Phase D of the TOGAF ADM, Technology Architecture, focuses on defining the technology infrastructure and platforms that will support the application, data, and business architectures developed in earlier phases. This includes servers, networks, storage, middleware, operating systems, cloud services, security technologies, and integration mechanisms — everything needed to run the target solution reliably, scalably, and securely.
Creating Baseline (current) and Target (future) Technology Architecture models traditionally involves inventorying existing infrastructure, assessing its capabilities and limitations, defining future requirements, and then manually modeling it all in ArchiMate — a process that demands significant technical detail, coordination across IT teams, and time-consuming diagramming.
Visual Paradigm’s AI-powered TOGAF Guide-Through makes this entire phase remarkably efficient: AI automatically generates complete, professional Baseline and Target Technology Architecture models in ArchiMate directly from your natural language description — delivering high-quality, standards-aligned starting points in seconds.
Why Baseline and Target Technology Models Are Essential in Phase D
These models provide critical clarity and direction:
- The Baseline reveals the current technology landscape — what infrastructure actually exists, how it performs, and its constraints.
- The Target defines the future technology platform — modern, scalable, secure, and aligned with the business vision, application portfolio, and data strategy.
- Together, they enable gap analysis and transition planning in Phases E & F.
- They ensure technology decisions support (rather than constrain) business outcomes.
- Clear visualizations help IT leadership, vendors, and stakeholders understand the required investments and changes.
TOGAF recommends modeling Technology Architecture in ArchiMate, using elements like Nodes (devices/servers), Devices, Systems Software, Communication Networks, Paths, and Artifacts to represent infrastructure components and their relationships.
How AI Automatically Builds Baseline & Target Technology Models in Visual Paradigm
In the TOGAF Guide-Through, navigate to the Phase D activities: Develop Baseline Technology Architecture and Develop Target Technology Architecture. The AI-driven process is simple, fast, and powerful:
- Describe Your Technology Environment
Provide a natural language summary of the current infrastructure and the desired future state. You can enter one combined description or separate inputs.
Example: “Current environment: on-premises data center with aging Windows servers, VMware virtualization, Oracle databases, legacy network switches, limited cloud usage. Target state: hybrid cloud with AWS and Azure, containerized microservices on Kubernetes, modern PaaS databases, zero-trust security, high-availability networking, and automated DevOps pipelines.” - AI Analyzes and Structures
The AI interprets your description using TOGAF and ArchiMate conventions, identifying key technology elements (nodes, devices, platforms, networks, communication paths), their relationships (hosting, realization, access), and dependencies. It then constructs two coherent models:
– Baseline Technology Architecture (current infrastructure)
– Target Technology Architecture (future infrastructure) - Instant ArchiMate Technology Diagrams
AI produces clean, well-organized ArchiMate diagrams for both states. They include appropriate elements such as Nodes, Devices, System Software, Technology Services, Communication Networks, and Paths, with logical layouts, clear labels, and meaningful relationships.
The diagrams open directly in Visual Paradigm’s editor, where you can:
- Refine components, add technical details (versions, capacities, vendors)
- Apply color coding (e.g., legacy vs. modern, on-prem vs. cloud)
- Link to application and data models from Phase C
- Annotate for security, performance, or compliance considerations
Benefits of AI-Automated Technology Architecture Modeling
- Speed: From description to professional ArchiMate models in seconds — no more days or weeks of inventory and manual diagramming.
- Accuracy & Completeness: AI ensures proper use of ArchiMate notation and captures dependencies that might be missed manually.
- Technology-Focused: Models remain grounded in infrastructure realities while staying aligned with higher-level business and application architectures.
- Foundation for Transition Planning: High-quality baseline and target models make gap analysis and migration roadmaps much clearer in later phases.
- Stakeholder Communication: Visual technology diagrams help IT teams, executives, and vendors quickly understand current constraints and future direction.
This AI capability transforms Phase D from a highly technical and detail-heavy exercise into a fast, strategic, and collaborative step — helping architects deliver robust, future-ready technology architectures with confidence.
Ready to Model Your Technology Architecture Automatically?
Experience how AI turns your infrastructure description into ready-to-use Baseline and Target ArchiMate models instantly.
Download Visual Paradigm today and start your free trial — describe your current and target technology environment in the Guide-Through and let AI generate your professional Technology Architecture models in moments.
Build the infrastructure foundation your enterprise transformation deserves — faster, clearer, and smarter than ever.