Enterprise Architecture

A Comprehensive Guide to Enterprise Architecture, Technical Architecture, C4 Model, TOGAF, and Internet Models

Honghao Wang

— 4 min read
A Comprehensive Guide to Enterprise Architecture, Technical Architecture, C4 Model, TOGAF, and Internet Models

📑 Table of Contents

1 Understanding Architecture  
    1.1 4+1 View Model  
    1.2 C4 Model  
    1.3 TOGAF-4A Architecture  
    1.4 Internet Model  

2 What Is Enterprise Architecture?

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Introduction

The term Architecture is widely used but often misunderstood.

Some see it purely as code structure, others as high‑level design.

In reality, architectural thinking spans:

  • Technical architectures
  • The C4 model
  • TOGAF framework
  • Enterprise architecture in the Internet era

Together, these perspectives reveal different layers of understanding for complex systems.

This article clarifies the origins, evolution, layers, and strategic thinking behind architecture — from software to the enterprise level.

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1 — Understanding Architecture

Architecture is fundamentally a description of a system.

> Wikipedia: Software architecture is an abstract description of the overall structure and components of software, used to guide the design of all aspects of large‑scale software systems.

Key Characteristics of Architecture

A system’s architecture reflects three major qualities:

  • Horizontal — components can be paralleled
  • Vertical — elements can be derived
  • Holistic — the system can evolve

The complexity of Internet‑based systems grows relentlessly.

Architecture’s primary goal: control complexity and guide systems toward manageable evolution.

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1.1 — 4+1 View Model

Proposed by Philippe Kruchten, the 4+1 View Model describes logical architecture across perspectives — end users, developers, system engineers, and project managers — and is now a global standard.

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Five perspectives and what they cover:

  • Logical View — End‑user perspective; hierarchy of functional components.
  • Development View — Developer perspective; organization of packages, classes, libraries.
  • Process View — Behavior relationships; sequence diagrams showing time flow.
  • Physical View — Deployment perspective; physical infrastructure mapping.
  • Scenarios View — Relationships among entities; often via use case diagrams.

From these, we derive five models: Scenario, Function, Implementation, Process, Deployment — each one abstracting the previous.

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1.2 — C4 Model

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Created by Simon Brown (2006–2011), the C4 Model builds upon 4+1.

Reference: https://c4model.com/.

C4 stands for:

  • Context — External interactions and relationships with people/systems.
  • Containers — Technical functional units (e.g., services, modules).
  • Components — Internal elements of containers (e.g., SKU management, market data).
  • Code — Lowest level details: interfaces, classes, inheritance, composition.

Approach: Zoom in from macro to micro — planet → terrain → cities → homes.

Difference from 4+1:

  • 4+1 gives multiple perspectives (“side vs. top view”).
  • C4 drills deeper step‑by‑step (“magnifying glass”).

Architects must navigate abstraction levels fluidly — knowing what to focus on at each layer.

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1.3 — TOGAF‑4A Architecture

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TOGAF introduces four architecture domains critical in Enterprise Architecture:

Business Architecture

  • Business strategy, governance, organization, key processes.
  • Focuses on value, information, collaboration across departments.

Application Architecture

  • Blueprint of deployed applications, their interactions, and alignment to core processes.

Data Architecture

  • Logical and physical data asset structure; data management resources.

Technology Architecture

  • Logical software/hardware capabilities for deployment.
  • Covers IT infrastructure, networks, middleware, standards.

TOGAF’s purpose: Help enterprises shift from:

  • Heterogeneity → Homogeneity
  • Reactive → Proactive
  • Discrete → Unified
  • Disorder → Order

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1.4 — Internet Model

Internet systems evolve faster with shorter business cycles — leading to three common architecture descriptions:

  • Business Architecture — Functional scope, domain boundaries, logical component relations. Avoids technical jargon.
  • Technical Architecture — Component interaction from a technical perspective; synchronous/asynchronous, messaging patterns.
  • Deployment Architecture — Physical distribution mapping for deployed systems.

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2 — What Is Enterprise Architecture?

Software architecture tackles complexity in a single system.

Enterprise complexity comes from multi‑system, multi‑process, multi‑team integration.

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is the discipline for designing a system of systems, aligning technology, processes, and people over the long term.

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Common Misconceptions About EA

  • EA = Technical Architecture
  • EA is holistic: People, Processes, Technology, Data. Technical focus alone misses organizational dynamics.
  • EA is just diagrams/models
  • Models are tools, not ends. True EA uses them to support decisions and drive change.
  • EA is only high‑level strategy
  • EA spans strategic, business, operational, and infrastructure layers — it’s relevant to all teams.
  • EA’s value is perfect documentation
  • Beautiful diagrams are useless unless they enable better decisions and measurable progress.

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Definition

> Enterprise Architecture: A holistic discipline aligning business strategy, processes, technology, and data to guide organizational development — ensuring multiple systems and teams work in a coordinated, efficient, adaptable manner.

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EA in Practice

A skilled enterprise architect works across:

  • Strategic Layer — Guides leadership from current state to desired future state.
  • Business Layer — Models capabilities/processes; identifies bottlenecks and optimizations.
  • Technical Layer — Ensures data/system designs enable strategy without obstructing progress.

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EA and AI‑enabled Platforms

Platforms like AiToEarn官网 — an open‑source global AI content monetization ecosystem — show architecture thinking applied to modern content systems.

Key capabilities:

  • AI content generation
  • Cross‑platform publishing
  • Analytics and model ranking
  • Simultaneous distribution to Douyin, Kwai, WeChat, Bilibili, Rednote, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, X (Twitter)

Such platforms demonstrate seamless integration of information flows, echoing EA principles.

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People + Processes + Technology + Information form EA’s backbone.

Information is crucial — lack of it leads to information silos, which hinder IT and organizational growth.

> Technology is the skin of EA; processes and information are its bones.

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Final Thought

Enterprise Architecture is systems thinking — seeing the big picture, understanding relationships, and managing organizational evolution.

Aspiration: Become an architect who not only understands frameworks but can define and adapt organizational processes to thrive in changing environments.

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