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Future Role of the Architect
The document discusses the evolving role of software architects, highlighting their importance in making design choices and setting technical standards within projects. It reflects on the historical challenges faced in software development and emphasizes the need for accountability and adaptation to modern technological demands. The author calls for architects to redefine their roles, looking beyond technology to integrate various components and drive innovation in an increasingly commoditized environment.
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Future Role of the Architect
- 1. Future Role ofthe Architect Reports of our extinction have been greatly exaggerated © The App Business Riccardo M Bennett-Lovsey ITARC London, November 2016
- 2. A little aboutme Senior Architect at “The App Business” Began my career as a doctor of bioinformatics Enterprise Fellow with the RSE Student of the IDesign school of architecture Co-organiser of the “Software Architect & Mentorship” Meetup Contact via www.theappbusiness.com © The App Business
- 3. Overview The Role ofthe Architect The Past The Present The Future © The App Business
- 4. But first… Warning: Completely subjective ©The App Business
- 5. The Role ofthe Architect 5© The App Business
- 6. © The AppBusiness The Role of the Architect 6 How we like to see ourselves How everyone else sees us
- 7. The Role ofthe Architect A software architect is a software expert who makes high-level design choices and dictates technical standards, including software coding standards, tools, and platforms. © The App Business
- 8. © The AppBusiness The Role of the Architect 8 Solution Architect Infrastructure Architect Data Architect Application Architect Technical Architect Domain Architect Cloud Architect SOA Architect Web Architect Services Architect Platform Architect Digital Architect System Architect Software Architect
- 9. The Role ofthe Architect “… can be summarised by any one of a collection of aphorisms, which (while equally nebulous) are still long enough to use in a job specification” © The App Business - Human Resources
- 10. The problem is… Welove to ruminate over what we are Rarely think about what it is we actually do? © The App Business
- 11. © The AppBusiness Compare with other Architects 11 Building Architect Landscape Architect Aeronautical Architect Energy Architect Product Architect Industrial Architect Aerospace Architect Nuclear Architect Naval Architect Urban Architect
- 12. Unifying facets ofan Architect Identifying practical solutions to high-value problems Integrating any number of parts* to build those solutions Often the design, fabrication, configuration and validation of those parts © The App Business *define as necessary (my thoughts)
- 13. © The AppBusiness Architectural Overheads 13 Constraints Regulations Governance Stakeholders Risk Compliance Dependencies Politics Quality Control Legacy Systems Process Planning Budget Communication Diplomacy Requirements Schedule Technology
- 14. The Past 14© TheApp Business
- 15. A quick historyof software © The App Business First digital computer built First software held in electronic memory “Decomposing Systems into Modules” published by Parnas Software Engineering Institute established First mainframe systems First NATO Software Engineering Conference World Wide Web invented 1940 1950 20201960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Amazon EC2 released Java released .NET released Microsoft Azure released Docker released Azure Service Fabric released
- 16. Where were theArchitects? For as long people have built software there have been Architects © The App Business (whether they were called that or not)
- 17. Who were theArchitects? Chief Technician System Engineer Technical Lead Lead Developer Architect (occasionally) Technical Manager Development Lead © The App Business
- 18. © The AppBusiness Core challenges have changed over time 18 Stopping valves burning out Stopping the punchcards disintegrating Access to the mainframe Having enough processing power Having enough memory Having enough storage Having enough bandwidth Having the best platform Having the best developers Having the best testers Having the best security Service scalability 24/7 availability Geo-redundancy
- 19. Software Crisis 19© TheApp Business
- 20. Crisis? What Crisis? Projectsover-budget Projects running over-time Inefficient software Low quality deliverables Unmet requirements Unmaintainable products Projects just not delivered © The App Business (half a century of mediocrity)
- 21. Crisis? What Crisis? Projectsover-budget Projects running over-time Inefficient software Low quality deliverables Unmet requirements Unmaintainable products Projects just not delivered © The App Business (half a century of mediocrity)
- 22. Crisis? What Crisis? Whyis there no “Electronics Crisis”? … “Aeronautical Crisis”? … “Construction Crisis”? … “Manufacturing Crisis”? … “Mining Crisis”? … “Transport Crisis”? … “Agricultural Crisis”? © The App Business
- 23. So, it’s justus and… © The App Business Merchant Bankers
- 24. What went wrong? 24©The App Business
- 25. What went wrong? Didtechnology change too quickly? Was software too unconstrained? Did enough people know what they were doing? Did enough people care? Were enough people held accountable? © The App Business
- 26. What went wrong? Disciplinesthat do not hold their practitioners to account are destined to stagnate or worse © The App Business
- 27. The Present 27© TheApp Business
- 28. Are we stillin Crisis? Projects over-budget Projects running over-time Inefficient software Low quality deliverables Unmet requirements Unmaintainable products Projects just not delivered © The App Business
- 29. Why are westill in Crisis? Software is still in adolescence Is it art, science or engineering?* No regulated licensing or industry standards No formal qualification or apprenticeship required © The App Business *answer: engineering!
- 30. EULA: “Use atyour own risk” Would you accept the same warning on a bridge? … or a plane? … a car? … a pace-maker? … a toaster? … a light switch? … a doorbell? © The App Business
- 31. Software has neverhad a “Revolution” © The App Business 1500 1600 20001700 1800 1900 Scientific Revolution First Agricultural Revolution First Industrial Revolution (Machines & Manufacturing) Second Industrial Revolution (Technology & Transport) Medical Revolution Second Agricultural Revolution (Green Revolution) Digital Revolution
- 32. Yet, we areall software companies now © The App Business
- 33. Who should holdthemselves accountable? Answer: we should © The App Business (because no one else will)
- 34. We must drivethe change 34© The App Business
- 35. We must drivethe change Set an example to the newbies Become the standard-bearers Take responsibility for our industry © The App Business
- 36. We must drivethe change … otherwise, why else are we here? © The App Business
- 37. The Future 37© TheApp Business
- 38. Remaining relevant “Revolution” begetsindustrialisation Industrialisation begets automation Automation begets redundancy © The App Business
- 39. What else mustwe do? What we always do: Adapt or perish © The App Business
- 40. © The AppBusiness Recall how challenges have changed over time 40 Stopping valves burning out Stopping the punchcards disintegrating Access to the mainframe Having enough processing power Having enough memory Having enough storage Having enough bandwidth Having the best platform Having the best developers Having the best testers Having the best security Service scalability 24/7 availability Geo-redundancy
- 41. Recall how challengeshave changed over time Eventually technology ceases to be the limitation © The App Business
- 42. Wardley Value Maps ©The App Business Genesis ValueChainInvisibleVisible Product (+ rental) Custom Built Commodity (+ utility) Evolution Power Compute Production System CRMProduction Talent Web Server Website Branded Content Customer Copyright © Simon Wardley 1 Recommendation Engine in-house/agile off-the-shelf outsourced
- 43. 1 Wardley Value Maps ©The App Business Genesis ValueChainInvisibleVisible Product (+ rental) Custom Built Commodity (+ utility) Power Compute Production System CRM Production Talent Web Server Website Branded Content Customer Copyright © Simon Wardley Evolution Recommendation Engine in-house/agile off-the-shelf outsourced
- 44. © The AppBusiness Already commoditised 44 Communication Storage Compute Search Maps Availability Support Logging Analytics Office Payment Vending Scale Resilience Security CRM ERP Business Intelligence
- 45. Already commoditised © TheApp Business Even coding is becoming commoditised
- 46. Exhibit A: AzureLogic Apps © The App Business
- 47. Exhibit B: AzureService Fabric © The App Business
- 48. What does allthis mean for us? 48© The App Business
- 49. Recall the unifyingfacets of an Architect Identifying practical solutions to high-value problems Integrating any number of parts* to build those solutions Often the design, fabrication, configuration and validation of those parts © The App Business *define as necessary
- 50. © The AppBusiness We must redefine the “parts” that we integrate 50 Scripts Functions Libraries Frameworks Servers Systems Products Services Utilities Capabilities
- 51. We must redefinethe “parts” that we integrate Things will always need integrating © The App Business
- 52. Look ahead anddrive innovation Move beyond just technology To realms of business and enterprise Thinking in terms of “capabilities” © The App Business
- 53. Opportunities are comingfaster than ever © The App Business
- 54. Never been abetter time The world needs Architects more than ever © The App Business
- 55. © The AppBusiness
- 56. Thank You © TheApp Business