Avancier Avancier Methods (AM) INITIATE Define architect roles It is illegal to copy, share or show this document (or other document published at http://avancier.co.uk) without the written permission of the copyright holder Training at http://avancier.website See also “Some architect role definitions” Avancier Methods Avancier Initiate Establish capability Establish directives.... Scope the endeavour Get vision approved Govern Manage Plan Training at http://avancier.website Study the strategic context Establish authority for architecture Define the architecting organisation Define the architecture processes Define the architecture resources Architect Avancier Architecture domains From Business through Applications to Technology Training at http://avancier.website Architects support and enable a business by ► Focusing on business roles and processes that ■ are systemisable (repeatable and deterministic) ■ are digitisable (create or use digitised data) ► Shaping and steering the portfolio of systems that ■ enable and support, monitor and direct ■ business roles and processes ► Ensuring a robust IT platform Training at http://avancier.website Avancier Architects look for opportunities to exploit information ► The digitisation of business processes has enabled business to: ■ standardise and integrate business processes and data to a degree that was impossible before ■ perform new information-related processes, and ■ gather new kinds of business intelligence about entities and events of interest to business managers. ► Timely and good quality information helps managers: ■ Faster rate of change ● ● Products and services change more frequently Exponential growth in mobile devices and internet. ■ Global competition and knowledge sharing ● ● ● Workers available across the world - any time of the day. Intellectual property is hard to protect Cross-enterprise communities exchange information. Training at http://avancier.website Avancier The four primary architecture domain/views Avancier ► established in the PRISM report (1986) ► have appeared in countless frameworks such as ■ “EA Planning” (Stephen Spewak, 1993) and ■ TOGAF. ► The following definitions identify essential elements in each view. Training at http://avancier.website Data Business architecture Avancier ► defines a human activity system in terms of relationships between the following business elements: ■ business services: provided to customers, to suppliers and between business functions ■ business functions/capabilities: a logical structural view of activities ■ business processes: dynamic or behavioural views of activities ■ business roles: groups of activities performable by actors ■ business locations: where activities are carried out. ► Architects may relate these business elements to business goals, to units of the business management or organisation structure, to business data created and used, and to business applications. Training at http://avancier.website Data architecture Avancier ► defines business data in terms of relationships between the following data elements: ■ data stores and data flows created and used by business activities ■ data structures contained in data stores (usually defined in terms of data entities) ■ data structures contained in data flows (often messages) ■ data qualities (meta data) including data types, confidentiality, integrity and availability. ► Architects may relate these data elements to business activities and to business applications. Training at http://avancier.website Data Applications architecture Avancier ► defines business applications in terms of relationships between the following elements: ■ business applications (digitised information systems) ■ services (use cases) business applications offer to each other and to humans ■ data flows (messages and files) business applications consume and produce ■ inter-application communication styles and patterns ► ► Architects may relate these elements to business activities and to platform applications. Training at http://avancier.website Data Infrastructure architecture Avancier ► defines the technology platform for business applications in terms of relationships between the following technology elements: ■ platform applications (almost always bought rather than built) ■ services that platform applications offer to each other and business applications ■ client and server nodes that platform applications are deployed on ■ protocols and networks by which platform nodes are connected. ► Architects may relate these elements to business applications and to data stores. Training at http://avancier.website Data Avancier Architecture roles by level According to survey and standard Training at http://avancier.website Architect roles in IT organisations ► Many job titles used in adverts ► Many are ambiguous ► There are inconsistent names and definitions ► Survey 1: over two thousand IT job adverts with architect in the title. ► Survey 2: over one thousand roles from a different source Avancier Architect job title in job advert Technical Architect Solution(s) Architect Enterprise Architect Network Architect System(s) Architect Infrastructure Architect Information or Data Architect Application(s) Architect Security Architect Java Architect Software Architect Functional Architect IT Architect Product Architect Oracle Architect SAP Architect Business Architect (1) Analyst (2) Technology Architect Environment Architect Process Architect Development Architect Training at http://avancier.website Survey 1 960 177 56 39 27 24 35 19 16 16 14 9 6 4 4 4 3 2 2 1 1 Survey 2 141 433 105 75 53 53 21 37 70 27 The top three architect job titles as a hierarchy Architect job title in job advert Technical Architect Solution(s) Architect Enterprise Architect Avancier Survey 1 960 177 56 Enterprise architects Elaboration Refinement Specialisation Concretion Solution(s) architects Technical architects (mostly specialists) Training at http://avancier.website Abstraction Survey 2 141 433 105 Architects as seniors Avancier ► Architect roles are seen as senior, directing, decision-making roles. Circa 2007! ► But architectural decisions need to be understood at every level ► And architecture description can be done by juniors Training at http://avancier.website Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) Avancier ► The UK standard ► A small selection of roles shown below ► Note the seniority of EA and SA roles Role Enterprise architecture Solution architecture Project management Business analysis Business modelling Requirements definition and management System design Database design Software development Database admin Responsibility level 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 Training at http://avancier.website 7 7 Q) When can I start out as an architect? ► In building architecture, “architect” is protected in law. ► You cannot put the term “architect” on your business card until you have qualified after an intensive 7 years. ■ academic education ■ practical work done under supervision. ► So, should an enterprise or solution architect should have 7 years experience of relevant projects? Training at http://avancier.website Avancier Avancier Solution Architects Training at http://avancier.website Solution Architect goals Avancier ► Focus on success in solution delivery ► Design and deliver an effective and efficient solution ► Identify and manage technical risks along the way. Training at http://avancier.website Solution Architect role in SFIA ► A leadership, guidance and coordination role wrt a specific system. ► SA Level 6: [top level design and coordination] ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ leads architectures for complex systems, manages the target design ensures consistency with specified requirements responsible for the balance between functional, non-functional and ITSM requirements selection of solution components co-ordinates design activities, promoting the discipline to ensure consistency. ► SA Level 5: [still high level design] ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ logical models of components and interfaces detailed component specifications detailed designs for implementation using selected products assists in technical plans and cooperates with business assurance and project staff ensures relevant technical strategies, policies, standards and practices are applied. Training at http://avancier.website Avancier Solution Architect role in general ► Address sponsors and stakeholders who ■ have problems and requirements, and ■ want systems to support business roles and processes. ► Work closely with ■ project managers, EA and solution directors ■ business analysts and business change specialists ► Lead others by ■ shaping and direct solutions ► Attend early to ■ critical non-functional requirements and ■ physical design matters ► Govern delivery ■ may double as a project-level technical/software lead. Training at http://avancier.website Avancier Solution Architect as generalist and risk mitigator ► SFIA says: ■ leads architectures for complex systems, manages the target design ■ co-ordinates design activities, promoting the discipline to ensure consistency. ■ ensures relevant technical strategies, policies, standards and practices are applied. Solution Architect Requirements Specialists Database Specialists Software Specialists Technology Specialists Team of Software and other Technical Specialists ► The right hand (wo)man of the programme/project manager. ► An experienced generalist who joins up specialists to deliver the solution ► Smells out costs and risks, and ensures they are addressed. Training at http://avancier.website Avancier Avancier Enterprise Architects Training at http://avancier.website Without EA, silo (or point) solutions proliferate ► A silo is an organisation unit or application that: ► is not standardised ■ does not follow the same rules or processes as another doing the same thing ► is not joined up ■ does not share information with another doing something different ► does not share/reuse common services ■ at the business or technology level. ► Silos are the result of architects being given only narrow projectspecific objectives. ► Where to find the motivation and ability to avoid or reduce silo solutions? Training at http://avancier.website Avancier EA is more strategic than SA ► SFIA defines EA development in 16 sentences in which ■ “strategy”, “strategies” and “strategic” appear 18 times. ■ “setting strategies, policies, standards and practices” appears twice ► EA is more ■ Strategic ■ Cross-organisational ■ Abstract ► SA is more ■ Tactical ■ Local ■ Concrete Training at http://avancier.website Avancier “EA as Strategy” Ross, Weill and Robertson Avancier ► Prompts EAs to position an enterprise’s “operating model” ► in a quadrant of a standardisation/integration grid. Integration Positioning the “Operating model” for core business processes High integration Coordinated Unified Low integration Diversified Replicated Low standardisation High standardisation Standardisation ► EA aims for integration and reuse of business systems ■ shared processes ■ shared data ■ shared services Training at http://avancier.website EA is more abstract than SA ► EA works at the highest level of abstraction ► with ■ ■ ■ ■ coarse-grained descriptions, generic components idealised/conceptual models, and strategic road maps. Avancier ► “The Enterprise Architect ■ has the responsibility for architectural design and documentation at a landscape and technical reference model level.” ■ often leads a group of the Segment Architects and/or Solution Architects related to a given program.” ► “elements in an enterprise architecture may still be considerably abstracted from Solution Architecture, design, or implementation views.” TOGAF Training at http://avancier.website Enterprise Architect goals ► ► ► ► Avancier Optimise an enterprise’s many services and systems Remove redundancy Standardise services and systems Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the whole enterprise ■ de-duplicated, ■ standardised, ■ interoperable and/or integrated. Integration Has to ► Understand the enterprise’s estate, ► Deliver cross-organisational road maps and EA collateral, and ► Govern Solution Architects to ensure that solutions are High Low Positioning the “Operating model” Coordinated Unified Diversified Replicated Training at http://avancier.website Low High Standardisation Most modern EA frameworks indicate that ► EA strives for enterprise-wide optimisation of business systems. ► EA defines enterprise-level principles, standards, patterns and high-level architecture descriptions so as to: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. enable cross-organisational systemisation of a business. encourage integration and standardization (reuse) if business processes. align information systems to business needs across the four primary architecture domains. define a strategic context for business system changes. abstract architecture documentation from implementation organise and maintain architecture descriptions for future understanding and change impact analysis Training at http://avancier.website Avancier EA cannot be all things to all people ► The enterprise architect’s role is not to ■ ■ ■ ■ direct business strategy manage programmes manage human resources develop software ► An EA is not expected to lead the design and planning of ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ a hardware product a production line a marketing strategy an IT data centre organisation design from a sociological perspective ► Though EA should be coordinated with all the above Training at http://avancier.website Avancier Avancier Enterprise and solution architects Working together in an organisation Training at http://avancier.website What do SA and EA share? ► Enterprise and Solution Architects ■ address the same architecture domains ■ at different levels of abstraction and with different goals. ► Share a great deal by way of ■ ■ ■ ■ Skills Knowledge Terms and concepts Techniques ► Enterprise architects cannot succeed without Solution Architects who speak the same language and work in a systematic way. ► Both need to understand Solution Architecture before they can successfully tackle more political enterprise-wide challenges. Training at http://avancier.website Avancier An enterprise architecture team Avancier ► The EA team is often composed of domain/specialists who ■ take the cross-organisational & strategic view of their domain. ■ define a road map for their own domain ● (which may cut across other domain road maps and business change plans) ■ not dedicated to any particular solution delivery. Team of Enterprise Architects Business Specialists Data Specialists App Specialists Technology Specialists Solution Architect Requirements Specialists Database Specialists Software Specialists Technology Specialists Team of Software Architects and Technical Specialists Team of Software Architects and Technical Specialists Training at http://avancier.website Enterprise Architect Solution Architect Often works for an enterprise, is a member or manager of a central EA function, superintends work done by service providers. Optimises the enterprise systems by integration or standardisation. Aims for enterprise-wide integrity and quality. Responsible for the quality and completeness of strategic road maps. May specialise in one architecture domain. Looks to increase business agility and technical agility. Often works for a service provider in the bid and/or delivery phase. Shapes and steers a solution, usually at a project level. Avancier Aims for delivery quality: focused on critical success factors, esp. nonfunctional qualities. Responsible for the completeness of solution outlines and high-level designs. Understands all facets of system design well enough to join up a coherent solution architecture Shares responsibility for time and cost of solution delivery. Leadership and governance Engages with senior executives and their strategies. Acts as highest-level design authority. May lead architects in a programme, and guide them on standardisation and integration opportunities. May assign other architects to work on discrete developments. Defines general principles, standards, and reusable components. Governs that solution architects comply with relevant overarching EA. Leadership and governance Joins up business analysts, software architects and technicians Submits solution architectures for approval to higher/other authorities. Joins lower-level technical specialists to each other and the overall architectural landscape. Identifies and mitigate technical risks, with delivery time and cost in mind. Adopts general principles, standards, and reusable components. Governs solution delivery, may be asked to heed relevant overarching EA. Planning level and time frame Considers the whole enterprise as a system. Sets out strategic cross-organisational road maps Addresses the politics of cross-organisational concerns and goals, setting strategic and cross-organisational directions. Governs diverse programmes over the long term. Planning level and time frame Considers selected business roles and processes. Relatively tactical: the migration path for a programme or project. Does what has to be done to address specific problems and requirements, and shape and steer system changes with an eye on risks and costs. Shapes specific solutions over a shorter time frame. Design and documentation Designs and documents the enterprise system estate (aka landscape) and reference models. Works at the highest level with coarse-grained and logical outlines Documents the architecture of the enterprise enough to enable impact analysis. Design and documentation Designs and documents solutions to specific business problems. Works at a middle level, elaborates from the abstract to the concrete, selects physical components. Describes the architecture of a system that is the outcome of one endeavour, at a level sufficient for detailed design and building to proceed. Training at http://avancier.website An EA role definition Avancier Aims Better business-IT alignment, partly through improved visibility of the enterprise’s estate and better change impact analysis. Improved planning: support for business and IT strategies; strategic and cross-organisational road maps for change. Improved integrity and efficiency: joining up the enterprise by integrating data and processes. Lower costs from de-duplication of business systems and technologies. Greater agility through standardisation of business processes, applications and technologies. Responsibilities Establishment of architect roles, processes and resources. Definition of baseline and target operating models and maturity levels. Definition of business taxonomies, Enterprise Architecture landscape, principles, policies, standards and other EA collateral. Application portfolio road maps: master data management, application consolidation and integration, package selection and integration. Technology portfolio road maps: technology consolidation, replacement and outsourcing. Planning: migration paths and other support for programme and project planning. Governance: compliance with regulations and EA collateral. Copyright Avancier Limited An SA role definition Avancier Aims Ensure a programme/project meets business/IT aims and supports business functions. Identify and reduce technical risks and complexity in a programme/project. Ensure a system meets its NFRs, is performant, scalable, secure, flexible, etc. Support project managers with scoping, estimation, resourcing and integration. Support Enterprise Architects and help to realise EA road maps. Ensure the initial phase of any software development project is completed properly. Responsibilities Initiation: Studies strategic business, IT and EA context. Develops (or reviews) solution vision. Architecting: In the strategic context, develops a solution outline for a programme or project. Takes a business scenario-driven approach to define data, application and infrastructure components. Addresses non-functional requirements and mitigates technical risks. Balances stakeholder needs with the higher level goals, principles and standards. Planning: Can assist in supplier selection. Prepares a migration path to inform planning. Supports programme and project planning. Governance: Provides technical leadership for a programme or project. Coaches and supports designers. Provides quality assurance and architecture governance. Copyright Avancier Limited Avancier Architecture roles by domain From Business to Technology Training at http://avancier.website Architect Roles by Domain Avancier ► There is no industry standard! ► An EA team usually divides roles by level and/or by domain The architects’ working space Domain Level Business Architecture Data Architecture Enterprise Architecture Solution Architecture Software Architecture & Technical Specialisms ► The power and the politics vary widely Training at http://avancier.website Applications Architecture Technology Architecture BCS reference model of architect roles by domain and levels ► Any given role may span more than one column and row Business Enterprise level Solution level Software and other technical domain specialism level Training at http://avancier.website Avancier BCS E&SA reference model – architecture work space Avancier Business view Information/data view Applications view Infrastructure Platform view Enterprise/Business Standardisation & integration of business roles & processes Business function/capability hierarchy Business products & services catalogue Business processes and roles Etc. Enterprise/Data Data standardisation & integration Data store & data flow catalogues Maps data to business functions Business data model & views of it Canonical data model(s) Core business data entity life cycles Etc. Enterprise/Apps Business app standardisation & integration Business app portfolio/catalogue Maps business apps to business functions Business app life cycles and road maps Etc. Enterprise/Platform Platform standardisation & integration Platform technology portfolio/catalogue Platform services portfolio/catalogue (TRM) Platform technology life cycles and road maps Etc. Solution/Business For a required system/solution: Business services Business processes and roles Mappings to goals & locations Requirements catalogues Use case diagrams and definitions Outline UI (or other I/O) designs Etc. Solution/Data For a required system/solution: Maps data to processes and roles Logical data models CIA requirements Data qualities/meta data Etc. Solution/Apps For a required system/solution: Maps use cases to processes and roles Maps business apps to use cases Design for NFRs Coarse-grained app components Coarse-grained sequence diagrams Etc. Solution/Platform For a required system/solution: Maps platform to business apps Platform technology definitions Client & server node definitions Design for NFRs Outline deployment diagrams Outline network diagrams Etc. Software/Business Detailed use case definitions Detailed UI designs Governs UI implementation Etc. Software/Data Detailed database design Detailed message design Governs database administration Etc. Software/Apps Detailed (fine-grained) software design Governs software development Etc. Software/Platform Detailed deployment diagrams Detailed network diagrams. Governs platform and network configuration Etc. Training at http://avancier.website Organisation A Avancier Business Apps Data Enterprise Architects Solution Architects BA Solution Designers Training at http://avancier.website Infrastructure Organisation B Data Business Avancier Apps Strategic plan Business Analysts Systems Analysts Infrastructure Enterprise Architects Outline solution High level design Detailed design Technical specification DBAs, Programmers, and Operators Training at http://avancier.website Code and configuration Solution Architects Software Architects and Technical Specialists Organisation C Avancier Training at http://avancier.website Organisation D Avancier Drivers Strategic Management Products & Services Channels Other management functions Business Arch Processes and Data OD HR FM The EA space Customer Business Goals, Visions & Segments Model Initiatives Organisation Applications Design Operating Model Human IT Infrastructure Infrastructure Offices Data Centres Training at http://avancier.website Data Arch Apps Arch IT Arch Avancier Architect as designer and governor one who designs buildings and superintends their construction Training at http://avancier.website Architecture and architects (after Chambers 20th century dictionary) “Architecture: The art or science of building. In a specific sense, one of the fine arts” “Architect: Master builder [from the Greek]. One who designs buildings and superintends their construction. Any maker; a contriver.” Training at http://avancier.website Avancier People called ‘architect’ sometimes ► Play roles as ► business analyst ► project manager ► But that is not our focus here ► ► ► ► ► Avancier Install systems Manage operational systems Monitor systems and diagnose faults Mend a system when issues arise Document a (baseline) system after it is built ► But really, that is engineering, operations, fire fighting, documentation Training at http://avancier.website Architects as architects Contextual information stakeholders, concerns, requirements, principles, time, cost, and other precursors that architects must respond to. Avancier System descriptions idealise abstract level create and use inform Operational systems Architects observe and envisage already built and to be built Training at http://avancier.website Architects as describers Avancier Architectural description specifies the structure and behaviour of a system; can exist before and after the system idealise create and use Operational system Architects observe and envisage Training at http://avancier.website a collection of interacting subsystems; an encapsulated set of processes that transform input into outputs. Architects as describers Avancier ► Architects have to learn how to produce plans containing architecture descriptions, ► Just as builders must learn how to build to those specifications. Training at http://avancier.website Architect as chief designer ► Given a customer’s requirements for an operational system ► The architect must set out the form and functions of that system. ► Direct others in the detailed design and building of the system Training at http://avancier.website Avancier Architect as chief designer ► “Architect: Master builder [from the Greek]. ► One who designs buildings and superintends their construction.” Should ► Understand business and technical contexts ► Understand design patterns and trade offs, ► Understand the strengths and weakness of materials ► Create and evaluate different options ► Make decisions ► Design and describe new (target) systems ■ To an acceptable level of detail Training at http://avancier.website Avancier Architecture as higher level design Higher level design Directs and constrains Strategies and road maps Longer time -> Shorter time Avancier Lower level design Shorter term sprints and deadlines Broader goals, longer processes and Narrower requirements, shorter Composition -> Decomposition coarser-grained subsystems processes and finer-grained components Standards, principles, patterns and Application of standards, principles, Generalisation -> Specialisation reference models patterns and reference models Business needs and idealised system descriptions Idealisation -> Realisation Encapsulation by services in interfaces External -> Internal Required services and processes Behaviour -> Structure Training at http://avancier.website Physical technology solutions Realisation by internal roles and process Designed roles and interfaces How far can an architecture description be refined? Avancier ► The level of detail depends on ► the breadth of the system or endeavour ► the constraints on the available time, money and resources. Three dimensions of scope Breadth Constraints Depth Size & complexity of system or project Large / Medium / Small Time & resources to describe the system or project Little / Moderate / Lots Level of detail reachable in descriptions or plans Large Little Vacuous Medium Little Sketchy Large Moderate Sketchy Medium Moderate Elaborate Small Little Elaborate Large Lots Elaborate Small Moderate Fulsome Medium Lots Fulsome Small Lots Complete Training at http://avancier.website How far should an architecture description be refined? ► Until the cone of uncertainty has narrowed sufficiently that ■ stakeholders understand the benefits, costs and risks ■ a decision to invest in the next stage can be made. Vision Outline Plan Build Implement ► Focus early on costs and risks associated with NFRs. ► Analysts complete functional requirements incrementally Training at http://avancier.website Avancier Architect as governor Avancier ► “Architect: Master builder [from the Greek]. ► One who designs buildings and ► superintends their construction.” Architecting Govern builders Hand over Govern operational change Training at http://avancier.website Architects should Avancier ► Identify fire risks and ► design to prevent fires breaking out, ► rather than fight them later. ► Which can be a thankless task! Training at http://avancier.website How much architecting does an architect do? ► "Architecting" is the high-level design of the structure and behaviour of systems. ► "Architects" are accountable for this - even if they don't actually do it themselves. ► An architect may spend a minority of time on architecting - but they need to understand it deeply - to be accountable for it. ► Where architects are called in after major design decisions have been made by non-architects, the architect is left with a fire-fighting role, for which they also need to understand architecting. ► From a LinkedIn discussion Training at http://avancier.website Avancier Avancier Architecture backgrounds From Business to Technology Training at http://avancier.website Q) What experience do I need? Avancier ► It helps to have experience of detailed design and low-level architecture descriptions - in junior and specialist roles Business Enterprise & Solution Architecture Requirements Infrastructure Data Applications Software Training at http://avancier.website Technology Probably the most natural background? Avancier ► Roles in data architecture/design and software architecture/design. Business Enterprise & Solution Architecture Requirements Infrastructure Data Applications Software Training at http://avancier.website Technology Another entry route Avancier ► Some arrive from roles in requirements analysis ► OK, though some of those find the “techy” bits scary. Business Enterprise & Solution Architecture Requirements Infrastructure Data Applications Software Training at http://avancier.website Technology Another entry route Avancier ► Some arrive from roles in infrastructure architecture/design ► OK, though some of those find the “abstraction” scary. Business Enterprise & Solution Architecture Requirements Infrastructure Data Applications Software Training at http://avancier.website Technology Q) Can I be an architect without years of experience? ► An architect should have a holistic understanding of all domains. ► He/she must talk to specialists in every area with confidence, address architectural risks and costs, and make decisions. ► So, he/she does need several years relevant experience. ► However, training is intended to shorten the experience needed Training at http://avancier.website Avancier Avancier’s training for Enterprise & Solution Architects ► A broad view of architecture ► A contextual understanding that is ■ useful for project-level technical/software/infrastructure architects ■ necessary in more senior architect roles. ► Knowledge and techniques that are ■ useful at every level of architecture, and also: ■ specific to different levels of enterprise and solution architecture. Training at http://avancier.website Avancier Methods and resources ► Avancier Methods are useful with all architecture frameworks that share similar ends and means Avancier BCS E&SA reference model ArchiMate Language Framework ► http://avancier.co.uk TOGAF The Open Group Avancier Methods CSC’s domains of change (POLDAT) IBM’s view EA EA as Strategy” MIT Training at http://avancier.website
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