IT solutions architecture. Part 2. Architects

The previous part of the article can be found by clicking on the link.

III Definition of the concept of architect

The doctor can bury his mistake
an architect — except for ivy-covered walls.
Frank Lloyd Wright.

Often in the IT industry, speaking of the IT architect, imply an advanced developer who is able to independently design and, most importantly, implement a large, complex system. And sometimes they simply assume that this is the next step in the professional hierarchy of developers. For example, the young specialist began his career as a developer, he was given the modest but honorary title Junior. He learns, develops professionally, grows above himself and his colleagues, and he, as compensation for work and perseverance, is solemnly given the title Middle. But he is indefatigable and does not continue to develop further; he accomplishes a number of feats, selflessly claiming responsibility for the decisions made. You look, and he is already honored with the highest rank of Sinior. So what is next? And if he does not wish to rest on his laurels of success and wants to develop, what will he give to the sounds of fanfare the general title of Architect? Is it so?

Especially IT architects, as far as I know, are not trained in universities. Most often, architects are obtained by breeding from already venerable specialists in any IT field, “pumping” additional knowledge to a certain level.
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By the way, there is a professional standard of qualification requirements of system architects (5), on the basis of which one of six qualification levels can be assigned to an architect. We will use this standard during our consideration of the topic in order not to miss anything important in the work of an IT architect.

1. Review of IT architect’s responsibilities and responsibilities

Traditionally we start with the definition:

An IT architect is a specialist who decides how the information system of an organization as a whole and in details will ultimately look. The main goal of the IT architect in the company is to provide a solution to business problems using information technology. Moreover, he must not only form a solution, but also control the correctness of its implementation. Also, these specialists are engaged in the development, creation and maintenance of the structure of software, network, server, a separate module in the program. They work out architectural templates, scenarios of interaction between components, choose means of execution, determine the format of data storage and transmission. (6)

From the definition it follows that the work of IT architects covers a very wide range of issues and competencies. Therefore, there is a need to divide it by specialization, for example, the corresponding sections of the architecture that we discussed in the previous section: Enterprise - Architect, Solution - Architect, Technical - Architect.

More often in practice can be found the division into: Business - architects and Technical architects. Wherein:

A business architect describes an enterprise in terms of logical terms, such as interacting business processes and business rules, necessary information, structure, and information flow.

An information technology architect describes an enterprise from a technical point of view, such as hardware and computer hardware, software, protection and security.

So, what is the set of professional activities to be imputed to the duties of an IT architect?

The following trends are relevant for all specializations:

• Analysis and assessment of the current state of affairs;
• Designing solutions for creating complex information and software systems, from high-level ideas to detailed ones. Evaluation of the feasibility and resource-intensive solutions;
• Fixing their decisions in the form of various artifacts and documents that can be understood by interested parties;
• Responsibility for the expediency and effectiveness of decisions made;
• Quality control and full implementation of their decisions;
• Keeping your decisions up to date, subject to their exposure to external influence;

Reading the articles of the architects about themselves, in each paragraph one can feel the special significance of this position, belonging to the highest caste of IT specialists, which does not ambiguously make it clear that there are not so many architects on earth. Apparently, becoming an architect is only possible with a whole range of abilities, knowledge and skills. Most often in the literature there are the following:

• Wide horizons, which must be constantly maintained. Including not only the technological side, but also social aspects, aspects of economic feasibility, etc .;
• The ability to work in a team, to gain credibility, to manage a team, to show diplomacy;
• Developed sense of responsibility;
• Ability and need for self-education;
• The ability to clearly, easily and convincingly convey their point of view;
• Sense of proportion;
• The ability to feel the trends: changes, development, demand, etc .;

So, what makes an architect such an important and exclusive person in an organization?

2. The place of IT Architect in the production of information systems

We only briefly touched upon the basic standards that a specialist must meet in order to fit into IT architects. Now we define the place of an IT architect in the IT world, under the affectionate IT sun. Schematically, in simplified form, Figure 5 shows a representation of a possible device for the interaction of an IT architect with other participants in the software production process. For the sake of objectivity, my point of view on the process of production of information systems itself, I described in detail in the article



Figure 5. IT architect interaction structure

As can be seen from the figure, the IT architect is indeed a central figure during the creation of an information system. It is on his heroic efforts that the success of the project globally depends, both for the benefit of the customer and in the interests of the performers. And now about everything in order.

Most often, the process of production of software products begins with the birth of the customer needs in a particular progressive movement to their own development. In this case, as a rule, he already has a certain enterprise architecture. After all, some processes are running, there is an organizational structure, interaction rules. Finally, there must surely be computing devices connected to a network and some kind of software. Therefore, the first thing an IT architect should attend to is a description of the current architecture, its basic state. And already starting from this understanding, having defined bottlenecks and uncomfortable, from the point of view of an enterprise, arranging its vital activity, to design a new, desired model of architecture, which is called the target one. In the above-mentioned document with qualification requirements, this activity is regulated as: “Collection and analysis of requirements for the component being developed, assessment of feasibility and development of criteria for their implementation” (5).

And in this context, it is necessary to clearly realize that a rare customer will reach in his imagination at least to the middle of the river his real needs and can intelligently formulate what he really needs. At best, you can hear what he wants. And this, in order that it needs, as they say, two big differences. Most often, in practice, customer desires are interpreted by business analysts. But even in this state of affairs, the architect must control this process and, from the height of his experience and skills, help him accomplish this task with the utmost quality. All the same, on the basis of these materials, the IT strategy of the enterprise in terms of the business architecture, system architecture, and activities that allow a qualitative leap from the basic to the target architecture should arise.

This is perhaps the most wonderful period, filled with creativity and discoveries. The customer sits with his mouth open and catches every phrase of fantastic stories about his now inevitably carefree life. In the rounded eyes, only one dumb question is read: “Why was it possible?”.

For convenience of perception and discussion, the strategy is divided into segments, prioritized and calculated on the subject of labor costs, with the precision of “something like that”. This document becomes the subject of discussion and bargaining between the customer (consumer of innovations), contractors (contractors) and possibly sponsors, who are required to pay for all these delights. To carry out such work, an IT architect must be able to understand the business and speak with him in one (their native) language, most convincingly presenting his decisions. In the qualification requirements, on this occasion it is prescribed: “Participation in interaction with the customer to discuss design decisions. Participation in cooperation with the customer on the issues of budget expenses and project delivery ”(5).

If the concept of the architecture and the strategy of transition to it were recognized by all interested parties and passed the crucible of financial contractual tests, for the further production of the information system, it is necessary to develop technical documentation, including the Terms of Reference. Assistants often help architects with this task, in the form of: business and system analysts, technical writers and other accomplices. An architect, depending on his preferences, capabilities, and personal inner “collective intelligence,” may, to varying degrees, be personally involved in this process. But his main concern and responsibility is to follow the strict adherence to the developed architecture and, in case of urgent need, fix the changes in it. In the qualification requirements, it is noted as: “Development of various types of requirements for a software product. Ensuring the correctness and optimality of the project architecture. Participation in the documentation of the project "(5).

In equal measure, the architect’s conscience is also in control of the completeness and completeness of artifacts generated by the design team. After all, they will serve as the basis for further work on the development of the actual software product itself, as well as its testing, implementation, support, etc. All artifacts must meet the standards of the framework selected for the benefit of the enterprise and designed to fully support the description of the architecture, see section II.2 . After all, as we noted in the previous part, it is the presence of some architectural artifacts in the chain of design that provides the opportunity to create on their base - the next in the chain of artifacts. This technological conveyor should, step by step, fill all the voids in the framework of the enterprise architecture view. Of course, this is also mentioned in the qualification requirements: “Control of design and technical documentation. Development of a concept for the implementation of a software product system according to specifications ”(5).

Another important aspect of the architect’s labor service is the determination of the economic and business viability of implementing the target architecture. And in this case, his main support and support is the project manager, as well as the heads of key departments involved in the development and implementation of the information system. It is with their help that the architect must determine the possibility of carrying out the project, in principle, and within the specified framework of labor, financial and other costs in particular. The qualification requirements indicate: “Participation in project planning, Participation in project management. Coordination of the collection and analysis of requirements for the developed component, assessment of feasibility and development of criteria for their implementation "(5).

And of course one of the central functions of the architect is the quality control of the production of the target product itself and its conformity - the concept of architecture. In qualification requirements: “Control of execution of architectural decisions. Analysis of product quality and its compliance with the requirements and specifications ”(5).

Control should cover all activities aimed at achieving the developed strategy of IT modernization of the enterprise. Including, for example, specified in the qualification requirements: "Organization and planning of testing" (5).

It also means that the work of the architect does not end with the release of the extreme release, transferred to the customer. On the contrary, it only marks the end of a more or less calm life, a creative and exciting period, and a transition to a new stage of work on an emotional level. The candy-bouquet period of communication with the customer is over, the moment of truth comes. The masks are torn off, everyone has their eyes on the real face, so artfully and hypocritically hidden until now. The customer feels deceived. He shamelessly shoved at all what they promised. Moreover, this “not that” also fails, hangs up, behaves like a pest, hiding the most important data all the time. This is one side of the barricades. And on the other hand, armless, inadequate users, all the time they are pressing not on those buttons, somehow they look for such nooks of software capabilities that are basically impossible, and from which it just helplessly falls into a stupor.

Why am I all this? And another important function of the architect is to optimize the solution, correct the flaws, eliminate the undocumented functions of the system discovered by inquisitive users, etc. Naturally, the better the information system was designed, implemented and implemented, the smaller the scale of such disasters and the faster you can go to the next stage of its life. In the qualification requirements, this corresponds to: “Participation in the optimization and correction of the implemented software. Participation in the accompanying software. Training and promotion of staff development (5).

With the stabilization of the information system, the heat slowly decreases. Despair is replaced by the inevitability of the fact that some have thrown money to the wind, while others have lost in vain time, strength and reputation. But to retreat late, and so spent so sorry. Inevitability develops into indifference, and this causes the opposing to loosen their grip and lift the visor. And under them the movement of the lips becomes noticeable. Obviously, they want to say something. Opponents begin to listen to each other. Mutual movement begins to meet. No, the relationship is still tense, the precipitator is left. The role of architects and at the stage of confrontation is hard to overestimate, since they all realize most clearly where the split has occurred in understanding why, and it is they who are expected to make decisions leading to positive changes. Such an emotional load requires from employees an appropriate physical and psychological stamina. Manifestations of diplomacy, restraint, if you want - wisdom.

And after a while, the software complex is already working like a clock, and the old difficulties are erased in the users' memory. Even failures in the system now cause not irritation and scandals of users and their superiors, but general mobilization based on an understanding of the complexity of the product, business rules, the interrelation of the many components of the system, and most importantly the inevitable and inevitable resolution of any problems. And now the system developers are definitely not enemies, they are even recommended to other organizations, as cool specialists who are able, in the shortest possible time, without any problems, to automate processes of any complexity.

From the foregoing it is clear how important the quality work of the specialists of the architectural department is at all stages of the production of information systems.

It is not superfluous to mention that in all considered aspects of the work of an architect, he is required to have permanent, close contact with the team. Moreover, most of the communication takes place not at the level of “boss - subordinate”, but at the level of “teammates”. Since the interaction in the project, most often, is based on a matrix management structure, and most of the performers have their own line managers. In these realities, it is important for the architect to be able to build his indisputable authority in a team and find approaches to its key players at different levels and tiers of the organization.

I remembered a masterclass case, when a decision architect, a completely not belligerent-looking man, interfered in the process of a fierce battle between specialists of an IT product customer and a team of performers. With his clear, relevant clarifications and explanations, without raising his voice, he seized the initiative in the discussion and made everyone listen to his every word. I do not want to offend anyone, but it looked like communication between a boa and a banderlog in a famous cartoon. As a result, the issues were resolved, the customer was satisfied, and the team felt their security, feeling like a “stone wall”.

3. Section Summary

Summarize the material reviewed.

1. Due to the widest range of functional duties, IT architects are divided by specialization. Each specialization covers a specific range of issues that require possession of certain competencies, skills and knowledge.
2. Successfully perform the functions of an architect can only specialist with a certain set of abilities and behavioral models, with a pronounced development potential.
3. An architect must have a number of competencies that allow him to evaluate the current state of affairs at the enterprise, identify problems and bottlenecks, develop a target architecture and form a strategy for transition to it.
4. One of the arch-useful skills of an architect is the ability to efficiently and effectively communicate with different groups of stakeholders, given their qualifications, scope of work and even social status.
5. The architect must be able to qualitatively evaluate the business and economic aspects of the strategies offered to them.
6. One of the most important functions of the architect is control over the qualitative description of the architecture, compliance with the architectural decisions in the production process of the information system, quality and accuracy of the implementation of measures to implement the developed strategy.