Enterprise Architecture Principles
Enterprise architecture principles are a set of guidelines to be applied to increase the consistency and quality
of technology decision making. They describe the big picture of the enterprise within the context of its technology intent and impact on the institution. Each principle will contain a definition, rationale and implications. The principles are aligned with the universities mission and goals.
Sixteen Principles have been detailed by the Architecture Review Board as the basis for the enterprise architectural foundation for Loyola.
- Centralized Governance for IT acquisitions
Information Technology Services (ITS) will access all new technology related initiatives to ensure Compliance with Enterprise Architechture (EA) principles
- Mission Vision & Promise alignment
Major Initiatives to applications and technology are driven by documented needs to enhance the university's mission, vision and promise
- Total Cost of Ownership
The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for all the technology components will be identified and agreed upon between the stake holder and information technology services
- Entersprise Security
All products, solutions, tools, designs, applications and methods used within the architecture must adhere to all security and privacy policies
- Eliminate Duplicate Systems
Development of applications used accross the university is preffered over the development of familiar or duplicative applications which are only provided to a particular group
- Manage Technical Diversity
Technology diversity is managed to minimize the significant of cost of maintaining expertise in and connectivity between differing technical environments
- Build for Reuse
Loyola will identify commonality and functionality and build common functionality in a reusable fashion in order to innovatively and creatively support Loyola's missions
- Design for Flexibility and Agility
Loyola will actively and continually enhance the flexibility and agility of its environment in order to innovatively and creatively support Loyola's missions
- Reduce Integration Complexity
Reducing Integration complexity requires modular components that are integrated through consistent use of well concieved, generalized relationships, rather than through the definition of component specific relationships
- Self Service
The ability for the customer to utilize the technology services by themselves will be provided where possible. The self service approach will allow customers the flexibility to execute services base don their schedules with minimal involvement from the service provider
- Define Authoritative Sources
By defining an authoritatvie source, capturing, editing and correctling data as close to an authoritative source as possbile will lead to a reduction in costs associated to data maintenance at multiple points of data instances and more reliable data integrity
- Manage Data as an asset
Loyola values data as an asset because it can be leveraged across the University to enhance competitive advantage and accelerate decision making. University wide access to relevant information is the rule, not the exception
- Data integration
In order to take advantage of the same beneifits of a single source of truth (reduction in costs associated to data maintenance at multiple points of data instance and more relaible data integrity), where it makes sense, technology will be used to update the multiple iterations of data through a single process
- Data Accessibilty
Because data is required for users to perform their functions, it is shared accross University functions and organizations
- Data is Shared
Users have access to the data necessary to perform their duties; therefore data is shared across University functions and organizations
- Data Security
Data is protected from unathorized use and diclosure. This includes only providing access to data to those individuals who sould have access to that data. This also includes properly classifying and protecting data according to Loyola data classification policies
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