A process for DoDAF based systems architecting

The Department of Defense Architectural Framework (DoDAF) is the DoD's mandated method to document system architectures. The current version of DoDAF i.e. v2.02 advocates a data-centric process focused on eliciting data to facilitate decision support. It prescribes a domain ontology i.e. the DoDAF Meta-Model (DM2) aimed at ensuring conformance and interoperability of architecture models. Although DoDAF currently does not prescribe or proscribe specific methodologies or tools, the mismatch between DoDAF's underlying modeling approach and mainstream methodologies and supporting technology in Systems Engineering (SE) has been alluded to in the literature [1-3]. This paper proposes a process for architecting of systems in line with the DoDAF, aimed at bridging this gap. Additionally it offers a discussion of supporting tools in this regard.