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Understanding Architect Perspectives - Part 2
By Paul T Preiss, On 2/11/09 1:11 AM
Tags: career, industry

I've met a lot of architects over the last 7 years and a while back I started tracking similarities and differences in what I heard them saying about their jobs and there ideas about what architecture should be. I also noted what they described in terms of what they believed architecture wasn't, particularly in terms of who they thought was wrong about architecture. This is important for a number  of reasons but the one you should care about is it WILL impact your job and your ability to get hired. I know this now, but the proof is that I personally and many many of my friends have lost a job opportunity because they couldnt speak the language of the hiring management there. Being able to understand the pros and cons of each othese different perspectives wont guarantee you a job but it will come darn close.

This image outlines the titles Ive chosen for the perspectives we've identifed. The titles we've chosen are meaningless but are helpful for categorization.

Remember this is useful for communication, for managing your career and for understanding people you are dealing with. Each perspectives has both positives and negatives. There are tremendously valuable things to learn from each and there are things that dont work so well.

  • Each perspective approaches architecture differently
  • Many feel that other perspectives are wrong
  • It is possible to have more than one perspective

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now lets get into a little detail about each of the perspectives:

The Enterprise Perspective

Generally held by:

  • Enterprise and Business Architects
  • Director or higher in IT

Basic assumptions

  • Architecture is modeling the business
  • Architecture supports cost savings, standards and governance
  • Tend to focus on TOGAF and Zachman
  • Overuse and focus on the enterprise and executive level and leave out lower levels

Standard-bearer: The Open Group, IBM

The Agile Perspective

Generally held by:

  • Senior Developers and Software Architects
  • Non-management level in IT

Basic assumptions

  • Architecture is a quick iterative process focused on getting to coding (the XP ‘spike’)
  • Architecture is just to make development easier
  • Overuse and focus on the writing code (EAs must code 50% or more)

Standard-bearer: Agile Alliance, Thoughtworks

The Engineer Perspective

Generally held by:
  • Senior Engineers and Software Architects
  • Non-management level in IT
Basic assumptions
  • Architecture is advanced engineering and science
  • Architecture focuses on quality attribute optimization (performance, reliability)
  • Overuse and focus on the system or system of systems, structure and ‘algorithmic’ software
Standard-bearer: SEI, IEEE, OMG
 

The Vendors Perspective

Generally held by:
  • Management level in IT
  • Vendor employees
Basic assumptions
  • Architecture is about appropriate product or framework selection
  • Focus on a single product or technology stack (Oracle, IBM, Microsoft, JEE, .Net)
  • Almost always select ‘Buy’ over ‘Build’ and tend to focus more on vendor relations than staff
Standard-bearer: Product and platform vendors
 

The Services Perspective

Generally held by:
  • Management level in IT
  • Service vendor employees
Basic assumptions
  • Architecture is utilization of existing service provider solutions
  • Focus on process and methodology from service provider(Oracle, IBM, Microsoft, HP, Infosys, etc)
  • Company X has already built that for 50 clients we can easily build it for you
Standard-bearer: IBM, Microsoft, HP, Infosys, etc
 

The Cult of Personality Perspective

Generally held by:
  • Random
Basic assumptions
  • Architecture is whatever the thought leader says it is (Zachman, Bredemeyer, Clements, Bass, Ambler, Booch, etc)
  • Focus on a specific framework or set of processes invented by the leader
  • Attempt to convert all others to this thinking and rejects different ideas
Standard-bearer: Zachman, Bredemeyer, other thought leaders
 

 

In a future blog  I will demonstrate each of these perspectives through a real-life case study taken from a situation or group that I have worked with from our membership. I will start to demonstrate situations where you will encounter these perspectives and how you can begin to communicate effectively with each of them.

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