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Solution architecture
- 1. Solution Architecture Training, CITA-A Certification Don Howard and Rakesh Malakar
- 2. Roundtable Purpose Get a sense if the Solution Architecture Training and CITA-A Certification would be valuable for you professionally and for what you do at your company
- 3. Approach Start with context: Solution Architect role and CITA-A certification 50,000 foot view of key modules: highlights according to Don and Rakesh Business technology strategy Solution architecture Lifecycle Success metrics Stakeholders Describing the solution Deeper dive into Solution architecture module Finish with review of module's workshop to provoke thoughts Basing on our personal assessments of value--inviting discussion: what resonates? do you see it differently? gaining any insights?
- 6. Module 0 - Business Technology Strategy Compares traditional IT Architecture purpose, to enable business units through technology, to higher calling: use technology to transform business Ford Sync, Garmin and digital maps, MRI scanner, Avis pay-at-return Shows Business architecture model examples such as Strategy Map, Balanced Scorecard, Roadmaps Compares Business Technology Strategy to Business Architecture BTS is lifecycle for managing change , understanding the businsee, and elevates financial and value arguments reltive to technical one BTS is common techniquest, BA is form role and accountability for tasks Compares life cycles of C-Suite, EA, and Projects
- 7. Module 1 - Solution Architecture Compares Solution Architect to Software Architect Solution Architect: skill necessary to deliver end to end solution with general skills in all four specialization areas Software Architect: specialist role with depth of skills and experience in software intensive systems Describes two "tracks" of Solution Architecture: specialist and end-to-end or generalist Summarizes differences between Solution Architect Generalist and Enterprise Architect Level of depth to go into when creating strategy for all four areas Workshop had us create a Solution Architect job description to support staffing up the architecture department for the fictitious company
- 8. Module 2 - Lifecycle Includes review of industry architecture lifecycles such as FEAF, Togaf, COBIT and others such as Gated, Agile, Iasa Solution Lifecycle Workshop was to create an architecture lifecycle to meet circumstances of fictional business - similar to task in front of Don
- 9. Module 3 - Success Metrics All about defining value in business terms and relating architecture work to increasing business value Architecture value measures are more than participating in projects that are on-time, within budget, meeting requirements Describes models like Balanced Scorecard, Business Model Canvas and others. Workshop had the class create a Business Model Canvas for fictitious company Good for "reverse engineering" business objectives allowing better linkage of architecture strategies, models, and other deliverables to business-recognized value
- 10. Module 4 - Stakeholders Covers human dynamics aspects of being an Architect Communicating, influencing, motivating, working with stakeholders with different backgrounds Great slide on different motivations of stakeholders and how to address them at different levels to move a meeting along Workshop was to create and deliver presentation to executives persuading them to endorse important architectural objectives for the fictitious company
- 11. Module 5 - Describing the Solution Addresses viewpoints and perspectives and industry approaches to describing them such as 4+1, Archimate, Woods and Rozanski, etc. Workshop was to create a "Viewpoint Library"--very much on topic for Don
- 12. What Iasa Says About Solution Architecture Is The art and science of designing and delivering a technology strategy against a measured set of goals and objectives through a time-constrained set of activities.
- 13. Solution Architects Balance Conflicting Forces Enterprise • Standards and Constraints • Strategic Goals • Target State Technology Value • Increased ROI • Constituent Value • Market Opportunities Project • Timeline • Budget • Team (stakeholders) Stakeholder • Requirement s • Org Dynamics • Conflicting Goals Balanced Solution
- 14. Solution Architects Work Across Four Domains Software • Applications • Quality Attributes • Technology Framework • Maintenance Infrastructure • Hardware • Network • Frameworks • Operations Information • Data Storage Retrieval • Information Usage • Integration Business • Goals • Target State • Business Value
- 15. What Solution Architects Do • Select and recommend high-value generation approaches for technology investment • Generate documents representing the target state value from technology and functionality of a particular solution • Review design and architecture documents from extended team members • Represent the benefits and costs of chosen technical direction with stakeholders • Ensure the ongoing delivery against target state architecture through build and run phases • Evaluate the effectiveness of delivered solutions against planned value • Communicate value generation throughout the business environment • Ensure compliance with internal and external standards and regulations
- 16. Solution Architects Perform Different Activities at Each Scoped Level in the Organization Select Projects • Create/Review business case • Calculate and communicate value • Prioritize and select • Assign architects Create Architecture(s) • Capture and analyze requirements • Architecture master •Generic architecture • Product specific architecture • Architecture Prototype • Views/viewpoints Deliver Architecture(s) • Stakeholder communication •Modify and update artifacts • Delivery Higher Level Manage Architecture • Review and analyze value • Set architecture goals • Update Engagement Model •Communicate value Project Level
- 17. How they’re connected with other Architects in the Organization Finance Sales LOB IT Business Capability Data Center Solution Architects Software Architect Software Architect All architects are included Specialists cover appropriate areas Value “rolls up” Value is clear to customer Credit is given appropriately Career growth supported Business Architects Information Architects Infrastructure Architects Enterprise Architects
- 18. Their Project Coverage: Scope of Engagement Finance Sales LOB IT Business Capability Data Center Solution Architects Software Architect Software Architect Business Architects Information Architects Infrastructure Architects Enterprise Architects 3-5 Projects Single Project All Projects Both Single and Multiple Both Single and Multiple
- 19. Why You Should Care – As Is Set Goals Measure C-Suite Execute Fund Portfolio Mgmt. Plan EAs Governance Asset Mgmt. Milestone Review Measure Project Architects Deliver Design Project Architects Project Architects Project Architects Project Architects
- 20. Why You Should Care – To Be Set Goals Measure C-Suite Portfolio Mgmt. Asset Mgmt. EAs Milestone Governance Review Execute Fund Plan Design Project Architects Measure Deliver Design Project Architects Project Architects Project Architects Plan Measure Project Teams Deliver Design Plan Measure Project Teams Measure Deliver Design Plan Project Teams Deliver Design Plan Measure Project Teams Deliver Design Plan Measure Project Teams Deliver Design
- 25. Takeaways Are you a complete Solution Architect? Do you want to be? Which type? Multiple paths to all you need to know and be skilled in Iasa Solution Architect training followed by CITA-A certification has Don and Rakesh's stamp of approval Online classes going regularly Travel's good: But Seattle in rainy season? Austin in summer? Let's consider organizing and filling a class here
Editor's Notes
- A solution has many often conflicting forces or influences which constrain the output. As architects we approach each of these constraints without bias looking for the most balanced output possible which meet or exceed target measured objectives. The architect uses these influencers to balance each other as well. Stakeholder concerns are often tactical or focused on non-customer facing optimization, while enterprise goals can be lofty and hard to implement within the tight constraints of a project. The project team may create significant architecture drift in the project using time pressures as a reason for governance exemptions. All of these impact the successful value created in the project.
- The architect has many tools to use in a target solution and many areas to optimize their strategy. A full solution architecture includes necessary views in business, information, infrastructure and software. These views may be created by the solution architect in smaller projects or may be created by a team of depth architects with a lead in each area in more complicated projects. Part of the difficulty with the role of solution architect is that they often need enough skills in each specialization to create the strategy for all four areas. This is also true of enterprise architects but at a different level of depth. Many organizations have difficulty navigating the difference in specialists, those architects with depth in one of the specializations, and generalists like the solution architect who have some skills in each but not the depth of a specialist. This is one reason organizations adopt external standards like those from Iasa to help navigate those complications.
- Regardless of how the architects are aligned and staffed, every functional IT organization has a model project cycle, or methodology. Usually this consists of: Portfolio construction and prioritization Selection of projects For each initiative or area (sometimes per project), creation of architecture and associated artifacts Framing individual projects with specified resources and objectives and specifications and/or requirements Implementation (often called PMO) Solution delivery, including release management and transfer to operations; cleanup of architecture artifacts Realization of the project’s solution (and value)
- IASA recognizes several specialties within architecture and the organizational alignment of these roles is often very important in terms of what value can be enabled in the business units. Designing the organization is often a complex exercise to triangulate what skills are present, where certain types of systems may exist, and where optimal value may exist. Even if your organization does not use these exact terms, coverage of the disciplines is still important and the specific job roles should have similar outcomes. All architects are included Specialists cover appropriate areas Value “rolls up” Value is clear to customer Credit is given appropriately Career growth supported Solution architects typically work on multiple projects and multiple lines of business Software architects growing skills, working on single project start to finish
- Each type of architect may have a different “lifespan” with a given initiative or project. Some may be engaged only in certain phases, whereas others may have specific leadership during the entire project. Enterprise architects typically have touch points on each project. Info and biz architects work on both single projects and multiple projects Example – Google does search, data very important to them Infrastructure architects – both single and multiple projects at a time Solution architects – 3-5 projects at a time Software and infrastructure architects – single project
- Context is captured in a process known as current state analysis- this covers all aspects of the “as-is” state, from stakeholder perspectives, to help desk calls, to systems architecture today. This builds a picture that we will modify through the course of a project, to deliver some amount of change. The architect always grounds plans in a grounded assessment of current state. Fundamentally, as an architect, you need to know what a business is, and how, and why, it operates the way it does. It is imperative for you to comprehend that you are tinkering with an entity that employees people, delivers value to customers, and generates revenue for shareholders. As you create solutions, the effectiveness of these solution can lead to business success, or business failure. As an architect, you need to understand the type of business environment you will be entering so that you can understand the goals and objectives of the stakeholders and the problem domain. In order to interact effectively, you must understand the “business of the business”, or what they are trying to successfully accomplish. The architecture you create must be consumable by the business in such a way that leads to business success. The only way to make that possible is to understand the business, and make the architecture relevant and actionable to the business and it’s goals.
- The architect the seeks to understand how the future state will be realized, we call this the “to-be” state. Often this involves examining resources for cost estimation, providing stakeholder management or user change management, and framing a project in concrete terms (of budget, people, scope).