Classification attributes for the Integrations Inventory - Integrations Inventory and Attributes

Classification attributes for the Integrations Inventory

(Chapter 10 of Integrations Inventory and Attributes)

Executive Summary: Chapter Overview

IF4IT

The Bottom Line

Classification attributes position each Integration within the enterprise integration taxonomy by identifying its mechanism and behavioral pattern. They allow architects and portfolio managers to distinguish APIs, file transfers, event streams, batch flows, point-to-point links, and other integration patterns that carry different coupling and risk characteristics.

Core Concepts

Concept	Definition & Strategic Role
Integration Type	Integration Type classifies the architectural mechanism, such as API, SFTP, ETL, event/message, database-to-database, webhook, RPA, or EDI.
Integration Pattern	Integration Pattern describes the behavioral contract, such as request-response, publish-subscribe, fire-and-forget, polling, streaming, or batch.

Quick Q&A

Question: Why distinguish Integration Type from Integration Pattern?

Answer: Integration Type explains the technical mechanism, while Integration Pattern explains the runtime behavior and coupling model. The distinction helps teams identify modernization targets, dependency risks, and patterns that require different governance controls.

Classification attributes position each Integration within the enterprise integration taxonomy — the type of mechanism it uses and the behavioral pattern it implements.

Attribute Name	Maturity	Description and Notes
Integration Type	Crawl	Description — The broad category of integration mechanism — what kind of integration this is at the architectural level. Benefit(s) — Enables portfolio-level analysis of integration patterns. Identifying all SFTP file transfers reveals manual, batch-oriented coupling that is typically a modernization target. Identifying all point-to-point API integrations reveals direct dependencies that bypass integration governance. Source — Manual. Examples — SFTP (Secure File Transfer), ETL (Extract-Transform-Load), ELT (Extract-Load-Transform), AFT (Automated File Transfer), API (Application Programming Interface), Event/Message, Database-to-Database, Webhook, RPA (Robotic Process Automation), EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) Notes — Valid values are enterprise-defined. The examples above are a suggested baseline. Extend to match your organization’s integration taxonomy.
Integration Pattern	Walk	Description — The behavioral or architectural pattern governing how data moves between source and target. Distinct from Integration Type — an API integration can be Request-Response, Publish-Subscribe, or Fire-and-Forget. Benefit(s) — Reveals coupling characteristics and failure mode risk. Synchronous Request-Response integrations create tight coupling and cascading failure risk. Asynchronous Publish-Subscribe integrations decouple systems but require queue governance. Source — Manual. Examples — Request-Response (Synchronous), Publish-Subscribe, Fire-and-Forget, Polling, Streaming, Batch Notes — Integration Type describes the mechanism. Integration Pattern describes the behavioral contract between sender and receiver.

Attribute Name

Maturity

Description and Notes

Integration Type

Crawl

Description — The broad category of integration mechanism — what kind of integration this is at the architectural level.

Benefit(s) — Enables portfolio-level analysis of integration patterns. Identifying all SFTP file transfers reveals manual, batch-oriented coupling that is typically a modernization target. Identifying all point-to-point API integrations reveals direct dependencies that bypass integration governance.

Source — Manual.

Examples — SFTP (Secure File Transfer), ETL (Extract-Transform-Load), ELT (Extract-Load-Transform), AFT (Automated File Transfer), API (Application Programming Interface), Event/Message, Database-to-Database, Webhook, RPA (Robotic Process Automation), EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

Notes — Valid values are enterprise-defined. The examples above are a suggested baseline. Extend to match your organization’s integration taxonomy.

Integration Pattern

Walk

Description — The behavioral or architectural pattern governing how data moves between source and target. Distinct from Integration Type — an API integration can be Request-Response, Publish-Subscribe, or Fire-and-Forget.

Benefit(s) — Reveals coupling characteristics and failure mode risk. Synchronous Request-Response integrations create tight coupling and cascading failure risk. Asynchronous Publish-Subscribe integrations decouple systems but require queue governance.

Source — Manual.

Examples — Request-Response (Synchronous), Publish-Subscribe, Fire-and-Forget, Polling, Streaming, Batch

Notes — Integration Type describes the mechanism. Integration Pattern describes the behavioral contract between sender and receiver.

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