Data Architecture is one of the components of Enterprise Architecture. It focuses on the rules for managing and organizing data.

Be careful not to confuse defining data practices with their implementation, which is handled by more technical roles; nor with the Chief Data Officer, a leadership role responsible for all data-related matters across the organization.

The importance of a comprehensive, up-to-date Data Architecture is growing. Data is collected, transformed, stored, and exchanged at an ever-increasing pace.

Enterprise Architecture establishes, enforces and evolves the guiding design principles of the Information System (IS). It is, in essence, the governance of IS design—from urbanizing the IS, through data governance, to application design.

To avoid reinventing the wheel and to speak a common language across and within organizations, reference frameworks provide standard terminologies and methodologies. These frameworks may focus on process or on graphical representation. See Differences between TOGAF and ArchiMate.