The Concept of Architectural Dimensions
Looking through the list of possible EA dimensions, it strikes me that there are various concepts struggling to get out. I'd assume that a true dimension, in the cartesian sense, exhibits a few basic properties:
- It is represented by value points along its length
- The value points are ordered
- It is independent of all other dimensions
and (arguably)
- It is a continuum, such that any interval between value points can be subdivided meaningfully.
Only some of the dimensions in the canidiate list (e.g. Time) fulfil these criteria, others patently do not (e.g. Zachman interrogatives). I have three questions related to this:
- Do we, as enterprise architects, care - or is this just an academic nicety?
- If we do care, are the concepts which aren't dimensions important (I'd suggest that they are)?
- If they are, then what are they, conceptually, and how do they relate to the other types of 'dimension'?
