Performance Architecture the Art and Science of Improving Organizations Review
ADMIT (Architecture Design (or Development) Methodology for Information Applied science) is a conclusion-making tool for systematically developing a robust architecture using twenty design forces and strategies, too every bit 15 aspects of the lifecycle processes. This methodology defines an architecture evolution lifecycle, its phases and processes of managing the architecture development, and tin be used in conjunction with other frameworks. Additionally, this paper discusses architectural levels and domains, resource dimensions, and how architecture relates to quality and pattern.
Introduction
In information technology, compages plays a major part in the aspects of business modernization, Information technology transformation, software development, besides every bit other major initiatives within the enterprise. IT architecture is used to implement an efficient, flexible, and high quality technology solution for a business organisation problem, and is classified into three different categories: enterprise architecture, solution compages and system architecture. Each of these classifications varies in their implementation and design, depending on the contextual business telescopic, organisation structure, and corporate culture.
Architecture Level
Compages level represents the scope boundary and granularity of details the architectural activity should take, based on organization hierarchy and advice audience.
Enterprise Compages (Company level) aligns technological strategies and execution plans with business visions and objectives by providing architectural oversight and guidance. Enterprise architecture likewise drives consolidation, reuse, and economic system of scale by addressing company-wide goals in a holistic way across all IT projects.
Solution Compages (Department level) models a solution vision that defines the IT systems, business organization processes and reusable services for a specific business unit of measurement, spanning across business and technology architectures.
Organisation Architecture (Team level) defines the structure of an information system in terms of various subsystem components and their relationships with internal and external systems. Organization architecture focuses on application, data, and technology, and is chosen software architecture in some organizations.
| Architecture Level | Driving Strength | Organisation Telescopic | Advice Audition | Design Detail |
| Enterprise Compages | Organizational/line of business/bounded vision & strategy | Highly abstracted (broad & shallow). Focus on concern. | Leadership team of organization/line of concern(executives, VP) | Very high level |
| Solution Architecture | Business organisation Unit of measurement / departmental long-range plan & tactics | Focus on solution modeling, process improvement. | Beyond departments (directors, concern owners, technology leaders) | Medium level |
| System Architecture | Project/operational goals & objectives | Centered on applications and data. | Single project/team (managers, users & developers) | Very detailed |
Table 1 - It Architecture Classification/Hierarchy
Architecture Domain
IT architecture encompasses four domains from an information direction perspective, based on the components of enterprise, solution, and organization architectures.
Figure ane - IT Architecture Domains
Business concern Architecture (Why domain) represents the business-axial view of the enterprise from a functional perspective. Business organisation processes, business services, and business concern rules are divers and designed forth with the business operating model, business functioning goals, and organizational structure. Architecture at any level, starts from this domain and cascades down to technology compages.
Information/Data Architecture (What domain) describes the data avails and management resource, such every bit information catalogs, data models, information-flows, data quality, and data security, to support critical business organisation functions and the governance models to share information beyond enterprise.
Application/Service Architecture (How domain) provides the blueprint for applications and services and their alignment with other business processes and services. Application architecture defines the logical and physical components, object models, process-flow, and cantankerous-cut concerns such equally caching, validation, transaction etc.
Technology/Technical Compages (Where domain) addresses the engineering stack, data center, cloud delivery, network topology, and security architecture. The technology stack includes server, storage, virtualization, operating system, and middleware.
Architecture and Resource Dimension
Technology architecture prepares the infrastructure environment by optimizing the use of system resources to see key business organization demands. In society to achieve better performance metrics, a balanced mix of workload, demand, throughput, and latency for a desired chapters and back-up is required.
- Workload refers to the computational tasks beingness performed within the system. Workload consumes available processor capacity, which leaves fewer resources available for other tasks.
- Need is the user load and addresses average and peak capacities for users at a particular point within the organization. Demand mostly consumes memory for session, state and cache information.
- Throughput corresponds to the volume of data being transferred to and from a storage medium and is measured in terms of I/O operations per second or megabytes transmitted per 2d.
- Latency measures the round-trip time and the processing delay of network resource.
- Capacity is the raw resource power in a car. Capacity is increased by augmenting CPU, retention, network connectivity, and storage capabilities in the server and contributes to calibration-up compages (vertical scaling).
- Back-up refers to the example when multiple machines are sharing the workloads or system switches to other machine seamlessly when primary motorcar fails. This contributes to scale-out architecture (horizontal scaling).
How Architecture relates to Quality & Pattern
Admit defines the "architecture" of an information system equally its structure and foundation in a run-fourth dimension environment, embodied in its building blocks and characterized in their properties and relationships, in guild to satisfy the functional requirements and achieve a desired set of quality attributes.
Modern IT architecture shares the same vitruvian triad that ancient Greeks defined for building architecture. Many experts define quality as the combination of fettle-for-purpose (feature) and fitness-for-use (attribute). Architecture enables and carries the qualities of system past exhibiting form, fettle and functionality.
Organization architecture focuses on both functional and non-functional requirements, and represents its high-level view, whereas system design deals with mostly functional requirements and represents low-level view with more implementation details. Compages is driven by strategic initiative or business requirements, whereas pattern is based on architecture and follows compages. They complement each other to implement a sustainable business concern solution.
Architecture Blueprint Methodology for IT
ADMIT consists of 2 components:
- Architecture design forces (ADF)
- Architecture development lifecycle (ADLC)
Blueprint forces focus on the strategies and techniques of developing the architecture systematically.
Lifecycle defines the phases and processes of managing the architecture development.
Architecture Design Forces (ADF)
In order to develop architecture with excellent system qualities, a structured thinking process is encouraged, and then that the correct determination tin be made to select the best possible option. ADFs are used to drive the methodical evolution of whatever architecture. They span beyond several areas of concern as shown in the following diagram.
(Click on the image to overstate information technology)
Figure 2 - Architecture Design Forces
i. Concern Force
A needs assessment from the business community should be considered first, in order to arts and crafts a successful solution. Business concern and IT volition partner together to identify innovative solutions that satisfy requirements and adhere to Information technology strategy and standards. Architects transform ideas and concepts into systems and solutions; yielding the definition of business organisation processes and services by applying their wide domain knowledge and business expertise.
two. Functioning Force
Non-functional requirements, such every bit system health monitoring, assistants, service level agreements, and operational concerns usually comes from the business and It operations. Despite not originating from directly client needs, coming together these requirements and pursuing operational excellence is a vital component of any architectural work.
iii. Aestheticism Force
Artistry and aestheticism should come into play because of human interaction with the systems we create. Architectural pattern delights people and raises their spirits. Seamless, effortless and attractive user interface will heighten customer experience and appointment. Helping business with right mix of technology, process, and pragmatism is a combination of both science and art. For that, left and right brains should be fused to think exterior of box.
4. Future Force
In addition to current requirements, architects have to consider the relevance of the solution for next five to ten years, so that a sound and solid architecture can exist built to cater the expected growth pattern. Think ahead past introducing abstraction layers (boxes on menstruum chart or interfaces in code), simply defer implementation until it is required.
5. Simplicity Force
Simplicity non simply improves the understandability of the system to its stakeholders, but also saves toll in the long run. However, sometimes complication is unavoidable in the enterprise. Architects should be able to place and manage the necessary complexity past abstraction or decomposition, and prevent the design entropy from taking concur. In the real earth, complex systems evolve from simple working systems.
6. Change Force
In order to exist competitive in the marketplace place, we have to embrace and prefer changes quickly. For this reason, systems should be easily configurable using metadata and properties. Architecture will be improve off if it is based on common foundation and building blocks to enable agility and flexibility.
7. Process Strength
Outdated business processes and custom solutions should be reengineered to evangelize both current and future requirements. Standardized and integrated business processes build core capabilities for execution and growth. Manufacture standard processes are appropriate for most functions, unless a clear competitive reason exists for a custom solution.
eight. Integration Force
Integration plays a major part in sharing information between applications too as external business in the example of corporate acquisitions. To maintain flexibility and interoperability, integration should be loosely-coupled and standard-based. Common integration patterns and messaging protocols foreclose the proliferation of redundant technologies and reduce maintenance costs.
9. Implementation/Pattern Force
Architects need to provide implementation details like object models (UML), data models (ERD), shared components, data-flow diagrams, dependency graphs, service APIs, communication protocols, messaging construction, etc. to the commitment team. These patterns, frameworks, and standards play an important role in compages pattern. Patterns are proven solutions of a problem within a given context. Frameworks are the implementation kits for architecture and blueprint patterns. Technology standards are used to ameliorate interoperability of the arrangement.
ten. Enterprise Force
Having enterprise systems, shared IT infrastructure, and company-wide core data store provides global synergy, promotes efficiency of processes, and saves overhead costs, compared to building business silos for each concern vertical. Focus should be on system reusability, core business processes and master information management.
11. Constraint/Surroundings Force
In the organization, in that location may be some constraints that inevitably need to exist addressed. These constraints can be related to personnel, technology, or time. Nosotros need to balance those constraints while designing the architecture. Architecture is also influenced past many environmental factors such every bit the organization's structure and culture, also as individual employee's influence and corporate politics.
12. Failure Force
Protecting systems from a unmarried point of failure is achieved past considering fault-tolerance, redundancy, and information replication in the architecture. Over time all hardware and software systems neglect. Nosotros need to plan for success scenarios, also equally failure scenarios in lodge to mitigate this chance.
13. Aqueduct Strength
Companies target different customer segments via multiple channels, such as mobile, web, social media, and on premises kiosks to provide unique and differentiating user experiences. Architects demand to consider various tangible devices that are bachelor to attain the consumer, and their related technologies at the client tier for mass adaption.
fourteen. Content Force
Content such as data and information is an enterprise asset that needs to be governed and delivered in an efficient way. Content sourcing, integration, and distribution are some of the important aspects of content strategy.
xv. Platform Forcefulness
Platform covers the operating systems, virtual servers, middleware, database, and other technologies that evangelize products. They play a major role in overall architecture in application and data infinite.
16. Infrastructure Force
To pattern a highly scalable and reliable infrastructure, architects consider server sizing and cluster environments to balance the workload for multiple servers and to protect the organization from single point of failure. Infrastructure includes hardware stacks and the datacenter facility.
17. Network Force
To design a distributed organization for a globalized environs, we have to consider adjacent-generation networks including mobile and cloud and fix deployment topologies with the proper network segmentation and firewall protected perimeter security.
xviii. Storage Force
Protecting data'due south integrity is one of the most important elements in It. These avails should exist stored in a persistent storage medium such as NAS, SAN. Attention should be paid to define data replication strategy, backup and retention policy, restore and cleanup process.
nineteen. Security Strength
Companies formulate security policies to come across the legal and regulatory requirements of compliance, governance, and privacy in addition to protecting the organization and its brand from various risks. These policies are enforced every bit function of network security, awarding and data security, platform security, and physical security.
xx. Cost Forcefulness
Minimizing cost and maximizing quality is everybody's business organisation in IT. Architects explore multiple of design options and their associated trade-offs in order to mensurate their cost and effectiveness before deciding the best possible solution of the business problem. Efficient technology is always good for visitor's bottom-line.
Architecture Development Lifecycle (ADLC)
In order to manage architecture evolution effectively, fifteen processes have been defined in the lifecycle. These processes are active and iterative, and are grouped into five phases: planning, design, direction (from development area), optimization (optimization area) and automation (automation area) every bit shown below.
Figure 3 - Lifecycle Diagram
| Area | Phase | Procedure |
| Development | Planning/ Strategy (four) | Identify business vision & strategy |
| Plan stakeholder management | ||
| Ascertain compages & technology strategy | ||
| Assess current compages | ||
| Blueprint/ Execution (4) | Blueprint target architecture | |
| Conduct gap analysis | ||
| Develop execution roadmap | ||
| Build reference architecture | ||
| Management/ Governance (5) | Review architecture with stakeholders | |
| Initiate a quick-win project | ||
| Perform implementation governance | ||
| Manage lifecycle changes | ||
| Manage architecture assets | ||
| Optimization | Optimization (one) | Improve compages & process continuously |
| Automation | Automation (1) | Automate lifecycle with tool & technology |
Tabular array ii - Processes, Phases & Areas in Architecture Development Lifecycle
1. Place business vision and strategy
Business vision and strategic plan are identified in this process. Architecture is initiated past a business case and its objectives. This will form the basis of concern architecture.
2. Plan stakeholder direction (requirement management)
Stakeholders are identified for the architecture initiative. Managing their expectations, requirements, and communication needs are keys to success of any compages implementation. Relationship management, advice, and negotiation play crucial parts in this process.
three. Ascertain architecture and technology strategy
Management and strategic direction are defined by engineering standards, asset governance, and portfolio direction. Central engineering decisions such as buy versus build or cloud versus premises are also considered every bit aspects of this strategy.
4. Assess electric current architecture
Compages assessment is performed past reviewing the overall requirements of the new system and comparing them with the state of the current architecture using SWOT, MoSCoW, and other techniques. Based upon this assessment, a listing of all-time practices is recommended for architecture advancement and adoption in later phase.
v. Design target architecture
In order to execute the proposed concern strategy or to run into business requirements, the target architecture with future processes is developed using the aforementioned compages design forces. Sometimes transition architectures are identified to deliver continuous business value before reaching the target architecture.
6. Conduct gap analysis
The current and target architectures are compared and gaps betwixt them are identified. Impacts on upstream and downstream systems and existing processes are analyzed; identifying dependencies, synergies, risks, assumptions, and constraints that should be addressed during implementation.
vii. Develop execution roadmap
Based on identified gaps, an execution roadmap with multiple project and program initiatives and sequencing activity plan is developed to migrate from current state to future state, based on business concern priorities, costs, and expected value.
eight. Build reference compages (architecture pattern)
Reference architecture provides the architectural foundation and guidance via solution blueprints and models for future implementations across multiple organizations or concern units. Architects need to implement standard, reusable platforms, and formulate best practices and repeatable patterns in their own applied science's "heart of excellence".
ix. Review architecture with stakeholders
Architects need to socialize their solutions with stakeholders in club to garner support and constitute consensus. Technology solutions, compages views, and roadmap are reviewed with stakeholders and validated for viability and feasibility in regularly scheduled checkpoint meetings to get their approval and buy-in.
10. Initiate a quick-win project
In order to realize the business concern value chop-chop, information technology is recommended to begin with a foundation project that emphasizes accelerating the implementation's time-to-market. This project prepares the system and Information technology environs for the time to come solutions that will be implemented.
11. Perform implementation governance
An compages team will manage and monitor where the architecture standards and guidelines that are being followed past the delivery teams during regularly scheduled project architecture reviews.
12. Manage lifecycle changes
This process ensures that the architecture responds to the changing needs of concern during its lifecycle. Architecture changes need to be evaluated and analyzed for their impact and and then managed proactively in a controlled style.
xiii. Manage architecture assets
Architecture assets are used to communicate the stakeholder's concerns and referred to as a noesis expanse for hereafter compages works. Deliverable artifacts such as views, models, catalogs and other assets need to be recorded and managed inside a content repository in order to exist coinciding with version, approval, and access controls.
14. Improve architecture and process continuously
Continuous comeback of the product, process, and personnel is a key element in delivering quality solutions. Architectures are improved and optimized iteratively to maximize their value to the business organisation. Similarly, lifecycle processes should be improved and streamlined over time in order to attain efficiency.
15. Automate lifecycle with tool and technology
Compages development is a process that has specific objectives and uses tools and techniques to catechumen inputs into output deliverables. Compages development and the direction of its processes depend heavily on builder'due south skill and experience. Appropriate tools and technologies should exist used to automate some parts of the development lifecycle in order to assist architects in a well-established architecture do.
Conclusion
This generic methodology only describes high-level forces and process objectives without whatever implementation details. Organizations can tailor Admit past customizing its blueprint forces and implementing its processes, based on their own needs, size of their organization, and scale of their solution.
Admit would be the mode to apply the classic architectural themes of aboriginal Greeks to modern It architecture for the implementation of winning solutions. May this open up methodology exist a helpful tool for architects and those who are braving the nebulous body of water of technological changes and challenges every day.
Acknowledgement
I'd similar to thank my managers – Leo Modica & Vlad Boroditsky at Nokia and former mentors at Walgreens & JPMorgan Hunt for inspiring me to think critically and creatively. As well I'd like to admit my past and present colleagues for bearing with me to discuss some technical and whimsical topics near water-cooler during time-out. A large thank to Harry Brumleve for his groovy review and feedback. Pride of place goes to my wife – Ambapali for her patience and back up.
About the Author
Suman Pradhan , PMP is a senior business technologist with more than 18 years of Information technology feel in financial, banking, retail, healthcare, location (map) and technology industries. His research and interest includes It compages, application development & management, information security, and web, integration & distributed technologies. He is currently a senior Information technology architect at Nokia.
Source: https://www.infoq.com/articles/admit-architecture-framework/
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