Let's get TOGAF Certified in 2015 Thread!

philz1982

I am going to be posting my adventure towards getting TOGAF certified this year. Who is onboard with this? I will post my resources for the study plan...

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N2IT

Philz I am down.

It's the only certification IMO that can help me. It's all experience at this point besides having a world recognized architect certification.

No point in getting any more PM certifications, I think 5 is enough.

philz1982

I just got approval from my boss. I will be setting up my study schedule shortly.

N2IT

Ha - I just emailed my boss. That's great, chatting with my friend now who is a solutions architect. Says get it.

Thoughts on this course?

http://www.conexiam.com/togaf-training/togaf-91-the-video/

I'm going to take a course on this and get the free vouchers. If I can keep the training under 5,000 they will pay for it.

philz1982

Not sure. I mean the exam is 320 each so 640 total i think. So the course may be worth while?

The course is 770 for the one you referenced.

N2IT

I need to look around. I'll follow back up in a few.

chanakyajupudi

I think the above mentioned link is good. Looks like vouchers are part of the course fee. The course is almost a 130 bucks. Seems a little off. Do post if you find another one like that!

I have heard that the course really does not help. The books and the experience are what you need to pass. My .2 though! I would want to get it in a few years. For now just the books. But for 770$ might do the cert anyway!

philz1982

REMOVED UNNECESSARY QUOTE

It will be interesting, everyone said that about CISSP but I passed that with a week of study. Not bragging, I just wonder how hard it will really be? I'll tell you the brute force memorization sucks, if I didn't have a photographic memory I'd probably not attempt this one. The study guide has about 400+ terms you need to memorize...

dave330i

Looks like I need to start learning about TOGAF. Large sections of my promotion readiness check list calls it out.

NetworkNewb

philz1982 wrote: »

photographic memory

**cough** bullsh*t **cough** Does photographic memory exist? | ScienceNordic

philz1982

The better term would be eidetic memory. I dont remember word for word but i memorize concepts and diagrams. To be more clear.

NetworkNewb

REMOVED UNNECESSARY QUOTE

I'm just messing around

I'm just jealous. Seems like you have a crazy good work ethic from reading your posts on here. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more!

philz1982

Ok I'm signed up for Part 1 on march 30th!

And I've got the first of 3 mcsd tests april 22nd 70-480!

justanotherday

I'm in also. Although I might just do the Part I depending on how I feel about the material. I'm currently scheduled for April 10th for the Part I Exam.

Just FYI check these resources out below if you want cheap/free resources for learning TOGAF. I have to use these because I can't afford training and my company wont pay for it either. If you buy any of the Udemy courses search retailmenot.com first for a coupon code as it has saved me hundreds of dollars for courses before. Let me know if you find other free/cheap resources also.

https://www.udemy.com/courses/search/?q=TOGAF
Togaf 9.1 Foundation Syllabus flashcards | Quizlet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M4NKwoaLk4&list=PL2FF5FCBA1AF9B8FA
à®¯ாà®¤்à®°ீà®•à®©்: TOGAF Prep Material

philz1982

So my plan of study thus far has been brute memorization, flash card drills, and practice exams.

I have read and keep rereading the Foundation Prep for TOGAF:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1475054548/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687522&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=9087532318&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1V303DM1ND1FQRQNDDWK

I am also reading through the entire TOGAF 9.1 online:

TOGAF® 9.1

The practice exams I have found so far are:

TOGAF 9 - Part 1 (Foundation) - Exam Practice Questions - Test 1
TOGAF 9 Exam Simulator - Free Enterprise Architecture Resources. TOGAF questions. Portal with free TOGAF 9 resources, tests, articles and more. Resources and best practice for Enteprise Architecture, Solution Architecture, IT Architecture.

I have noticed that there is a particular focus on a couple key things:

1) Understanding the ADM process, being that this is the Core of TOGAF this would be expected. Understanding Prelim thru Phase H and understanding the Inputs, Process, and Outputs. I've got the phases memorized and I have most of the inputs/outputs buttoned down.
2) Understanding the Enterprise Continuum, the Architecture Repository, and the Deliverable, Artefact, Building Block relationship.
3) Understanding the Definitions of Common Terms
4) Understanding III-RM, TRM, and Boundaryless flow
5) Understanding Views, Viewpoints, Concerns

Phase Prelim
What was helpful to me was to think through some architectures I built and how these steps apply. I thought about the Preliminary and how that was usually my engagement kickoff, and how Phase A (Architecture Vision) was usually my ideation/visioning phase (lay it out on the table kinda stuff), Phase B Business Arch is where I get to know the Architecture.

Phase A
Once thing that tripped me up is Business Scenarios come in the Vision, Remember TOGAF Phases are driven by the business, just like CISSP is all about life safety and Business Continuity, everything you do in TOGAF comes back to the Stakeholder and business scenarios. In Phase A you lay out the Business Scenarios and these flush out your Target Architecture and allow you to do your Gap analysis. Also remember the only time you touch a capability assessment is Phase A and E!

Phase B-D
So then you move to Phase B, Phase B thru D get tactical on the architectures. In each corresponding phase you build out your Baseline and Target Architectures:

Phase B: Baseline Bus/Target Bus
Phase C: Baseline App/Data, Target App/Data plus views!
Phase Baseline Tech/Target Tech

Phase E
Then you move onto Phase E, which is opportunity and solutions. Here you do take your building blocks from Arch to Solution BB's. Additionally you build out your Transition Archs for each view. Remember a Views detail Stakeholder concerns, so I would say ok, I have my Target Architectures and views. I need to now figure out how do I take this and make it happen. That is the transition architecture, it could take multiple transition architectures to get to a Target Arch, so I could iterate around Phase E,F,G,H for quite a bit. I get my transition Arch's and I get my statement of work as well as work packages! Also, I perform a capability assessment again.

Think about it this way. In Phase A I lay out my Baseline and Target Arch and I do a gap analysis and need to understand my org's capabilities. Well in Phase E since I laid out a Transition Arch, I once again need to do a Gap/Capability assessment to make sure I can execute my Transition. For example if you are taking an application written in .Net 1.0 and need to take it to .Net 4.5 and have no-one in house who can code .Net you might have a capability issue.

Phase F
Since Phase E was really the consolidation of the idea, Phase F is saying hey, I have a plan that is clean enough to present now so I need to take it to the Stakeholders and get buy in! I go to the Stakeholders and I get architecture contracts and an approved statement of work. I have my final work packages which I execute and govern during Phase G.

Phase G
In this phase you make sure things don't get to jacked up. You have a plan and your job is to work the plan and make sure the deliverable get executed. Any changes that need to be processed happen here in this phase. Now see that is a tricky one because the next phase, Phase H, is Change Management. Shouldn't changes go there? Remember where we are though, we are working with our work packages and transition architectures. So any changes that need to be approved to get us there happen in the Governance phase. Now once the transition architecture is in place it will become the new Baseline Architecture, this is when Phase H will take over. Here you need to really understand where and how governance is applied.

Phase H
Here we manage changes. You have a new baseline architecture, and all is well. Except until there is a major stakeholder concern, an architecture change, or a technology change. Understand the changes that drive another loop of the ADM or simply require change management to iterate through a change request. Also know that you never again repeat the preliminary phase. It is here that the gate between another cycle of the ADM or a holding pattern is decided.

Requirements Management
This is the center of the bubble and all requirements that are created go here. Think about the Arch Repository and how you may have started with nothing. Well as requirements and other "stuff" is created they go here. The Requirements Management phase is all about building that Tacit knowledge.

Hope this helps!

JoJoCal19

Wish I could get in on this but my plate is already more than full. I'll be keeping up with your thread as I will pursue this later on.

colemic

I want to follow this thread. So here I am.

N2IT

Keep it up Phil my plans were dashed by my director. I'm "thrifty" aka cheap and refuse to pay for certifications, but I am still going to follow and learn. Well done.

philz1982

I'm cheap also but I got to get out of this 100-200k pay range

I'm doing the CISA out of pocket as well as the CISM.

colemic

If that's your pay range, how did you pay for CISA and CISM? Raid your cupholders for pocket change?

Just kiddin.

N2IT

@ Philz I need to get into that range and I am older than you.

Almost there head down, time to deliver

philz1982

@coelmic 3 little kids and a stay at home wife, they consume money before I even know I have it

@ N2IT Hellz ya, bust through that barrier!

N2IT

2 more years at the BA level and TOGAF IMO would help tremendously. I've got them to buy in for the Agile Certification from PMI. Since I am not an enterprise level resource, more of a devops resource in our operation, they don't understand why I want nor do they agree with my decision to go with TOGAF.

I'll take then up on the Agile offer and then wait to strike for TOGAF, unless I am motivated by this thread then all bets are off.

Back to developing this SharePoint site.

dave330i

N2IT wrote: »

@ Philz I need to get into that range and I am older than you.

Almost there head down, time to deliver

It's not how much you make, but how much you can keep away from uncle Sam that's important.

philz1982

Devops is a perfect reason to pursue the TOGAF. The amount of TACIT knowledge your org could be losing by not following a framework or by not building out an Architecture Repository is huge. I'm sure you wouldn't be surprised but each time I engage a company I am shocked at the amount of programs being ran in Silos without architecture sharing.

philz1982

I read through 1/4 of the TOGAF 9.1 Standard today. Took some more exams at openarch. I have an exam in one of my Master's courses this weekend so that may put a slight damper on my studies. I registered for Part 2 of TOGAF for May 11th. It is not even a possibility that I will not pass the Part 1 exam, I am dumping a ridiculous amount of hours into studying.

philz1982

I just pulled in the test date from the 30th to the 23rd. I feel that with a solid weekend of study I will be ready. I am already hitting 80-90% on the practice exams and I'm halfway through reading TOGAF 9.1. There are just a few areas I need to brush up on.

UnixGuy

Impressive. Good luck Phil

philz1982

So, I ran through another round of the tests off the openarch as well as the .99 cents test from The Open Group. I have a list of notes from the tests that I will fill out tomorrow, I will post my study notes on my blog, then Sunday will be more test taking and finishing the read of the TOGAF standard. I take the exam 4PM CST Monday 23rd.

N2IT wrote: »

2 more years at the BA level and TOGAF IMO would help tremendously. I've got them to buy in for the Agile Certification from PMI. Since I am not an enterprise level resource, more of a devops resource in our operation, they don't understand why I want nor do they agree with my decision to go with TOGAF.

I'll take then up on the Agile offer and then wait to strike for TOGAF, unless I am motivated by this thread then all bets are off.

Back to developing this SharePoint site.

I was thinking of Agile cert, but it will have to come after MCSD and MCSE Data Platform. Also thinking of PMP since it seems to be a check box these days.

I'm still homing in on my ultimate career plan and it looks like:

Focus on Architecture, SQL (Data), Coding. Take my Masters in Information Assurance along with a few Reverse Engineering and Malware courses and go after a role doing Web Application, General Software, and Enterprise Architecture Cyber QA.

N2IT

I've all but given up on the PMP. I failed it once and then never went back. The more I read up on it the more disinterested I become in it. App dev is my thing so the PMP doesn't really synch up. It's a very OLD methodology and doesn't really snap into an app dev environment.

A lot of the tools and techniques are from the 50's, such as WBS and GANTT charts. I find myself a little more progressive than that

Obviously it has some good take away's, but not enough for me to get certified in it. JMHO

philz1982

I'm almost done with my TOGAF notes I am going to start posting them here as well as on my blog as I finish them.