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Software Architecture Guide

IT Component Catalogue

Explanation

Section titled “Explanation”

An IT component catalogue is a list of technology components. Each entry gets a status that says how the organization treats that component. The facts here come from two tools, Alfabet and Orbus, so the exact labels vary by tool.

Standardization status. In Alfabet’s standards catalogue, color shows the status:

  • Green: the component is standard. Teams may use it without approval.
  • Yellow: teams must get approval before they use it.
  • Orange: the component is not permitted.

Lifecycle status. Orbus applies one of four statuses to every technology: adopt, tolerate, invest, or retire. The status supports build, buy, and migration decisions.

Links to applications. A component is more useful in the catalogue when it links to the applications that depend on it. That link allows a lifecycle check. Compare the component’s end date with the end dates of the applications that rely on it. If the component ends first, you have a conflict to resolve.

Governance. Standards governance means enforcing the standards. It also means tracking exceptions and linking them to the applications that depend on them. Strong governance keeps non-approved technologies out of the portfolio.

Technical debt. Without a retirement plan tied to lifecycle status, unsupported technologies pile up. This is a form of technical debt (see the article Technical Debt).

Example

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A company lists three database products. Product A is green and marked “adopt”. Product B is yellow, so a new project needs approval to use it. Product C is orange and marked “retire”.

The catalogue links Product C to a billing application that runs until 2031. Product C’s vendor support ends in 2028. The end-date check shows the conflict, so the team plans a migration before 2028.

Trade-offs

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A catalogue only helps if someone keeps it current and enforces it. Governance takes effort: you must enforce standards and track exceptions. The payoff is fewer non-approved technologies and less unsupported technology piling up. The facts available here do not cover how to run the upkeep.

Checks

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  • Each catalogued component shows a standardization status (standard, approval needed, or not permitted).
  • Each technology has a lifecycle status such as adopt, tolerate, invest, or retire.
  • Component end dates are compared with the end dates of the applications that rely on them.
  • Exceptions to standards are tracked and linked to the applications that depend on them.
  • Unsupported technologies have a retirement plan tied to their lifecycle status.
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Sources

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