Infrastructure Architecture

The Beginner’s Guide to Infrastructure Architecture

Published: April 12, 2016
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What is Infrastructure Architecture?

Within the TOGAF metamodel, an ‘Infrastructure Architect’ is often responsible for the ‘Technology Architecture’ and part of the ‘Information Systems Architecture’.  So, what is Infrastructure Architecture?

The rise in Big Data, cloud computing, and the diversity of remote devices has placed intense pressure on infrastructure.  Ever-expanding integration, security, and information management issues are the newest challenges modern organisations face.

Infrastructure Architecture is a structured approach to dealing with this new infrastructure landscape. Successful Infrastructure Architecture clarifies what functionality is required, by whom, and at what level of quality.

This analysis facilitates informed decision-making in designing, constructing, and running an organization’s infrastructure. It allows businesses to use the right models quickly, leading to superior results.

Great Infrastructure Architecture ensures trust: in SLAs, OLAs, and in customers who rely on accurate delivery times, accurate and timely invoicing, and reliable service delivery. This is true no matter what sector you are in.

Infrastructure architecture is a term used to describe the overall design of an organization’s information technology (IT) systems and infrastructure. This type of architecture concerns the physical and logical components of an organization’s IT systems, including hardware, software, networks, and data storage. The goal of infrastructure architecture is to ensure that all of these components are properly aligned and integrated to support the business goals and objectives of the organization.

Infrastructure architecture involves creating a detailed blueprint outlining the design and layout of an organization’s IT systems. This blueprint serves as a guide for developing and implementing the infrastructure. It includes information about the hardware and software components that will be used and the network and data storage systems. The infrastructure architecture also specifies the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders involved in developing and implementing the infrastructure, including IT staff, business units, and vendors.

One of the main benefits of having a well-defined infrastructure architecture is that it helps to ensure that the organization’s IT systems are scalable, flexible, and able to support the organization’s business needs. A well-designed infrastructure architecture can also help to reduce costs by streamlining processes and eliminating redundant systems and components. Additionally, a well-defined infrastructure architecture can help improve the security and reliability of an organization’s IT systems by providing a clear and consistent framework for developing and implementing security controls and protocols.

Infrastructure architecture is a crucial component of any organization’s IT strategy. By creating a detailed blueprint that outlines the design and layout of the organization’s IT systems, infrastructure architecture can help to ensure that the organization’s IT systems are aligned with the business goals and objectives and can support the organization’s growth and success.

Infrastructure architecture is a branch of architecture that focuses on designing and planning an organization’s IT infrastructure. It involves selecting and implementing hardware, software, and networking components to support the organization’s business operations and goals. Infrastructure architecture typically includes the following key components:

  • Network architecture: is the design of an organization’s network infrastructure, including the hardware and software components that support the network.
  • Data architecture: This involves the design of an organization’s data management systems, including how data is stored, accessed, and used by different parts of the organization.
  • Storage architecture: This is the design of an organization’s storage infrastructure, including the hardware and software components that support data storage.
  • Security architecture: is the design of an organization’s security systems, including the hardware and software components that protect the organization’s data and networks.
  • Disaster recovery architecture: This involves the planning and design of an organization’s disaster recovery systems, including the hardware and software components that support the organization in the event of a disaster or other disruption.


Infrastructure architecture is a critical component of any organization’s IT strategy, as it helps ensure that the organization’s IT infrastructure is scalable, secure, and able to support its business operations and goals. By carefully planning and designing the organization’s infrastructure architecture, organizations can improve the efficiency and reliability of their IT systems, reduce costs and improve security.

Infrastructure architecture is a crucial aspect of enterprise architecture, and it plays a key role in the TOGAF framework. Infrastructure architecture refers to designing and planning an organization’s IT infrastructure, including the hardware, software, and network systems that support the organization’s operations and processes.

The TOGAF framework provides a structured approach for developing and managing an organization’s infrastructure architecture. It includes a set of tools and techniques that can be used to plan, design, and implement an effective infrastructure architecture that aligns with the organization’s business goals and objectives.

One of the key principles of TOGAF is the idea of modularity, which involves dividing the architecture into smaller, independent components that can be developed and managed independently. This modular approach makes it easier to manage and maintain the infrastructure architecture over time and allows organizations to adapt to changing business requirements and technologies more easily.

Another important aspect of infrastructure architecture in the TOGAF framework is the idea of standardization. TOGAF includes a set of standard templates, tools, and processes that can be used to develop and manage the infrastructure architecture in a consistent and repeatable manner. This ensures that the architecture is well-defined, well-documented, and easy to understand, which makes it easier to implement and maintain.

In conclusion, infrastructure architecture is a critical component of the TOGAF framework. It plays a vital role in helping organizations design and manages their IT infrastructure in a way that aligns with their business goals and objectives. Using the TOGAF framework, organizations can develop an effective, modular, and standardized infrastructure architecture that supports their operations and enables them to adapt to changing business requirements and technologies.

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