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Characteristics, roles and responsibilities of the modern day Systems Architect Lessons from the field.

Daljit Roy Banger Msc MBCS CITP White Knight Management (UK) Ltd

The word architect has always been synonymous with the design and construction of buildings. However, the IT community has now adopted this term to describe individuals whose primary objectives are centred on the design and delivery of process and system blueprints. This term architect, independent of the selected architectural framework the organisation has adopted, is now appended onto too many roles in IT departments, particularly those previously associated with subject matter experts. This tagging has resulted in confusion surrounding the demarcation between that of the activity and that of the responsibility of the individual. In this short article we provide a brief description of the main architectural roles, the associated duties, the key deliverables and some basic characteristics and experience that a manager should seek when employing individuals.

Figure 1 - Architectural Classification

Enterprise Architect
Enterprise Architects maintain the organisational abstract view, with a primary objective to ensure that the technology landscape is aligned to the strategic, operational and tactical goals of the organisation. Enterprise Architects focus on the big picture in which they seek to mould, shape, lead and support the organisations Enterprise Systems Architecture. At a minimum, this can encapsulate the mapping of the business needs and future requirements to that of the Technology Landscape, simultaneously undertaking technology due diligence and governance to provide positive outcomes to the organisation. Enterprise Architects have several domains, Business Services, Application, Data, Infrastructure, Security, etc. These they must manage and address as part of their business as usual activities. They must also Control, Inform and Direct (CID) the macro-level technology decisions, working with Programmes and Projects to produce, manage, promote and, where possible, execute the Technology roadmaps of the Organisation.

Introduction
It is important to initially note that characteristics associated with the duties and deliverables of an individual or group of architects will vary directly in proportion to the complexity of the technology estate they manage as well as the organisations IT budget; these two issues need to be factored when examining the roles and responsibilities of the architect within a organisation. The Systems Architecture function or team can vary in complexity; it may range from a single individual providing technology road maps, architectural governance and general advice, to that of a large, multi disciplined group of individuals providing similar advice and products but on a much greater scale, possibly controlling and advising large IT budgets. With the above backdrop, it could be argued that Architects come in many shapes and sizes. Fundamentally, the roles and responsibilities can be divided into three primary classifications, Enterprise, Solution or Technical Architects. All of these classifications are depicted in Figure 1 and discussed in more detail below.

Figure 2 - Control, Inform & Direct the deliverable framework

Enterprise Architects facilitate Governance mechanisms by working with Solution and Technical Architects, as well as Projects and Programmes, to ensure that any deviations from the reference models and previously-defined targets are managed. Within the CID structure depicted in Figure 2 above, the Enterprise Architect must ensure that any promoted outcomes must be realisable, to ensure that cost effective, tangible benefits and outcomes can be delivered to the organisation. Therefore, Enterprise Architects must have both the breadth and depth of experience in the business strategy, as well as an understanding of the technology components in the landscape of the organisation. Enterprise Architects must also be capable of maintaining a consistent clear technology strategic line of sight, while producing the various artefacts, including technology roadmaps, reference models, best practice repositories and technical standards. Typical Activities performed by the Enterprise Architect, while not exhaustive, can be summarised as: Strategic input into the technology roadmaps of the organisation shape, form and stabilise Influence decision makers on technology investment current & future Provide systems consultancy, guidance and assurance to large Programmes Review and assure Solution Designs produced both internally and by 3rd party suppliers Ensure that governance mechanisms such as review boards, principles, etc. are maintained and supported Police the standards through Project and Programme engagement Represent the organisation with 3rd parties, for example Systems Integrators and Standards bodies Understand the impact of the introduction of new technology into the technology landscape of the organisation. When recruiting an Enterprise Architect, the following characteristics, skills and experiences should be sought as a minimum: A solid understanding of the systems lifecycle and architectural frameworks Proven track record of delivery Excellent communication and presentation skills Ability to develop macro and micro systems architectures Ability to understand and challenge complex systems designs Ability to manage the portfolio of the domain in which they are working, for example the Application domain Previous experience of working at the Enterprise level. Awareness of Project and Programme methodologies An appropriate IT or business related degree

Recognised certification in Enterprise Architecture Framework Experience of creating Enterprise design patterns A thorough understanding of industry-related regulation and policies A genuine interest in IT.

Solution Architect
Solution Architects work with Projects and Programmes to provide general systems consultancy services, impact assessments, end-to-end solution designs, cost models, etc. Products such as impact assessments and solution designs are produced in order to provide a systems solution to a specific business need, or to solve a current technology problem. These needs and problems are captured at the analysis stage of the systems lifecycle, during which both functional and non-functional requirements are documented. These are then used as baseline documents for designing solutions.

Figure 3 - Solution Architects delivery engagement. When considering possible designs, Solution architects start by considering the following options: Do Nothing - Leave all system components as-is and perhaps just introduce new manual work flow processes which do not impact core systems structures. Extend the existing system to deliver new functionality; this may be done by a partial new build, for example creating and then integrating new software components. Customise the existing system to work around the problem by a configuration change, such as adding an entry to the chart of accounts for a financial system, in order to accommodate a new process. Build a new system to meet the needs. This option can involve the use of internal resources or external IT companies to the organisation. Buy a Commercial of the Shelf (COTs) product which meets the majority of requirements.

Solution Architects work with the Projects and Programmes to deliver the following architectural services: Manage the cradle to grave - from conception through to delivery into production of solution architectures Design both the physical and logical components of solution architectures that will deliver a positive business outcome Work with Project Managers to provide provisional costs for the components of the architecture Technical Analysis and Design capabilities Business and technical requirements capture, when required Facilitate design workshops Validate designs produced by 3rd parties wishing to sell systems to the organisation. When recruiting a Solution Architect, the following characteristics, skills and experiences should be sought as a minimum: Experience of technical, application and information architecture delivery techniques and methodologies. Awareness and ability to document designs using internal and external notational standards (BPMN, UML) Experience of N-tier architectures and complex design architectures Network topology design awareness Performance and capacity estimation awareness An understanding of, and ability to use design patterns Understanding of the technology of the organisation, e.g. Middleware, .NET, JEE, Oracle, etc. Awareness of industry policies and standards Knowledge of security design techniques A Computer Science degree or equivalent, complimented by breadth and depth of technical experience Consultancy skills Strong communication and presentation Skills Certifications in the technology domain of the enterprise. Figure 4 - Technical Architects collaborate with Solution Architects Figure 4 above highlights the integration between Solution and Technical Architects. It also underlines the need for the Technical Architect to be informed and aware of the implemented technology landscape and industry trends to ensure that they can assure, validate, and mitigate technical risks associated with new entries into the estate. Typical activities performed by the Technical Architect can be summarised as: Delivering technical designs and standards and the associated approvals from the formal governance channels Understanding the technology estate and the encapsulated technology components of the organisation Providing technical recommendations and options based on solution designs which can cost-effectively be realised in the production environment Mitigating any technical risks that could occur through the introduction of new technology into the landscape of the organisation Providing input into the appropriate innovative funnels for the analysis of new technology Keeping abreast of technology trends, attending industry events to ensure product roadmaps are understood by the Solution and Enterprise Architects. Ensuring that production acceptance for projects is delivered and managed. When recruiting a Technical Architect it is important to ensure technical competence; the following characteristics, skills and experiences should be sought as a minimum: Degree in an IT-related subject or a technical track record spanning several years Technical certifications, e.g. MSCE, Network Certification Data centre design skills IT Service Management (ITIL in UK) Solid understanding of infrastructure technology architectures

Technical Architect
Technical Architects work with Solution Architects, production teams, such Service Delivery, Testing, Security, to ensure that the solution architecture can be realised and sustained in a production environment. Technical Architects deliver a lower level of technical design, based on high-level component solution designs and costs provided by the Solution Architects.

Awareness of operating systems used within the technology estate, e.g. Linux, Solaris, Wintel Network design technologies, protocols and architectures Experience of N-tier architecture and complex designs Understanding of performance and capacity estimation Technology awareness of deployed technologies within the estate, e.g. NET, JEE.

From past experience, when hiring a Technical Architect it is useful to examine their various technical interests, for example websites they may host or membership of professional bodies.

Summary
Members of the Architecture team must have domain-specific expertise and need to integrate with peers in the team, each having a degree of overlap and responsibility in terms of focus, views, objectives and deliverables. In summary: o Enterprise Architects maintain a macro abstract organisational view, together with the understanding of the key business drivers and potential drivers for change and the affect that these drivers may have on the technology landscape of the organisation. Solution Architects maintain a macro project view and deliver an end-to-end architecture in which they outline the key components (physical and logical) necessary to design a solution that meets requirements. Technical Architects maintain a micro view of the technical components that will be deployed to realise the solution design.

Architects have different domains of expertise, for example an Enterprise Application Architect will be responsible for the management of the application layer of the enterprise architecture. This can involve managing the portfolio of applications, defining the best practice patterns, standards and policies. ----------------------------------------------Useful Links and updates to this article can be found on the Authors website:

http://www.whiteknight.it

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