Communicating Software Architecture using arc42

Updated on 2025-11-16:

Added part 2 in videos.

Updated the slides to v1.1

I have made a presentation for "Communicating Software Architecture using arc42".

This post contains a link to the presentation (English) and the video session in (Arabic).

Target audience are: 

1. Senior Developers, Tech Leaders.
2. Software / Technical Architects.
3. Software Engineering Manager.

💡I hope it is useful for someone out there.

The slides can be viewed/downloaded here
	Arabic Video Series
Part 1
Part 2

Why I'm recommending arc42?

1. Open Source.
2. Compact, lean, lightweight & concise.
3. Practical and field-proven standard, applied successfully across industries including Fintech, Telecom, & public sector.
4. Process and Technology neutral.
5. Optimized for clarity and communication.
6. Facilitates sustainability and Maintainability.
7. Supported by iSAQB (International Software Architecture Qualification Board), supports education and training.
8. Easily integrated with other models, notations (C4 model, UML, ADR, … etc).
9. 35 examples, 144 tips how to use the template.

Practical Model-Driven Enterprise Architecture - Book Review

I would like to share my experience in reading "Practical Model-Driven Enterprise Architecture: Design a mature enterprise architecture repository using Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect and ArchiMate 3.1".

The intention of doing a book review is to provide: 

1. Objective feedback for potential readers. 
2. Constructive feedback for the authors.

( Packt, Amazon, O'Reilly ) - (ISBN: 978-1-80107-616-6), below you will find links to my review.

Hope you enjoy it.

Video for the book review
The slides can be viewed/downloaded here

Enterprise Architecture As Strategy - Book Review

I would like to share my experience in reading "Enterprise Architecture As Strategy: Creating A Foundation For Business Execution".

The intention of doing a book review is to provide: 

1. Objective feedback for potential readers. 
2. Constructive feedback for the authors.

( Harvard Business Publishing, Amazon, Oreilly ) - (ISBN: 978-1591398394), below you will find links to my review.

Hope you enjoy it.

Video for the book review
The slides can be viewed/downloaded here

Standards Links

 My friend shared links for standards. I find it very helpful, and I wanted to share them with everyone.

Free

1. Free Standards Download.
2. Free ASTM Standards Download
3. ZBOOK: Astm International Standards Catalog-PDF Free Download
4. ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute)

Paid

1. ITEH STANDARDS
2. SIS Swedish Institute for Standards
3. ISO: Global standards for trusted goods and services

Practical Enterprise Architecture

Update history:

2023-12-22:

1. Added: Links to English Videos.
2. Added: References include a new blog from Forrester.
3. Added: Question and answer for establishing EA Office.
4. Update: Some textual changes after including En videos.

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I have made a presentation for "Practical Enterprise Architecture - Introducing CSVLOD EA Model". 

This post contains a link to the presentation (English) and the video session in (Arabic/English), plus some frequently asked questions on those sessions.

Target audience are: 

1. Tech Leaders New to Enterprise Architecture.
2. Enterprise Architects.
3. CxO, CIO, CTO, CDO, EPMO, ITPMO.

💡I hope it is beneficial for someone out there.

The slides can be viewed/downloaded here
	Arabic Video Series	English Video Series
Practical Enterprise Architecture - Part 1
Practical Enterprise Architecture - Part 2

Why is CSVLOD preferred over other EA frameworks (Based on the book author)?

You can either:

1. Read the author published paper. Svyatoslav Kotusev (July 2016), "Enterprise Architecture Frameworks: The Fad of the Century". It is brief and answers this question.
2. For a more detailed understanding, read Appendix A from the book "The Practice of Enterprise Architecture: A Modern Approach to Business and IT Alignment".

Why I'm recommending CSVLOD?

1. A simple EA Model that is easy to understand, communicate and implement.
2. Realistic & practical EA Model, based on empirical industry practice that I find aligned with my day-to-day activities.
3. More adaptive to organization processes (Demand Planning, procurement, project management) where the architecture is considered supporting activities rather than a process/methodology.
4. Promote the concept of “There is no-one-size-fits-all”:
• Figure 17.2: The dependence of the structure on the size of an organization.
• Figure 17.3: The dependence of the structure on the degree of decentralization.
• Figure 17.9: The structure of Governance committees in different organizations.
5. Introduced practical solutions to EA challenges:
• Chapter 5: The Dialog Between Business and IT. This chapter solves one of the toughest challenges facing any EA practice, if the business strategy is not published, how can EA align to business?
• Chapter 19: The Lifecycle of Enterprise Architecture Practice. This chapter introduces multiple practical ways to establish EA practice rather than the traditional way of starting with strategy, portfolio, goals, projects, ... etc
6. Chapter 19: Introduces three types of productive EA consulting engagement.
7. IMHO, this is the most practical EA that an organization without any consultancy services can start with.
8. I'm not ignoring other frameworks, rather than using their artifacts or detailed templates if needed only. I'm not questioning their maturity level.

How to establish Enterprise Architecture practices in organizations?

1. For a detailed walkthrough, read Chapter 19: "The Lifecycle of Enterprise Architecture Practice" from the book "The Practice of Enterprise Architecture: A Modern Approach to Business and IT Alignment".
2. In my opinion: Start with a chronic problem (Pain point) that is facing everyone (The organization, division, department, unit).
3. You have an idea to solve this problem, pick the best EA artifact that you can utilize to express your solution.
4. After using two or three types of EA artifacts; make a presentation showing the benefits of EA to your organization as a whole, and link it to pain points or opportunities for improvement and new ideas.
5. Involve management with external consultants on the best way to establish EA office, and get budgetary figures for consultation & implementation of 1st phase to have the framework.
6. Build the team.
7. Introduce modification to existing processes to incorporate EA artifact to serve a specific purpose.

References:

• CSVLOD Enterprise Architecture Model
• Book: The Practice of Enterprise Architecture: A Modern Approach to Business and IT Alignment ( ebooks, Amazon ) - Author "Svyatoslav Kotusev" Website
• DPBoK Foundation certification - Linking the dots of Digital Transformation - English Video
• Digital Practitioner Body of Knowledge (DPBOK) - Arabic Video
• All Architects Must Deliver Business Outcomes - Author "Charles Betz", Research Director, Forrester
• Prompt Engineering Guide
• Why You're Confusing Frameworks with Methodologies.
• The science behind Approach, Methodology & Framework – are they really different?
• essential project (Open Source Enterprise Architecture Tool).
• Some EA Frameworks:
1. Zachman
2. Technical Architecture Framework for Information Management (TAFIM)
3. Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF)
4. Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF)
5. The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF)