The document discusses how the role of software architecting is evolving in the digital age. Key technology trends like cloud computing, IoT, and machine learning are increasing complexity, as are hundreds of IoT platforms. Agile and lean practices, DevOps, and the idea that "code is architecture" are changing expectations. Architects must master these complex technologies, communicate concepts simply, and strengthen non-technical skills. Their role is shifting from documentation to knowledge management and from specialization to cross-functional teams.

1. The Changing Role of Software Architecting
in the Digital Age
Uwe Zdun
web: https://cs.univie.ac.at/Uwe.Zdun
email: uwe.zdun@univie.ac.at
twitter: @uwe.zdun

2. Evolution of the Internet

3. From Connection Computers
over Connecting People
to Connection of Things

4. Related Technology Trends
Cloud Computing IoT
Mobile Computing
Big Data
Machine Learning

5. Hardware Improvements

6. Lean and
Agile
Practices
Picture: (c) Jurgen Appelo. The Manifesto for Agile Software Development, https://www.flickr.com/photos/jurgenappelo/5201267505, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

7. DevOps / Continuous Delivery

8. As a
consequence,
the role of
the architect
evolves
Picture from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Evolution_of_Gothic_vaulting_370.jpg. Fletcher, Banister (1946) A History of Architecture
on the Comparative Method (17th ed.), New York: Charles Scribner's Sons ISBN: 0750622679. This work is in the public domain.

9. The Code
Is the Architecture
Architecture
without Architects?

10. M. Fowler and E. Dörnenburg, “Architecture without Architects,” presentation at 2016 Craft
Conf., 2016; www.ustream.tv/recorded/86152575
“... most of what architects
have done traditionally
should be done by
developers, or by tools, or
not at all ...”

11. Mastering the
complexity of the
upcoming
technologies

12. Example: IoT Technology
Landscape

13. BCG. https://www.bcg.com/publications/2017/technology-industries-technology-digital-who-
will-win-the-iot-platform-wars.aspx. Jun, 2017
“More than 400 companies
offer IoT platforms today.”

14. Tommi Mikkonen. A Research Agenda for the Programmable World:
Software Challenges for IoT Era. ICSOC 2017, Keynote.
“Still, at the high level, all IoT
platforms and solutions are nearly
identical.”
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Devices Gateways Cloud Applications

15. Expectations
Time
Innovation
Trigger
Peak of Inflated
Expectations
Trough of
Disillusionment
Slope of
Enlightment
Plateau of
Productivity
Adapted from https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/top-
trends-in-the-gartner-hype-cycle-for-emerging-technologies-2017/

16. Expectations
Time
Innovation
Trigger
Peak of Inflated
Expectations
Trough of
Disillusionment
Slope of
Enlightment
Plateau of
Productivity
Tinkering
Adapted from https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/top-
trends-in-the-gartner-hype-cycle-for-emerging-technologies-2017/

17. Expectations
Time
Innovation
Trigger
Peak of Inflated
Expectations
Trough of
Disillusionment
Slope of
Enlightment
Plateau of
Productivity
Tinkering
400 Platforms
Adapted from https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/top-
trends-in-the-gartner-hype-cycle-for-emerging-technologies-2017/

18. Expectations
Time
Innovation
Trigger
Peak of Inflated
Expectations
Trough of
Disillusionment
Slope of
Enlightment
Plateau of
Productivity
Tinkering
400 Platforms
Patterns, Models,
Generators,
Engineering
Approaches, Tools,
...
Adapted from https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/top-
trends-in-the-gartner-hype-cycle-for-emerging-technologies-2017/

19. Adapted from: SATURN 2015 Keynote: Progress Towards an Engineering
Discipline of Software by Mary Shaw,
Software Engineering as Engineering
“The branch of computer science that ...
... creates cost-effective solutions ...
... to practical computing problems ...
... by applying codified knowledge ...
... developing software systems ...
... in the service of mankind”

20. Engineering
enables ordinary
people to do things
that formerly
required virtuosos
What is
Engineering?
Picture from https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammophon#/media/File:VictorVPhonograph.jpg. Norman Bruderhofer - Collection of John
Lampert-Hopkins. Victor III Disc Phonograph (Gramophone) ca. 1907. Creative Commons Share Alike 2.5
Adapted from: SATURN 2015 Keynote: Progress Towards an Engineering
Discipline of Software by Mary Shaw,

21. From Documenting
Architectures to
Architectural
Knowledge

22. Grady Booch, On Design, IBM ,2006.
“All architecture is design but
not all design is architecture.
Architecture represents the
significant design decisions
that shape a system, where
significant is measured by
cost of change.”

23. Process and Practices:
Lightweight, flexible, and
aligned approaches
Tailorable

24. (WH)Y Approach by Zimmermann et al. See Uwe Zdun, Rafael Capilla, Huy Tran and Olaf Zimmermann. Making Architectural
Design Decisions Sustainable: Challenges, Solutions, and Lessons Learned. IEEE Software, 2013.
https://www.infoq.com/articles/sustainable-architectural-design-decisions for more details
Minimal Decision Templates
In the context of checking customer’s accounts and
signing orders,
facing that duties are not adequately segregated
(SOX 404),
we decided to ensure that customers’ accounts are
verified by the financial department while the
orders are checked and signed by the sales
department
to achieve proper segregation of duties
accepting that the order processing time is longer.

25. See also: M. Keeling, “Lightweight and Flexible: Emerging Trends in Software Architecture from
the SATURN Conferences,” IEEE Software, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 7–11.
Mini-Quality
Attribute
Workshops

26. The Architect
Elevator

27. Gregor Hohpe, Ipek Ozkaya, Uwe Zdun, Olaf Zimmermann:
The Software Architect's Role in the Digital Age. IEEE Software 33(6): 30-39 (2016)
“Thought leadership,
mentoring, and conveying
complex concepts in
approachable terms has [...]
become more important than
ever. Architects are uniquely
qualified to play this role.”

28. Inversion of specialization and
division of labor

29. Microservices are organized around
business capabilities
Teams are often cross-functional
including development, user-
experience, database, project
management ... and architecture

30. Increasing breadth of required
knowledge and capabilities

31. “Increasing system complexity
will require architects to be
engaged in not just development
but also operations and
maintenance”
“To successfully
ride the architect elevator,
architects will need to strengthen
their business, financial,
communication,
and educator skills”
“General problem-solving
and complexity
management strategies
such as decomposition,
abstraction – refinement
cycles, and asset reuse
continue to be essential
architect competencies”
Gregor Hohpe, Ipek Ozkaya, Uwe Zdun, Olaf Zimmermann:
The Software Architect's Role in the Digital Age. IEEE Software 33(6): 30-39 (2016)

32. “From the Golden Age
to the Platinum Age?”
Gregor Hohpe, Ipek Ozkaya, Uwe Zdun, Olaf
Zimmermann. The Software Architect's Role
in the Digital Age. IEEE Software 33(6):
30-39 (2016)

33. web: https://cs.univie.ac.at/Uwe.Zdun
email: uwe.zdun@univie.ac.at
twitter: @uwe.zdun