technology that supports operations. Without this, agencies run the risk of buying and building systems that are duplicative, incompatible, and unnecessarily costly to maintain and integrate.

Please contact the OET Enterprise Architecture group, OET.EnterpriseArchitecture@state.mn.us, for more information about the State of Minnesota's policies and standards for Enterprise Architecture.

Standards

The following enterprise architecture standards (also known as Information Research Management (IRM), are referenced in the Enterprise Architecture 1994-2002.

Executive Leadership
IRM Standard 1, Version 1: (7-1-94)
Information management requires the active support of a top level executive, who must assume responsibility for managing and developing the information resources under his or her control. Because information resources have agency-wide and statewide value, managing them requires authority and accountability that only executive level management can provide. Read the Full Document

Steering Committee
IRM Standard 2, Version 1: (7-1-94)
Information management requires the active support of an information resource steering committee led by executive-level management that advises the IRM executive on managing the organization's information resources. Agency and information resource community leadership is required for projects to achieve their potential. Read the Full Document

Policies, Standards and Guidelines
IRM Standard 3, Version 1: (7-1-94)
Agencies and information resource communities need an information management infrastructure made up of policies, standards and guidelines that direct the strategic management of agency or information resource community information resources. OET is developing statewide policies, standards and guidelines that will provide a framework for organizations to use in developing their own policies, standards and guidelines. Read the full document.

Implementation Planning
IRM Standard 4, Version 1: (7-1-94)
Planning must be conducted from agency, information resource community and project perspectives. The agency-wide and information resource community perspectives ensure that the right projects are done in the right sequence. The project perspective ensures that the projects are done properly. Read the Full Document

Business Model
IRM Standard 6, Version 1: (7-1-94)
A business model is critical to business process re-engineering and quality initiatives. Modeling business functions facilitates making decisions and planning. Read the full document.

Data Model
IRM Standard (7-1-94)
A data model is critical to sharing information and ensuring that data support the information needs of the organization. High-level data models help an agency or information resource community manage and share its data effectively. Read the Full Document

Distribution Model
IRM Standard 8, Version 1: (7-1-94)
A distribution model is critical to illustrating the physical distribution of data stores among the major business locations. Read the Full Document 

Organizational Structure
IRM Standard 10, Version 1: (7-1-94)
Accountability and responsibility for information resources should be agency- or information resource community-wide. The agency or information resource community should be structured so that resources can be appropriately managed and shared. The management of information resources will require agencies and information resource communities to assess their organization for its readiness to develop, operate and maintain its information resources. Read the full document.

Minnesota State Agency Digital Signature Implementation and Use
IRM Standard 18, Version 1: (11-19-99)
The purpose of this digital signature implementation and use standard is to provide consistent guidance as to what is expected of agencies and offices that wish to implement digital signature technology. Read the full document. 

 
 

Guidelines

Information Resource Development Framework
IRM Guideline 1, Version 1: (12-1-94)
This guideline explains how the information resource development (IRD) management framework for Minnesota government can be used to control IRD. Read the Full Document

Information Resource Management Models: Creation and Use
IRM Guideline 2, Version 1: (12-1-94)
This guideline explains how information resource models are created and used for information resource management. Read the Full Document

Case Tools: Selection and Use
IRM Guideline 3, Version 1: (8-18-06)
Information Resource Management (IRM) is Minnesota government's strategic direction for developing and managing information resources. IRM requirements have been incorporated into the 1996/97 biennial funding requirements of the Minnesota Office of Technology (OT). Agencies requesting funding for information resources must address six "Critical Success Factors" for IRM, including the creation of information resource models. Information Resource Management Six Critical Success Factors is a companion document to IRM Guideline 3-1 (9-12-97)  Read the Full Document

Information Technology - Office Space Request
IRM Guideline 6, Version 4a: (4-1-99)
The purpose of this guideline is to assist state agencies in preparing the required information technology plan. Read the full document.

Entity Relationship Models: Evaluating Content and Quality
IRM Guideline 11-1: (7-31-06)
Information Resource (IR) models support an agency's business by representing business information: facts, rules, data and processes. This document focuses on one of the first and most important of the models: the Entity Relationship (E/R) model. The E/R model represents business information in the form of entities and relationships of interest to the business, that may eventually be converted into computerized data. Read the Full Document

Information Resource Models: A Planning Framework
IRM Guideline 16, Version 1: (3-20-97)
The purpose of this guideline is to provide a planning framework that will help organizations create and use the appropriate models throughout information resource development phases. Read the Full Document

Internet Access and Information Dissemination: Selected (7-12-96)
This document consists of several chapters, each dealing with a topic important to accessing or disseminating information from the Internet. Download the PDF.

A Methodology for Measuring and Reporting Positional Accuracy in Spatial Data
IRM Standard 19, Version 1: (6-12-00)
The purpose of this standard is to provide a single, uniform statistical methodology for estimating the positional accuracy of points on maps and in digital spatial data. Read the full document.

Codes for the Identification of Counties in Minnesota
IRM Standard 15, Version 1: (4-3-97)
The purpose of this standard is to provide a single, common coding scheme for counties in Minnesota. It is intended to be used primarily when data are being transferred between a state agency and some external customer. Its use will improve the sharability of data resources created by Minnesota state and local government by avoiding unnecessary duplication and incompatibilities in the collection, processing and dissemination of data. Read the full document. 

Coordinate Specifications for Spatial Data Exchange Between Minnesota State Agencies
IRM Standard 17, Version 1: (6-9-98)
The purpose of this standard is to define a common framework for spatial data exchange. This benefits all consumers of state-produced data by eliminating the need to prepare customized procedures for processing coordinate information. Deploying the standard allows for the streamlining of exchange procedures between data producers and consumers, thereby reducing costs associated with data processing and handling. Read the full document.

Minnesota Geographic Metadata (10-7-98)
The purpose of this guideline is to provide that common approach for documenting all types of geographic data. Read the Full Document 

 
 

Resources

Architecture Frameworks

7/28/2011 A resource document regarding frameworks. Read the full document.

Minnesota Enterprise Architecture Whitepaper
This paper, written in December 2005, is the result of work coordinated under the Minnesota Enterprise Architecture Development Committee (MEADC) of the Architecture Advisory Committee. Download the PDF.

Enterprise Technical Architecture 2.02
This reference document is created and maintained by the Office of Enterprise Technology and describes principles, practices and standards to define an Enterprise Technical Architecture for information systems in the State Government of Minnesota. 5-19-06 Download the PDF.

 
 

Enterprise Architecture Processes

Exception Process for Architecture Review Board

4/19/2010 An outline of the process to request exceptions to any architectural policy or standard. Read the full document

Architecture Review Board Approval Process for Policies and Standards

4/19/2010 Read the full document.