Category: Software Architect

An application’s design is outlined initially based on the specified business requirements, selected or existing technologies, performance envelope, expected data volumes and the financial resources available to build, deploy and operate it. The solution, whatever it is, will meet or exceed what is asked of it in the contemporary environment and is expected to run successfully (or it is not yet a solution).

Now take this solution and stretch the key dimensions to see what breaks.

This examination looks for limits in the design that will occur when, for example, the system becomes wildly popular and more customers use it, the products being processed increase their transaction counts per day, or six months of data must now be retained rather than the initially specified week. Dimensions are stretched individually and then in combination to tease out the unseen limits that might lie hidden in the initial design.

Stretching key dimensions allows an architect to validate a solution by:

• Understanding whether the planned infrastructure accommodates these increases, and where the limits are. If the infrastructure will break it identifies where it will break which can be highlighted to the application’s owner, or the planned infrastructure can be purchased with specific upgrade paths in mind.
• Confirming there are sufficient hours in the day to perform the processing at the expected throughput, with head room to accommodate ‘busy days’ or ‘catch up’ after an outage. A solution that cannot process a day’s processing in a day and relies on the weekend when things are quieter has no long-term future.
• Validating the data access choices that were made are still valid as the system scales. What might work for when a week’s data is held, may be unusable with six month’s data loaded.
• Confirming how the application’s increased workload will be scaled across additional hardware (if required), and the transition path as the load increases. Working through the transition before the application is deployed can influence the data stored and its structure.
• Confirming the application can still be recovered if the data volumes are increased and/or the data is now split amongst an increased infrastructure.

Based on this examination, elements of the design may be recognised as problems requiring redesign. The redesign will be cheaper whilst the design is still virtual, technical choices are not locked-in and the business data has yet to be stored in the repositories.

There comes a time in our career as an architect when we realize many of the issues we encounter are recurring. Though the project and industry may change, many of the problems are similar. At this point we can draw on our experience to provide many solutions quickly, leaving more time to enjoy the challenging issues. We‘re confident in our solutions and we deliver as advertised. We have reached homeostasis. This is the perfect time to make a colossal mistake – like deciding you know so much that it‘s time for you to start talking more than you listen. This poor decision usually comes with a side of cynicism, impatience and general anger towards inferior minds who dare contradict your superior understanding of all things technical and otherwise.

In it‘s worst form this overconfidence bleeds into the business realm. This is an excellent way to land your career on a list somewhere next to the Black Rhino. The business is our reason for existence. That statement probably hurts a little but we must not lose sight of that fact. We live to serve them, not vice-versa. Listening to and understanding the business that employs us to solve problems is the most critical skill we possess. Ever caught yourself impatiently waiting for a business analyst to finish talking so you could make your point? Chances are you didn‘t get theirs. Show the business domain experts the respect you expect to receive, this is the last group of people you want viewing you as unapproachable. If they start avoiding you, you‘re being a catalyst for communication breakdown and sabotaging your own project. Remember; when you‘re talking you can only hear something you already know. Don‘t ever start thinking you‘re so smart that no one else has something valuable to say.

When we are listening we‘ll often disagree with what we hear about how the business operates. That‘s fine. We can make suggestions for improvement and should definitely do so. However, if at the end of the day you disagree with how the business is run and it’s not going to change, that‘s just too bad. Don‘t allow yourself to become a disgruntled genius that spends all of your time trying to impress others by making witty, condescending statements about how poorly the company is run. They won‘t be impressed. They‘ve met that guy before and they don‘t really like him. One of the key ingredients to the recipe for a great architect is passion for your work but you don‘t want too much passion of the angry variety. Learn to accept disagreements and move on. If the differences are too great and you find yourself continually at odds with the business, find a company that‘s easier for you to get behind and design solutions for them. Regardless of how, find a way to establish a good relationship with the business and don’t let your ego damage it. It will make you happier and more productive.