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Presentation delivered at Microsoft Architect Cafe in August 2009; by Miha Kralj
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The role of the Architectin Turbulent Times
Miha KraljSr. ArchitectMicrosoft CorporationSession Code: ARC207
Architecture Impetus
You can’t build a sky rise the way you build a dog house…Booch, SD’99
Architectural leadership always comes from the least expected direction…
Unknown
Architecture??? We are in recession,who needs architecture now!
CIO of undisclosed company
Architecture is the translation of intent into technology
Architecture: Raison d'être
Business Technology
Architecture is the translation of intent into technology
Architecture: Raison d'être
Business Technology
Aesthetics
Architecture is the translation of intent into technology
Architecture: Raison d'être
Business Technology
AestheticsAesthetics:
Judgment of sentiments and taste
Architecture: Raison d'être
Business Technology
Aesthetics
Business desires the right
Function
Architecture: Raison d'être
Business Technology
Aesthetics
Business desires the right
Function
Technology seeks the right
Structure
Architecture: Raison d'être
Business Technology
AestheticsAesthetics
requires the rightAppearance
Business desires the right
Function
Technology seeks the right
Structure
Architecting process
Requirements DesignAnalysis
DesignConscious effort to create something that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing
All architecture is design.Not all design is architecture.
Who Does What Best?
Requirements DesignAnalysis
Business Analyst
DeveloperIT Professional .
Architect
Architectural Levels
Design all things by considering them in their larger contexts
An object in a component
A component in a system
A system in an enterprise
An enterprise in an industry
Put the large rocks in the place first
Scope of Architectural Decisions
Product A scope
product architecturedecisions
Product family scope
Product B scope
Component scope
decisions made here are tuned to product A
product family architecture decisionsdecisions optimized over the whole, making tradeoffs and compromises across the products for the overall good of the whole
Architecture is the set of decisions that cannot be delegated without compromising overall system objectives
Enterprise Architecture - DefinitionEnterprise Architecture
Encompasses:
Application Architecture
Infrastructure Architecture
Information Architecture
Business Architecture
Addresses Enterprise objectives:
Consistency, Integration, Interoperability, Security
Flexibility to make, buy or outsource IT solutions
Reuse across applications, solutions and product families
EA has Enterprise-wide scope and crossesintra-organizational boundaries
Value
Scope
EA = TA Reduce IT cost and enhance operations
EA = EWITA Enhance Value Management
EA = BA + EWITA Enhance Business/IT Alignment
Evolution of Enterprise Architecture
Goal of an Architect
Get the Architecture Right
Right Direction: Architectural Vision and Strategy
Right Focus: Architectural Requirements and Prioritization
Right Solution: Architecture Specification
Get the Architecture Used Right
Get the Architecture used (at all)
What you think the job is:
Architect responsibilities
Technical work
Solving interesting problems
Applying design patterns
Technology choices, system design
Non-technical work
What it really is:Technical work
Touchy-feely stuff
Organizational politics
Getting participation
Building consensus
The Main Activities of an ArchitectWhat an Architect really does?
Think, Analyze
Listen, Talk, Walk around
Design, Brainstorm, Explain
Assist with risks, WBS, schedule
Present, Meet, Teach, Discuss
Test, Integrate
Write, Consolidate, Browse
Read, Review
Gerrit Muller, “The Role and Task of the System Architect”, http://www.gaudisite.nl/RoleSystemArchitectPaper.pdf
How do you explicitly measure success of these tasks?
Architect Competencies
Technical Competencies
BusinessCompetencies
Personal Competencies
Organizational Dynamics
Strategy
Process and Tactics
Technology in Breadth
Technology in Depth
Leadership
Communication
Split of the Role in the Hard Times
Technical Competencies
BusinessCompetencies
Personal Competencies
Organizational Dynamics
Strategy
Process and Tactics
Technology in Breadth
Technology in Depth
Leadership
Communication
Development LeadTesting Lead
Operations Lead
Business AnalystProject ManagerStrategy Advisor
Split of the Role by Domain Focus
Technical Architecture(Software, Application, System)
Solution Architecture(Infrastructure, Information)
EA
Split of the Role by Domain Focus
Technical Architecture(Software, Application, System)
Solution Architecture(Infrastructure, Information)
EABusiness AnalystProject ManagerStrategy Advisor
Development LeadTesting Lead
Operations Lead
Shifting the Focus
Diminishing Old PrioritiesNew Projects – due to the overwhelming amount of internal optimization new projects are few and far apart.
Large-scale SOA projects – With widespread failures of large SOA projects architects are reconsidering their approach to SOA
Web 2.0 projects – The experiments on if this technology paradigm is viable is deemed non mission-critical.
Server consolidation – the lifetimes of servers is extended thus reducing the amount of consolidation projects
Shifting the FocusEmerging New Priorities
Optimization of current portfolio – How to leverage Company’s assets in a struggling economy (do more with less)
Cost Reducing Programs – Programs that look at cost reductions are becoming a major property for architects
Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) – Many pre- and post-M&A projects will occur during the recession time
Compliance – New regulations will emerge to control all aspects of how IT operates
Value Add Customer-facing projects – Furthering the reach of the company past traditional methods to add to the value chain
Four Key Architectural Imperatives
What to do in the times of uncertainty
Align – Find direct links to business imperatives.
Optimize – Do more with what you have
Externalize – Move IT assets outside of the IT operating environment, if they do not add value
Consolidate – Reduce unnecessary redundancies
Align the Architecture
Key Metrics
Instead of defining IT-specific metrics, architecture
organizations need to operate more like a business. By doing
so, they need not only to demonstrate their effectiveness,
but also to quantify it.
Redefine how you are measured and evaluated
Assessments
Repeatable and consistent assessments should drive how decisions are made, and they
must illustrate how architectural trade-offs occurred.
Define the assessment metrics for all aspects of your work
Link the Architecture
Requirements Management
Capturing functional and nonfunctional requirements in reusable ways will help align architectures to the business
and drive both the functionality and the architecture.
Align with business with the right requirements capturing process
Architecture Management
Architecture management should link into the standard
processes, such as application portfolio management and Project Management Office
processes.
Prove the value of architecture through PMO
Optimize the Architecture
Portfolio Management
Reviewing the IT portfolio of applications will allow architects
to either inventory existing systems or review the systems
that have been cataloged.
What Solutions bring the most value and return?
ALM Management
ALM improvements can include process optimizations to
streamline efforts, new tools to automate and accelerate
application development, and key information-gathering points
to support architecture efforts and quantify business value.
How can you improve the ALM tools, process or skills?
Optimize your Tools and Solutions
Development tooling
Optimizing the tooling that is used in the actual development
and architectural planning is essential for companies. In times
of slowed project work, it is optimal to retool.
Are you using the right tools for the architecting process?
Optimizing Solutions
With a wave of new innovations in social computing, context-aware architectures, cloud-
based architectures, and SaaS, there are ways to introduce
lower risk, cost, and support for your company.
Find the low-cost refactoring ideas and approaches.
Consolidate your IT Assets
IT Infrastructure
The hardware backbone of an enterprise often is the first to be consolidated with virtualization
solutions. While it is easy to virtualize, there is careful
planning needed, as it could lead to the same problem that we
have with server sprawl.
What infrastructure elements are ready for virtualization?
IT Services
Collaboration, VOIP, e-mail, business intelligence, portals,
system monitoring, and project-management systems are all IT
services that can be streamlined by creation of standards or consolidation of multiple
vendors.
What redundant IT Services can you find and consolidate?
Consolidate your IT Assets
Solution Architectures
Companies often find redundancies in solutions across
LOBs or functional areas. Consolidating solutions will be
key to lowering costs and complexity within the
organization.
How much cost-reduction can you bring with consolidation?
Process Management
Process management can be a valuable exercise to consolidate
disconnected and redundant processes. This streamlines your architectural efforts by providing
repeatable and predictable measurements.
What processes are fat, long and unnecessary?
Invent New Usage of Current TechnologyUse technology NOT as originally intended
Redefine where the applied cutting edge really is
Go beyond prescribed scenarios and personas
Are you using technology the same way as your competition?
Improve Customer ExperiencesExperience is more important than functionality
If you don’t improve the experience, someone else will!
Eliminate negative, tedious or hard-to-understand parts
How do you get dissatisfied users to talk before they walk?
Render Your Own Cash Cow ObsoleteIs there a single product/service that generates the majority of income?
Create new Cash Cows out of Stars and Question marks (BCG)
Anyone’s Cash Cow can be (and will be) stolen
How do you reposition your own current Cash Cow?
Learn to Fail FastPlan ahead and get the advantage of unavoidable future
Don’t refuse to accept failure; Invest in the next success
If horse is dead, GET OFF!
Is your product, service or engagement slowly failing?
Systematically Look Into the FutureFocus on the NEW big picture
Look for trends, patterns and new disruptors
Technological changes can redefine the entire industries
What changes can you identify that might yield an opportunity?
Solve Predictable Future Problems TodayShift from Crisis Management to Opportunity Management
Most of Future Issues are predictable and avoidable
Anticipate, Plan and Pre-empt
What problems can you eliminate before they happen?
Co-create the Future with your CustomersReward and stimulate customer innovation
Foster collaborative research and creation
Customers will help you design future products with THEM in mind
Do customers send you their innovate ideas to implement?
Create Strategic AlliancesCooperation and Competition are merging (Coopetition)
Alliances are partnerships of equal players
Strategic alliances tend to create advantages for all
Which alliance would benefit your ecosystem?
question & answer
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© 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries.The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS,
IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.