AV-1 | OV-1 | OV-2 | OV-4 | OV-5 | OV-6C | OV-7 | SV-2 | SV-4 | SV-5 | SV-6 | SV-11 | TV-1 | TV-2

Product Definition. The Overview and Summary Information provides executive- level summary information in a consistent form that allows quick reference and comparison among architectures. AV-1 includes assumptions, constraints, and limitations that may affect high-level decision processes involving the architecture.

Product Purpose. AV-1 contains sufficient textual information to enable a reader to select one architecture from among many to read in more detail. AV-1 serves two additional purposes. In the initial phases of architecture development, it serves as a planning guide. Upon completion of an architecture, AV-1 provides summary textual information concerning the architecture.

Product Detailed Description. The AV-1 product comprises a textual executive summary of a given architecture and documents the following descriptions.

Architecture Project Identification identifies the architecture project name, the architect, and the organization developing the architecture. It also includes assumptions and constraints, identifies the approving authority and the completion date, and records the level of effort and costs (projected and actual) required to develop the architecture.

Scope identifies the views and products that have been developed and the temporal nature of the architecture, such as the time frame covered, whether by specific years or by designations such as current, target, transitional, and so forth. Scope also identifies the organizations that fall within the scope of the architecture.

Purpose and Viewpoint explains the need for the architecture, what it should demonstrate, the types of analyses (e.g., Activity-Based Costing) that will be applied to it, who is expected to perform the analyses, what decisions are expected to be made on the basis of an analysis, who is expected to make those decisions, and what actions are expected to result. The viewpoint from which the architecture is developed is identified (e.g., planner or decision maker).

Context describes the setting in which the architecture exists. It includes such things as mission, doctrine, relevant goals and vision statements, concepts of operation, scenarios, information assurance context (e.g., types of system data to be protected, such as classified or sensitive but unclassified, and expected information threat environment), other threats and environmental conditions, and geographical areas addressed, where applicable. Context also identifies authoritative sources for the rules, criteria, and conventions that were followed. (See Universal Reference Resources [URR] section in the Deskbook for examples of authoritative sources.) The tasking for the architecture project and known or anticipated linkages to other architectures are identified.

Tools and File Formats Used identifies the tool suite used to develop the architecture and file names and formats for the architecture and each product.

Findings states the findings and recommendations that have been developed based on the architecture effort. Examples of findings include identification of shortfalls, recommended system implementations, and opportunities for technology insertion.

During the course of developing an architecture, several versions of this product may be produced. An initial version may focus the effort and document its scope, the organizations involved, and so forth. After other products within the architecture’s scope have been developed and verified, another version may be produced to document adjustments to the scope and to other architecture aspects that may have been identified as a result of the architecture development. After the architecture has been used for its intended purpose, and the appropriate analysis has been completed, yet another version may be produced to summarize these findings for the highlevel decision makers. In this version, the AV-1 product, along with a corresponding graphic in the form of an OV-1 product, serve as the executive summary for the architecture.