This presentation was the keynote at ECSA2011. It talks talks about the definition of architecture, architect and the responsibilities the architect should have in a project.

1. What Does It Really Mean to Be an Architect?
Eberhard Wolff
Architecture and Technology Manager
adesso AG
13.09.11

2. About Me
► Eberhard Wolff
► Architecture & Technology Manager at adesso
► adesso is a leading IT consultancy in the German speaking region
► Speaker
► Author
► Blog: http://ewolff.com
► Twitter: @ewolff
► http://www.slideshare.net/ewolff
► eberhard.wolff@adesso.de
Eberhard Wolff: What Does It Really Mean to Be an Architect?

3. Software Architect
Software architect is a general term
with many accepted definitions
which refers to a broad range of roles.
Not really well defined…
Eberhard Wolff: What Does It Really Mean to Be an Architect?

4. Software Architecture
The software architecture of a system is the set of
structures
needed to reason about it, which comprise
software elements,
relations among them, and
properties of both.
(Won’t be talking about Enterprise Architecture)
Eberhard Wolff: What Does It Really Mean to Be an Architect?

5. Software Architecture: Why We Care
Defines
Performance
Availability
non-functional
Software
Architecture
Productivity
requirements &
Maintainability
Structures
Software elements
Security
Relations
quality
Properties
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Operations

6. Software Architect: Responsibilities
► Manager
► Responsibility: non-functional requirements / quality
► Tool: Define and enforce architecture
► Functional requirements covered by
requirements process
► Functional requirements influence
the architecture
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7. Traditional View on Architect’s Role
► Define the architecture
► Enforce the architecture
► i.e. create frameworks
► Not necessarily any coding
► Code reviews (maybe)
► Assumptions
> Separation of labor
> Developers must be “controlled”
► Does that still work in today’s
world?
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8. Issues in the Real World
► Ivory tower architecture
► Architecture does not fit the domain
► Architecture is not in the code
► The documented architecture is different
from the real architecture
► Developers don’t feel their feedback is
listened to
► Either architecture is ignored
► …or project results in a failure
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9. Agile Development i.e. Scrum
Where is
Scrum Master
Removes obstacles
Enforces rules
the
Architect Stories
?
Product Team
Owner Self-organizing
Creates stories Implements stories
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10. Team
► Is self organizing
► An architect might / will emerge
► …but is not planned for
► Benefit:
> Responsibility is shared
> i.e. not just the architect cares
► If the architecture / architect is not helpful, it / he will be ignored
► Less damage in the end
► Architect will see his ideas directly in action
► Better feedback
► Needs trust and collaboration
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11. New Challenges for Architects
Role Creating an Architecture
► Needs to collaborate with other team ► Stories defined during the project
members
► Not all requirements known at the start
► …and make himself useful ► No Big Design Upfront possible
► Supports and trusts other team members ► Architecture needs to emerge
► Architecture must be constantly redefined
► Leads by experience
► …not by title ► More focus on code
► Code is the reliable source for the current
architecture and state of the project
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12. New Skills For Architects
► Even more communication
► Convince, not enforce
► Must listen to other team members
► …and use their experience and knowledge
► Must have excellent technical skills
► Must not think about architecture as stable
► i.e. must be able to change plans and adapt
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13. Traditional Architect as a Metaphor
An architect is a person
trained in the planning,
design and oversight of the
construction of buildings.
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14. Is “Architect” a Good Metaphor?
► Buildings are physical entities
> Hard to change
► Construction industry is established
► …and has a long history
► Buildings can be fully specified
► Specification
► Software can’t (see Agility)
► Clear separation: Architect vs. construction
worker
► Common for a Software Architect to be a former
developer
► …or even doing some coding
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15. A New Way to Think About Creating Software
1999 2001
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16. Software Craftsmanship Manifesto (2009)
► As aspiring Software Craftsmen we are raising the bar of professional software
development by practicing it and helping others learn the craft. Through this work
we have come to value:
► Not only working software,
> but also well-crafted software
► Not only responding to change,
> but also steadily adding value
► Not only individuals and interactions,
> but also a community of professionals
► Not only customer collaboration,
> but also productive partnerships
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17. Software Craftsmanship
► Quality, even perfection
► Work with code
► Apprenticeship / collaboration
► Smaller barriers between team members
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18. Architect as a Master Craftsman
► More experienced
► Knows the tools very well
► Guides and helps others
► Incorporates feedback
► Improves the craft
► Quality
► Will work on code
► But knows the bigger picture of
the project
► Education and work on the
project at hand
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19. Architect’s Experience
► Bigger “Vocabulary”
> Architecture patterns
> Basic approaches
> Frameworks, languages etc.
► Thinks in trade offs
> Knows the alternatives
> There is no black and white
► Knows what is going on in the project
> Code quality
> Current issues
► Knows how to get software into production
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20. Code vs. Architecture
► Ultimately, code is the deliverable
► Architecture must be expressed in the
code
► If the architecture is not in the code, the
architect failed
► It makes sense to focus on code
► …and see whether the architecture is
really implemented
► Of course architecture and its
documentation are important to reach the
project goal!
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21. What Is Wrong About Craftsmanship?
► The software is at the center
► It fails to mention what the software is created
for
► Most software has a clear business goal
► At the end customers have to be happy
► Quality and how it is created must serve this
goal
► Software is not a goal in itself
► http://dannorth.net/
2011/01/11/programming-is-not-a-craft/
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22. Responsibilities Again
► Non-functional requirements /
quality
> Performance
> Availability
> Productivity
> Maintainability
> Security
> Operation readiness
► The architecture will create a
compromise between these goals
► E.g. seemingly half finished
software might be enough
► Even though it is not well-crafted
► See agility
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23. Quality
► Not all parts of a system will have the
same quality
► Not all team members are equally skilled
► The compromise on the quality can
happen “by chance”
► …or you can steer it
► Identify core domains
> The ones that add the most value
> i.e. have a good business reason
► Might want to isolate those
► …and focus on them
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24. Broken Windows Theory
► Once windows are not repaired…
► …vandals will break more
► …break into the building
► …
► Accepting compromises on quality is risky
► …but if you strive for ultimate quality
everywhere, you will fail
► In particular with legacy software
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25. Domain Driven Design
► “Tackling Complexity in the
Heart of Software”
► E.g. Ubiquitous Language
for Code, Developers and
Customers
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26. Strategic Domain Driven Design
► Bounded Context:
Model used only in a specific
part of the system
► Context Map:
Translate models from
different parts of the system
► Anti-Corruption Layer:
Make sure the core domain is
not corrupted
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27. More Responsibilities for Architects
► Define the Core Domain
► Ensure that the Core Domain will be implemented properly
► …and won’t be compromised
► I.e. manage the overall quality
► Needs detailed domain knowledge
► Need to understand business case
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28. So:
What Does It Really Mean to Be an Architect?
13.09.11
28

29. Architect
► Cares about non-functional requirements
► Used to be clearly separated from developers
► Cannot lead “by title”
> In particular in self-organizing teams
> Will be ignored
> …or create a failure
► Communication, giving and accepting feedback
► Craftsmanship might be a better metaphor
> Apprenticeship and learning
> More focus on code
► Vocabulary (pattern, typical architectural approaches) important
► Strategic design – quality where it matters
Eberhard Wolff: What Does It Really Mean to Be an Architect?