Getting Started with Information Framework:

(in the suggested reading order):

1. Information Framework (SID) GB922 Primer R9.5
2. Information Framework (SID) GB922 Concepts and Principles R15.0.0
3. Using the Information Framework (SID) - GB922 User’s Guide R15.0.0

The Getting Started with Information Framework set helps anyone interested in the framework to get started.  If you are not familiar with information modeling the Primer is a key document for you to read.  The Concepts and Principles guide book (GB for guide book, 922 for this framework’s series of guide books) contains definitions of key concepts, the complete Level 1 structure with definitions of each domain and Level 1 ABE, as well as mappings to the Business Process Framework. The User Guidelines guide book contains much of the content of this module as well as descriptions of the patterns we saw in the previous module. It is recommended that the documents in this set should be read in the sequence shown here; the first one is optional for those of you familiar with information modeling.

Addenda

Addendum 1 – Common Business Entities (a series of addenda, one for each ABE)

Addendum 2 – Customer

Addendum 3 – Product

Addendum 4 – Service (two addenda)

Addendum 5 – Resource (two addenda)

Addendum 6 – Market/Sales

Addendum 7 – Enterprise (three addenda, Revenue Assurance, Workforce, and Security)

Addendum 8 – Supplier/Partner

Addendum 9 – Engaged Party (Preliminary)

The addenda organized by domain to be consistent with the structure of the framework.  With the exception of the Common, Service, and Resource domains, there is a single addendum for each domain.  Each ABE in the Common Business Entities domain has its own addendum.  The Service domain has a Quality of Service addendum as well as an overall Service domain addendum.  The Resource domain has an addendum for Logical Resources and one for Physical Resources.  There is also an annex of the Logical Resource addendum that describes the Computing and Software Level 3 ABE within the Logical Resource Level 2 ABE.  There is also a preliminary guide book for the new Engaged Party domain.

Addendum documents can be viewed as additional information about the model which resides in a UML tool.

Inside an Addendum

Design Approach, Rationale, and Examples

•  Each addendum begins with an overview of the domain followed by text, examples, and UML class diagrams for each ABE.  One aspect of the model that has begun to be added to each addendum is the rationale behind a chosen modeling option; when more than one option exists the other options are presented.  The design approach, rationale, and examples enable the model to be better understood and extended to model project-specific entities. 

References

• More information about key concepts

Data Dictionary

• Consistent business definition for all entities and attributes in the model
• Contains aliases and cross-references to other industry models and concepts

Shown here is the content of each domain-specific addendum.  Starting from the bottom up, each addendum contains a data dictionary as described, preceded by a table containing references that list sources of the addendum’s content and additional reading.  

Model Formats

The Information Framework model is provided in a number of formats and can be downloaded from the table below.

For those that don’t have a UML modeling tool, the model is available in two HTML formats.

To support the use of the framework in other tools, XMI and UML2 formats are available.  Most UML tools support these formats for import. 

There is also an Excel format that you can download.