1. Systems Architecture and Engineering

2. Programming is fun; building quality software is hard. - Phillipe Kruchten

3. Course Philosophy Don’t accept definitions and ideas without questioning. Learn to comment and analyze ideas. Use the things that work for you. Don’t ignore the rest! It too may be useful.

4. Things about Architecture Relatively new subject! (Mid 90’s) Will it last? Case Tools Top down design Chief programmer team Software design remains a wicked problem! What programs to write? What programs to buy? Which programs will be responsible for what? And about 1,000 more questions …

5. Defining Systems Architecture Lack of a universally accepted definition (here’s SEI’s list of definitions)SEI’s list of definitions Not to worry: Humans don’t require a formal definition Find a definition that works for you My personal favorites: The first layer of primarily design-oriented thinking in a system’s lifecycle Making the decisions that are really hard to change Enabling system change Keeping systems and business aligned

6. Characteristics of an effective architect High tolerance for Ambiguity Incompleteness Change Complaint

7. More characteristics of an effective architect Low tolerance for Magical thinking Analysis paralysis Perfettionism

8. Yet more characteristics of an effective architect Good at Pattern recognition Simplification Communication Priority assessment Multi-tasking

9. Tools Software development tools: Architects need tools also! See the Vasa pg 4 & 5

10. Architecture Business Cycle A Tool Understanding Analysis A model

11. Architecture Production: a Simple Model Specifications Architecture Business Decisions

12. A dose of reality Stakeholders Including marketing, CFO, chief counsel, etc Developing Organization What it knows What it’s confused about Architect Including past experience Technical Environment

13. ABC Stakeholders Developing Organization Technical Environment Architects Experience Specs Architecture System

14. ABC – the cycle Stakeholders Developing Organization Technical Environment Architects Experience Specs Architecture System

15. ABC Example – wearable devices and the Luther architecture Wearable deviceLuther ABC Importance of architect’s experience: how likely are you to use wearable devices? first time: seems risky … second time: will wearable work for this one? third time: we’re using wearable, right? See BCK, Chapter 17 for more on Luther, if interested

16. Activities in ABC Business Case Understanding Requirements Create or Select Architecture Communicating Architecture Analyze or Evaluate Architecture Implement Ensure Conformance Summary: architecture is all about keeping the systems and the business in alignment

17. Properties of a Good Architecture Process (text p 15) Structural (text p 16) What do you agree with? What seems questionable? What seems missing?

18. Properties of a Bad Architecture Not just the opposites of the stuff under “good architecture” Actual properties you have observed in architectures with serious problems