Mike's Notes
Another excellent article by Roger Sessions.
Resources
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ten-laws-govern-enterprise-architecture-roger-sessions/
- http://rogersessions.com/training/sos
References
- Reference
Repository
- Home > Ajabbi Research > Library > Authors > Roger Sessions
- Home > Handbook >
Last Updated
01/06/2025
Ten Laws That Govern Enterprise Architecture
Lead Architect of the IT Simplification Initiative (ITSI), leveraging mathematics to build simpler IT.
Every engineering discipline is governed by specific mathematical laws. Bridge designers must understand the laws of Tension and Compression. Any bridge designed in violation of these laws will collapse. Rocket ship designers must understand Newton’s Laws of Motion. Any rocket ship designed in violation of Newton’s laws will destruct. Aqueduct designers must understand the Laws of Hydraulics. Any aqueduct designed in violation of these laws will block.
How many people would knowingly drive on bridges that violate the laws of Tension and Compression? How many would ride a rocket ship that ignores Newton’s Laws of Motion? How many would hook up their toilet to aqueducts designed by people who poo-poo the laws of Hydraulics?
Like these engineering disciplines, enterprise architecture is governed by specific mathematical laws. However in marked contrast to these other disciplines, few enterprise architects understand the laws that govern their field. Even fewer executives demand that the high cost designs they are funding take into account the most fundamental laws that will determine their success.
This article is a Call to Action. It is a call to enterprise architects to start designing systems that conform to those laws rather than flaunting them. It is a call to executives to start demanding that all designs be subject to a proof of conformity to these laws. To design a large IT system that violates the Laws of Complexity is every bit as negligent as designing a bridge that violates the Laws of Tension and Compression.
As a starting point for this critical discussion, here are what I believe are the ten most important Laws of Complexity:
- Complexity = Functional Complexity + Dependency Complexity
- Viability = c /Complexity
- Value = Useful Functionality / Complexity
- Complexity increases exponentially
- Capacity to Manage Complexity increases linearly
- When partitioning independent elements, partition complexity is driven by subset size.
- When partitioning dependent elements, partition complexity is driven by element assignment.
- |Non-Optimal Partitions (NOPs)| >> |Optimal Partitions (OPs)|
- Complexity (NOPs) >> Complexity (OPs)
- OPs can only be found with directed methodologies.
I will write about these laws in more detail in upcoming articles. Stay tuned!
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