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Changelog

All notable changes to XAF Connected Architecture are documented here.

v1.2.0 — AI Domain Module

January 2026

New Draft Domain Module for Artificial Intelligence.

This module provides the practical foundation for AI architecture that spans the full stack — from the platforms that host AI capability, through the models and agents that deliver it, to the identity and security frameworks that keep it contained and accountable. It connects AI decisions to the Governance Core so they're visible, traceable, and risk-managed alongside every other architectural concern.

v1.1.0 — Government Framework Alignment

January 2026

New section providing alignment guidance for organisations operating within Australian government enterprise architecture frameworks.

XAF for Government

  • Government Framework Alignment — Introduction explaining how XAF complements (rather than replaces) mandated government EA frameworks, delivering practical implementation tooling alongside strategic architecture direction.
  • QGEA Alignment — Mapping between XAF components and Queensland Government Enterprise Architecture domains, principles, and governance requirements.
  • AGA Alignment — Mapping between XAF components and Australian Government Architecture building blocks and design principles.
  • Local Government Guidance — Considerations for councils operating under LocalBuy arrangements, acknowledging different practical constraints around scale and resourcing.

v1.0.0 — Initial Release

January 2026

The first public release of XAF Connected Architecture. A complete, implementable framework for organisations ready to bridge the gap between enterprise architecture and solution delivery.

Governance Core

Seven interconnected components that form the foundation everything else builds on:

  • Tiered Oversight — Risk-based governance that scales scrutiny to decision impact. Three tiers from self-service through to architecture authority review.
  • Decision Records — Lightweight artefacts capturing the context behind significant architecture decisions. Designed to be completed in 15 minutes, not half a day.
  • Architecture Passport — Living documentation that attaches accountability to systems, not people. The single source of truth for each system's architecture state.
  • Technical Debt Register — Makes debt visible, estimated, owned, and managed. Technical debt as a first-class citizen, not a hidden shame.
  • Guardrails Framework — Boundaries that guide rather than gate. The mechanism that lets teams move fast while staying aligned.
  • Delivery Integration — Architecture embedded in delivery cadences, not running parallel to them. Sprint planning, project milestones, and architecture decisions connected.
  • Architecture Registry — The catalogue of reusable assets that makes reuse the path of least resistance. Patterns, building blocks, reference architectures, all findable.

Domain Modules

Five domain modules providing domain-specific guidance that plugs into the Governance Core:

  • Business Architecture — Capability models, value stream mapping, and business-technology traceability. The "why" that shapes decisions in other domains.
  • Technology Architecture — Technology radar, platform patterns, cloud standards, and hosting decisions. Managing technology choices with visibility and intent.
  • Security Architecture — Security reference architectures, Essential Eight alignment, control framework mapping, and security-by-design patterns.
  • Information Architecture — Information management strategy, content architecture, taxonomy and metadata standards, and knowledge management patterns.
  • Data Architecture — Data governance frameworks, classification standards, MDM patterns, pipeline documentation, and analytics readiness assessment.
  • Innovation Architecture — Experiment governance, AI/ML ethics frameworks, scale readiness assessment, and the bridge from proof-of-concept to production.

Supporting Content

  • Philosophy — The principles that make XAF work: governance-connected, guardrails not gates, delivery-aligned, and incrementally adoptable.
  • Getting Started — Minimum viable framework guidance through to full-scale implementation.
  • Framework Comparison — How XAF relates to TOGAF, SAFe, and other frameworks.
  • Operating Model Adaptations — Guidance for project-based, product-based, centralised, federated, and embedded architecture functions.

Planned

See the Roadmap for what's coming next.

v1.x releases will include:

  • Application Architecture module
  • Integration Architecture module
  • Identity Architecture module
  • Data Architecture expansion (Document & Content Management, BI architecture, Big Data/Data Science, Data Mesh, real-time patterns)

v2.x releases will include:

  • Solution Architecture (shape to be determined)
  • Metrics & Reporting component

Versioning Approach

XAF uses semantic versioning with a practical interpretation:

  • Major versions (v1, v2, v3) — Significant framework evolution. New core components, major restructuring, or philosophical shifts.
  • Minor versions (v1.1, v1.2) — New modules, substantial content additions, or meaningful enhancements to existing components.
  • Patch versions (v1.0.1, v1.0.2) — Corrections, clarifications, template fixes, and minor improvements.

The framework is designed for stability. Organisations implementing v1.0 shouldn't find their implementation invalidated by v1.x releases. New modules extend capability; they don't break existing implementations.

XAF Connected Architecture | Developed by InnovateX Solutions