GC Enterprise Architecture/Framework/ApplicationGuide

Application architecture

Application architecture practices must evolve significantly for the successful implementation of the GC Enterprise Ecosystem Target Architecture. Transitioning from legacy systems based on monolithic architectures to architectures that oriented around business services and based on re‑useable components implementing business capabilities, is a major shift. Interoperability becomes a key element, and the number of stakeholders that must be considered increases.

Use open source solutions hosted in public cloud

  • select existing solutions that can be reused over custom built
   How to achieve:
    * Summarize how the architecture  leverages and reuses existing solutions, components, and processes including:
       * Existing processes being reused or leveraged;
       * Existing solutions  being reused or leverage, and;
       * Existing components being reused or leveraged.
   Tools:
       * Target State Architecture
       * Interim State Architecture
       * EA Assessment 


  • contribute all improvements back to the communities
   How to achieve:
    * Summarize how the team will align to the TBS Guidance on Open Source Publishing to support the production of better solutions
    * Summarize how the team will leverage/has leverage the Open Source community
   Tools:
       * Target State Architecture
       * Interim State Architecture
  • register open source software to the Open Resource Exchange
   How to achieve:
    * Summarize how the architecture will leverage the Open Resource Exchange.
    * Summarize how the architecture will utilize APIs to support Open Data feeds
   Tools:
       * Target State Architecture
       * Interim State Architecture

Use software as a service (SaaS) hosted in public cloud

  • choose SaaS that best fit for purpose based on alignment with SaaS capabilities
   How to achieve:
    * Summarize how the recommended SaaS is the best fit for purpose based on alignment with SaaS capabilities of  SaaS provider and Dept/SSC
   Tools:
       * Option analysis
  • choose a SaaS solution that is extendable
   How to achieve:
    * Summarize how the recommended SaaS is extendable
   Tools:
       * Option analysis
       * EA Assessment
  • configure SaaS and if customization is necessary extend as open source modules
   How to achieve:
    * Summarize how the recommended SaaS can be customized through Open Source modules.

   Tools:
       * Option analysis
       * EA Assessment

Design for Interoperability

  • design systems as highly modular and loosely coupled services
   How to achieve:
    * Summarize how the architecture supports the implementation through:
       * Simple independent functions
       * Highly modular
       * Loosely coupled
       * Deployed into a container that has just a single application with  the ability to build the smallest image 
   Tools:
       * Target State Architecture
       * Interim State Architecture
  • expose services, including existing ones, through APIs
   How to achieve:
    * Summarize how the architecture exposes functionality as services and these services are accessible through common methodologies
    * Summarize how the architectures aligns to the Government of Canada Standards on APIs
   Tools:
       * Target State Architecture
       * Interim State Architecture
  • make the APIs discoverable to the appropriate stakeholders
   How to achieve:
    * Summarize which APIs will be published to the ESDC API  store
    * Summarize which APIs will be published to the   GC API store 
    * Summarize the rational for not publishing APIs to an API store
   Tools:
       * Target State Architecture
       * Interim State Architecture

Design for Interoperability, Proposed amendment Jan 8, 2021

  • design systems as highly modular and loosely coupled services
   How to achieve:
    * 
  • make all services available through a well-defined interface, such as an application programming interface (API)
   How to achieve:
    * 
  • all APIs with potential for cross-departmental, inter-jurisdictional, or public consumption must be published to the GC API Store
   How to achieve:
    * 
  • use the Canadian Digital Exchange Platform (CDXP) for data exchange where suitable (e.g., GC Event Broker for asynchronous messaging)