EA on a Page Primer & Modeling Guide — Evidence-Based EA Practice with Linked.Archi¶

This guide introduces the EA on a Page framework as formalised in Linked.Archi, explains how its concepts map to semantic assets, and demonstrates practical modeling through worked examples.

Phase 1 — Understanding EA on a Page¶

What is EA on a Page?¶

EA on a Page is an evidence-based enterprise architecture framework created by Svyatoslav Kotusev, based on empirical research across 27+ organizations. Unlike prescriptive frameworks (TOGAF, Zachman), EA on a Page describes how EA practices actually work rather than prescribing how they should work.

The framework classifies: - 24 EA artifacts into 6 types (the CSVLOD taxonomy) - 3 core EA processes that revolve around those artifacts - 4 maturity stages describing how EA practices evolve - Governance arrangements including architecture tiers and governance bodies

"Enterprise architecture is not a single methodology or framework. It is a collection of specific planning practices that organizations use to align their IT assets with business needs." — Svyatoslav Kotusev, The Practice of Enterprise Architecture (2021)

References: - Kotusev, S. (2021). The Practice of Enterprise Architecture: A Modern Approach to Business and IT Alignment. 2nd ed. SK Publishing. - Kotusev, S. (2024). Enterprise Architects: The Agents of Digital Transformation. SK Publishing. - Kotusev, S. (2016). The CSVLOD Model of Enterprise Architecture. BCS. - EA on a Page

The CSVLOD Taxonomy — Six Artifact Types¶

EA on a Page classifies all EA artifacts into six general types, forming the acronym CSVLOD:

Type	Nature	Focus	Scope	Lifecycle	What it provides
Considerations	Rules	Business	Organization-wide	Permanent	Governance rules — principles, policies, guidelines
Standards	Rules	IT	Organization-wide	Permanent	Proven solutions — technology reference models, patterns
Visions	Structures	Business	Organization-wide	Long-lived	Future state — capability models, target architectures, roadmaps
Landscapes	Structures	IT	Organization-wide	Long-lived	Current state — landscape diagrams, inventories, portfolios
Outlines	Changes	Business	Initiative-scoped	Short-lived	Initiative architecture — solution overviews, options assessments
Designs	Changes	IT	Project-scoped	Short-lived	Detailed specs — solution designs, interface contracts

block-beta
    columns 3
    space:1 b["Business-focused"] i["IT-focused"]
    r["Rules<br/>(permanent)"] C["Considerations<br/>Principles, Policies,<br/>Guidelines"] S["Standards<br/>Tech Ref Models,<br/>Patterns, IT Principles"]
    s["Structures<br/>(long-lived)"] V["Visions<br/>Capability Models,<br/>Target Architectures,<br/>Roadmaps"] L["Landscapes<br/>Landscape Diagrams,<br/>Inventories, Portfolios"]
    ch["Changes<br/>(short-lived)"] O["Outlines<br/>Solution Overviews,<br/>Options Assessments"] D["Designs<br/>Solution Designs,<br/>Detailed Specs,<br/>Interface Contracts"]

    style C fill:#4A90D9,color:#fff
    style S fill:#4A90D9,color:#fff
    style V fill:#7BC67B,color:#000
    style L fill:#7BC67B,color:#000
    style O fill:#E8A838,color:#000
    style D fill:#E8A838,color:#000

The 24 Artifacts¶

Each CSVLOD type contains 4 specific artifacts, classified by usage frequency:

Type	Essential	Common	Uncommon
Considerations	Principles	Policies, Conceptual Architectures	Guidelines
Standards	Technology Reference Models	Patterns, IT Principles	Technology Guidelines
Visions	Business Capability Models, Target State Architectures, Roadmaps	Value Chains	—
Landscapes	Landscape Diagrams, Inventories	Enterprise System Portfolios, Integration Maps	—
Outlines	Solution Overviews, Options Assessments	Initiative Architectures	Architecture Briefs
Designs	Solution Designs	Detailed Specifications, Interface Contracts	Deployment Architectures

Usage frequency is based on empirical observation: Essential artifacts are used by the majority of organizations, Common by 25-50%, and Uncommon by 10-25%.

The Three Core Processes¶

EA practices revolve around three distinct but interrelated processes:

graph LR
    SP["Strategic Planning<br/><i>Considerations + Visions</i>"]
    TO["Technology Optimization<br/><i>Standards + Landscapes</i>"]
    ID["Initiative Delivery<br/><i>Outlines + Designs</i>"]

    SP -->|"guides"| TO
    SP -->|"guides"| ID
    TO -->|"constrains"| ID

    style SP fill:#4A90D9,color:#fff
    style TO fill:#7BC67B,color:#000
    style ID fill:#E8A838,color:#000

Process	Input Artifacts	Output Artifacts	Participants	Key Questions
Strategic Planning	Considerations	Visions	Enterprise Architects, Business Leaders, IT Leaders	Where should we invest? What does the target state look like?
Technology Optimization	Considerations, Visions	Standards, Landscapes	Enterprise Architects, IT Leaders	What technologies do we have? Which are redundant? What should be standard?
Initiative Delivery	All of the above	Outlines, Designs	Solution Architects, Enterprise Architects	What is the best approach? How should the solution be designed?

Maturity Stages¶

EA on a Page describes four maturity stages based on empirical observation:

Stage	Name	Processes Established	Artifact Types Mastered
0	No Architecture	None	None
1	IT Optimization	Technology Optimization	Standards, Landscapes
2	Solution Delivery	+ Initiative Delivery	+ Outlines, Designs
3	Enterprise Architecture	+ Strategic Planning	+ Considerations, Visions

The maturity model is descriptive, not prescriptive — it describes what is typically observed, not what should be achieved in a linear progression.

Governance Model¶

EA on a Page describes governance arrangements at three levels:

Tier Model	Description	Typical Organization
One-Tier	Single EA team handles all activities	Small organizations, early maturity
Two-Tier	Enterprise architects (strategic) + Solution architects (project)	Most common model
Three-Tier	+ Domain/segment architects between enterprise and solution	Large, complex organizations

Phase 2 — The Linked.Archi Semantic Model¶

Namespace and Assets¶

File	Namespace	Content
`eaonapage-onto.ttl`	`https://meta.linked.archi/eaonapage/onto#`	OWL ontology: CSVLOD classes, processes, participants, governance, maturity
`eaonapage-tax.ttl`	`https://meta.linked.archi/eaonapage/tax#`	SKOS taxonomy: 24 artifacts, maturity stages, governance classification
`eaonapage-viewpoints.ttl`	`https://meta.linked.archi/eaonapage/viewpoints#`	Viewpoints: 8 viewpoints across 4 categories
`eaonapage-shapes.ttl`	`https://meta.linked.archi/eaonapage/shapes#`	SHACL validation: artifact completeness and consistency
`eaonapage-deliverable-templates.ttl`	`https://meta.linked.archi/eaonapage/deliverable-templates#`	Deliverable templates: 8 common EA deliverables
`eaonapage-metamodel.ttl`	`https://meta.linked.archi/eaonapage/metamodel#`	Metamodel manifest (entry point)

Class Hierarchy¶

graph TD
    AE["arch:Element"]
    EA["eaop:EAArtifact"]
    C["eaop:Consideration"]
    S["eaop:Standard"]
    V["eaop:Vision"]
    L["eaop:Landscape"]
    O["eaop:Outline"]
    D["eaop:Design"]

    AE --> EA
    EA --> C
    EA --> S
    EA --> V
    EA --> L
    EA --> O
    EA --> D

    AP["ap:ArchitectureProcess"]
    EP["eaop:EAProcess"]
    SP["eaop:StrategicPlanning"]
    TO["eaop:TechnologyOptimization"]
    ID["eaop:InitiativeDelivery"]

    AP --> EP
    EP --> SP
    EP --> TO
    EP --> ID

    style EA fill:#4A90D9,color:#fff
    style C fill:#6BA3D9,color:#fff
    style S fill:#6BA3D9,color:#fff
    style V fill:#7BC67B,color:#000
    style L fill:#7BC67B,color:#000
    style O fill:#E8A838,color:#000
    style D fill:#E8A838,color:#000

Key Properties¶

Property	Domain	Range	Purpose
`eaop:usedInProcess`	EAArtifact	EAProcess	Links artifact type to its process
`eaop:artifactScope`	EAArtifact	xsd:string	organization-wide / initiative-scoped / project-scoped
`eaop:artifactLifecycle`	EAArtifact	xsd:string	permanent / long-lived / short-lived
`eaop:artifactNature`	EAArtifact	xsd:string	rules / structures / changes
`eaop:artifactFocus`	EAArtifact	xsd:string	business-focused / IT-focused
`eaop:usageFrequency`	EAArtifact	xsd:string	essential / common / uncommon
`eaop:processParticipant`	EAProcess	EAParticipant	Who participates in the process
`eaop:processInput`	EAProcess	EAArtifact	Artifact types consumed
`eaop:processOutput`	EAProcess	EAArtifact	Artifact types produced
`eaop:hasPhase`	EAProcess	EAProcessPhase	Sub-phases of a process
`eaop:governedBy`	EAArtifact	GovernanceBody	Which body governs the artifact
`eaop:tierLevel`	ArchitectureTier	xsd:integer	Numeric tier level (1-3)

Viewpoint Catalog¶

The EA on a Page viewpoints are organized by the process they support:

Category	Viewpoint	Purpose	Key Artifact Types
Strategic	Business Capability VP	Deciding, Informing	Visions, Considerations
Strategic	Roadmap VP	Deciding, Informing	Visions, Landscapes
Optimization	Landscape VP	Informing, Deciding	Landscapes
Optimization	Standards Compliance VP	Governing, Deciding	Standards, Landscapes
Delivery	Solution Design VP	Designing	Designs
Delivery	Options Assessment VP	Deciding	Outlines, Considerations, Standards
Governance	Governance Overview VP	Governing, Informing	Governance Bodies, Tiers
Governance	Maturity Assessment VP	Governing, Deciding	Maturity Stages, Processes

Deliverable Templates¶

Template	Process	Viewpoints Required	Sections
Architecture Strategy	Strategic Planning	Business Capability, Roadmap	4
Technology Strategy	Technology Optimization	Standards Compliance, Landscape	4
Technology Reference Model	Technology Optimization	Standards Compliance	3
Solution Brief	Initiative Delivery (Initiation)	Options Assessment	3
Solution Overview	Initiative Delivery (Initiation)	Options Assessment, Standards Compliance	5
Solution Design	Initiative Delivery (Realization)	Solution Design, Standards Compliance	6
Architecture Principles Document	Governance	Business Capability	3
Roadmap	Strategic Planning	Roadmap, Landscape	4

Phase 3 — Practical Modeling¶

Example 1: Classifying an artifact by CSVLOD type¶

@prefix eaop: <https://meta.linked.archi/eaonapage/onto#> .
@prefix arch: <https://meta.linked.archi/core#> .
@prefix skos: <http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#> .
@prefix ex:   <https://model.example.com/myea#> .

# A technology reference model — the primary Standards artifact
ex:TechRefModel a arch:Model, eaop:Standard ;
    skos:prefLabel "Enterprise Technology Reference Model"@en ;
    eaop:artifactScope "organization-wide" ;
    eaop:artifactLifecycle "permanent" ;
    eaop:artifactNature "rules" ;
    eaop:artifactFocus "IT-focused" ;
    eaop:usageFrequency "essential" ;
    eaop:usedInProcess eaop:TechnologyOptimization .

Example 2: Modeling a complete artifact portfolio¶

@prefix eaop: <https://meta.linked.archi/eaonapage/onto#> .
@prefix arch: <https://meta.linked.archi/core#> .
@prefix skos: <http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#> .
@prefix ex:   <https://model.example.com/myea#> .

# Considerations
ex:ArchPrinciples a arch:Model, eaop:Consideration ;
    skos:prefLabel "Architecture Principles"@en ;
    eaop:artifactScope "organization-wide" ;
    eaop:artifactLifecycle "permanent" ;
    eaop:artifactNature "rules" ;
    eaop:artifactFocus "business-focused" ;
    eaop:usageFrequency "essential" ;
    eaop:usedInProcess eaop:StrategicPlanning .

# Visions
ex:CapabilityMap a arch:Model, eaop:Vision ;
    skos:prefLabel "Enterprise Capability Map"@en ;
    eaop:artifactScope "organization-wide" ;
    eaop:artifactLifecycle "long-lived" ;
    eaop:artifactNature "structures" ;
    eaop:artifactFocus "business-focused" ;
    eaop:usageFrequency "essential" ;
    eaop:usedInProcess eaop:StrategicPlanning .

# Landscapes
ex:AppLandscape a arch:Model, eaop:Landscape ;
    skos:prefLabel "Application Landscape"@en ;
    eaop:artifactScope "organization-wide" ;
    eaop:artifactLifecycle "long-lived" ;
    eaop:artifactNature "structures" ;
    eaop:artifactFocus "IT-focused" ;
    eaop:usageFrequency "essential" ;
    eaop:usedInProcess eaop:TechnologyOptimization .

# Outlines
ex:PaymentSolutionOverview a arch:Model, eaop:Outline ;
    skos:prefLabel "Payment Platform Solution Overview"@en ;
    eaop:artifactScope "initiative-scoped" ;
    eaop:artifactLifecycle "short-lived" ;
    eaop:artifactNature "changes" ;
    eaop:artifactFocus "business-focused" ;
    eaop:usageFrequency "essential" ;
    eaop:usedInProcess eaop:InitiativeDelivery .

# Designs
ex:PaymentServiceDesign a arch:Model, eaop:Design ;
    skos:prefLabel "Payment Service Detailed Design"@en ;
    eaop:artifactScope "project-scoped" ;
    eaop:artifactLifecycle "short-lived" ;
    eaop:artifactNature "changes" ;
    eaop:artifactFocus "IT-focused" ;
    eaop:usageFrequency "essential" ;
    eaop:usedInProcess eaop:InitiativeDelivery .

Example 3: Modeling governance arrangements¶

@prefix eaop: <https://meta.linked.archi/eaonapage/onto#> .
@prefix arch: <https://meta.linked.archi/core#> .
@prefix skos: <http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#> .
@prefix ex:   <https://model.example.com/myea#> .

# Two-tier governance arrangement
ex:OurGovernance a eaop:GovernanceArrangement ;
    skos:prefLabel "Two-Tier Architecture Governance"@en ;
    skos:definition "Enterprise architects handle strategic artifacts; solution architects handle project artifacts."@en .

# Governance bodies
ex:ARB a eaop:GovernanceBody ;
    skos:prefLabel "Architecture Review Board"@en ;
    eaop:governsTier ex:SolutionTier ;
    skos:definition "Reviews and approves Solution Overviews and Solution Designs."@en .

ex:SteeringCommittee a eaop:GovernanceBody ;
    skos:prefLabel "IT Steering Committee"@en ;
    eaop:governsTier ex:EnterpriseTier ;
    skos:definition "Approves strategic direction, principles, and major investments."@en .

ex:ARB eaop:escalatesTo ex:SteeringCommittee .

# Architecture tiers
ex:EnterpriseTier a eaop:ArchitectureTier ;
    skos:prefLabel "Enterprise Tier"@en ;
    eaop:tierLevel 1 .

ex:SolutionTier a eaop:ArchitectureTier ;
    skos:prefLabel "Solution Tier"@en ;
    eaop:tierLevel 2 .

# Link artifacts to governance
ex:PaymentSolutionOverview eaop:governedBy ex:ARB .
ex:ArchPrinciples eaop:governedBy ex:SteeringCommittee .

Example 4: Dual classification with Zachman¶

@prefix eaop: <https://meta.linked.archi/eaonapage/onto#> .
@prefix zach: <https://meta.linked.archi/zachman/onto#> .
@prefix zachtax: <https://meta.linked.archi/zachman/tax#> .
@prefix arch: <https://meta.linked.archi/core#> .
@prefix skos: <http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#> .
@prefix ex:   <https://model.example.com/myea#> .

# A technology reference model — classified by both frameworks
ex:TechRefModel a arch:Model, eaop:Standard ;
    skos:prefLabel "Enterprise Technology Reference Model"@en ;
    # EA on a Page classification
    eaop:artifactScope "organization-wide" ;
    eaop:artifactLifecycle "permanent" ;
    eaop:artifactNature "rules" ;
    eaop:artifactFocus "IT-focused" ;
    eaop:usedInProcess eaop:TechnologyOptimization ;
    # Zachman classification
    zach:classifiedByCell zachtax:R3C2_ProcessRepresentation ;
    zach:classifiedByCell zachtax:R3C1_InventoryRepresentation .

# A business capability model — classified by both frameworks
ex:CapabilityMap a arch:Model, eaop:Vision ;
    skos:prefLabel "Enterprise Capability Map"@en ;
    eaop:artifactScope "organization-wide" ;
    eaop:artifactLifecycle "long-lived" ;
    eaop:artifactNature "structures" ;
    eaop:artifactFocus "business-focused" ;
    eaop:usedInProcess eaop:StrategicPlanning ;
    # Zachman classification
    zach:classifiedByCell zachtax:R2C1_InventoryDefinition .

Example 5: Querying the artifact portfolio¶

PREFIX eaop: <https://meta.linked.archi/eaonapage/onto#>
PREFIX skos: <http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#>

# Artifact portfolio by CSVLOD type and lifecycle
SELECT ?type ?label ?lifecycle ?scope WHERE {
    ?artifact a ?type ;
              skos:prefLabel ?label ;
              eaop:artifactLifecycle ?lifecycle ;
              eaop:artifactScope ?scope .
    VALUES ?type {
        eaop:Consideration eaop:Standard eaop:Vision
        eaop:Landscape eaop:Outline eaop:Design
    }
}
ORDER BY ?type ?label

Example 6: Maturity assessment query¶

PREFIX eaop: <https://meta.linked.archi/eaonapage/onto#>
PREFIX skos: <http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#>

# Which CSVLOD types do we have artifacts for? (indicates maturity stage)
SELECT ?type (COUNT(?artifact) AS ?count) WHERE {
    ?artifact a ?type .
    VALUES ?type {
        eaop:Consideration eaop:Standard eaop:Vision
        eaop:Landscape eaop:Outline eaop:Design
    }
}
GROUP BY ?type
ORDER BY ?type

Example 7: Process coverage analysis¶

PREFIX eaop: <https://meta.linked.archi/eaonapage/onto#>
PREFIX skos: <http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#>

# Which processes have artifacts? Which are missing?
SELECT ?process ?processLabel (COUNT(?artifact) AS ?artifactCount) WHERE {
    ?process rdfs:subClassOf eaop:EAProcess ;
             skos:prefLabel ?processLabel .
    OPTIONAL {
        ?artifact eaop:usedInProcess ?process .
    }
}
GROUP BY ?process ?processLabel
ORDER BY ?artifactCount

SHACL Validation¶

The eaonapage-shapes.ttl file provides validation rules:

Completeness: Every artifact must have artifactScope, artifactLifecycle, artifactNature, and artifactFocus
Consistency: Scope/lifecycle/nature/focus values must match the CSVLOD type
Process linkage: Every artifact should be linked to a process via usedInProcess

Run validation:

.scripts/validate.sh --shacl eaonapage

Appendix A — Key Differences from Other Frameworks¶

Dimension	EA on a Page	TOGAF	Zachman
Origin	Empirical (27+ orgs)	Prescriptive (industry consortium)	Theoretical (classification)
Nature	Descriptive — what EA practices do	Prescriptive — what EA practices should do	Classificatory — what could be described
Process	3 processes (Strategic Planning, Technology Optimization, Initiative Delivery)	ADM (8 phases + requirements management)	None (not a methodology)
Artifacts	24 artifacts in 6 types	50+ artifacts across phases	36 cells (classification slots)
Governance	Empirical governance model (tiers, bodies)	Architecture Board, compliance reviews	None
Maturity	4 stages (descriptive)	Architecture Maturity Model (prescriptive)	None

Appendix B — Mapping CSVLOD to Common Deliverables¶

CSVLOD Type	Typical Deliverables	Lifecycle	Audience
Considerations	Architecture Principles Document, Governance Charter	Permanent	Business + IT Leaders
Standards	Technology Reference Model, Pattern Catalog, Security Standards	Permanent	Enterprise + Solution Architects
Visions	Architecture Strategy, Capability Map, IT Roadmap	Long-lived (updated annually)	Business + IT Leaders
Landscapes	Application Portfolio, Integration Map, Technology Inventory	Long-lived (continuously maintained)	Enterprise Architects, IT Leaders
Outlines	Solution Overview, Options Assessment, Architecture Brief	Short-lived (initiative duration)	Solution Architects, Business Sponsors
Designs	Solution Design, Interface Contract, Deployment Architecture	Short-lived (project duration)	Solution Architects, Delivery Teams

Appendix C — Comparison Articles¶

For detailed comparisons of EA on a Page with other frameworks in Linked.Archi:

Zachman Framework vs EA on a Page — Two classification lenses on the same artifacts
EA Frameworks Compared — Broader comparison across TOGAF, Zachman, EA on a Page, and others
Zachman Primer & Classification Guide — The companion framework primer
TOGAF Primer & Modeling Guide — TOGAF framework primer

References¶

Kotusev, S. (2021). The Practice of Enterprise Architecture: A Modern Approach to Business and IT Alignment. 2nd ed. SK Publishing. ISBN 978-0-6450825-2-4.
Kotusev, S. (2024). Enterprise Architects: The Agents of Digital Transformation. SK Publishing. ISBN 978-1-7636486-3-7.
Kotusev, S. (2016). The CSVLOD Model of Enterprise Architecture. BCS.
Kotusev, S. (2019). Enterprise architecture and enterprise architecture artifacts. Journal of Information Technology, 34(2), 102-128.
Kotusev, S. (2019). Yet Another Taxonomy for Enterprise Architecture Artifacts. Journal of Enterprise Architecture.
EA on a Page
Kotusev.com
BCS — Enterprise Architecture on a Single Page
BCS — Enterprise Architecture Practice on a Single Page
Linked.Archi EA on a Page Metamodel
Linked.Archi Frameworks Guide

Disclaimer: This is a community semantic representation of the EA on a Page framework for interoperability purposes. It is not produced by, endorsed by, or affiliated with Svyatoslav Kotusev or IASA. The framework is based on peer-reviewed empirical research published by Kotusev across multiple academic and practitioner venues.