The IA Framework - Information Assurance Architecture - page 14

his topic prepares you to address information assurance from an enterprise
architecture perspective that includes a holistic IA perspective. This requires defer-
ring technical specifics to abstract thinking, or taking specifics and abstracting
them to principles or rules that apply in a broader sense. These abstractions take the
form of frameworks, hierarchies, taxonomies, and ontologies. Hierarchies define
top-down relationships similar to parent-child or manager-subordinate. A tax-
onomy is an orderly classification that align classes in a particular relationship such
that any member of one classification may relate to any member of another clas-
sification according to the relationship defined. Ontologies provide for definitions
of class, instances, attributes, relationships, and communications.
Chapter 1 introduced concepts and terms of architecture, enterprise architecture,
information assurance, and information assurance architecture (IA 2 ). The material in
this chapter introduces the IA 2 Framework, the flow through the framework as a line
of sight linking the abstract IA architecture to IA operational constructs.
The technical and physical specifics (e.g., IA services and IA mechanisms) are
still important; however, an architect reaches specifics by way of generalities. If the
architect designs the solution to accommodate X technology, the life cycle of the
solution is limited to the life cycle of technology X. For example, if the design for a
solution focuses on network components from a particular manufacturer (no names
to hide the guilty), the solution is as good as that manufacturer's components. If the
solution design is on the capabilities necessary for enterprise communications, then
various manufacturers may provide that capability. Yes, there are benefits to having
network components from a single manufacturer (see chapter 9 for a discussion of
homogeneous versus heterogeneous technical environments). However, the point is
to design the solution to the business capability and not to the technology .

2.2 objecties
Chapter objectives include the following:

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Introduce the IA 2 Framework (IA 2 F)
Walk through the details of the IA 2 F
Present the details of the IA 2 F architectural views
Present the nine IA core principles
Introduce the IA operations cycle (IA ops cycle)
Discuss the IA 2 line of sight

Your objectives include learning about the IA 2 Framework as the core of IA 2 .
There are many supporting and complementary aspects to the IA 2 Framework.
Each is another tool in the IA toolkit. A tool to be applied in the craft of IA archi-
tecture. A tool to be applied by you, the IA architect. What to apply? The craftsper-
son draws upon the right tool for the right job. When to apply? The craftsperson