Software Technologies Inventory and Attributes - Technical attributes for the Software Technologies Inventory
Software Technologies Inventory and Attributes
Chapter 17. Technical attributes for the Software Technologies Inventory
Executive Summary: Chapter Overview
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Core Concepts
| Concept | Definition & Strategic Role |
|---|---|
| Deployed Versions | The full set of versions actually running, distinct from the single governed version recorded as the technology’s identity. |
| Technical Dependencies | The other software technologies this one requires to function, which is how technology-layer risk propagates and how it is traced. |
| Exposed Interfaces | What the technology makes available to other systems, which determines who is affected when it changes. |
Quick Q&A
Question: Why record deployed versions separately from the Version attribute?
Read More Below
Technical attributes record what each software technology actually runs as — its deployed versions, what it runs on, what it depends on, and what it exposes.
| Attribute Name | Maturity | Description and Notes |
|---|---|---|
Version Deployed [Multi-Value] | Crawl | Description — The full set of versions of this technology actually running in the enterprise. Benefit(s) — Reveals version sprawl, which is where most unsupported exposure hides. The governed version and the deployed reality are frequently different. Source — Derived or Manual. Notes — Distinct from the Version attribute in the Descriptive category, which carries the single governed or standard version. |
| Supported Versions | Walk | Description — The versions the supplier or community currently supports. Benefit(s) — The reference point against which currency status is judged, and the basis for planning upgrade targets. Source — Manual or Derived. Notes — Changes over time independently of anything the enterprise does; worth refreshing on the reconciliation cadence. |
Platform Compatibility [Multi-Value] | Walk | Description — The operating systems, runtimes, or platforms on which this technology is supported. Benefit(s) — Determines whether a platform upgrade elsewhere will strand this technology, and constrains where it can be deployed. Source — Manual. Notes — A frequent source of upgrade deadlock, where two technologies each require a platform version the other does not support. |
Technical Dependencies [Multi-Value] | Walk | Description — Other software technologies this one requires in order to function, referenced by Semantic Identifier. Benefit(s) — The mechanism by which technology-layer risk propagates and is traced. Without it, impact analysis stops at the first hop. Source — Manual or Derived. Notes — Typed references to other records in this inventory, not free text. Derivable at Run maturity from dependency manifests. |
Interfaces Exposed [Multi-Value] | Run | Description — The interfaces, protocols, or endpoints the technology makes available to other systems. Benefit(s) — Identifies who is affected when the technology changes, and connects the technology record to the integrations that traverse it. Source — Manual. Notes — Record the interface types the enterprise governs rather than attempting an exhaustive technical specification. |
| Architecture Pattern | Run | Description — The architectural pattern the technology embodies or is deployed in. Benefit(s) — Supports architectural analysis across the portfolio and reveals where patterns are inconsistently applied. Source — Manual. Notes — Use the enterprise's own pattern vocabulary rather than importing an external taxonomy. |
| Scalability Characteristics | Run | Description — How the technology scales, and the limits it imposes. Benefit(s) — Informs capacity planning and reveals where a technology constrains the growth of everything built on it. Source — Manual. Notes — Most valuable for technologies with a known ceiling that dependent applications are approaching. |
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