be an agile architect

April 13, 2023 1

Be an Agile Architect

April 13, 2023 2

Agenda

Agile Architecture – 15 MinutesGame Definition – 15 MinutesRound One – 30 MinutesDebrief – 10 MinutesRound Two – 25 MinutesDebrief – 25 Minutes

April 13, 2023 3

What is architecture?

International Standard Definition:

The fundamental concepts or properties of a system in its environment embodied in its elements, relationships, and in the principles of its design and evolution.

Source: http://www.iso-architecture.org/42010/defining-architecture.html

April 13, 2023 4

What is architecture?

Functional Definition:

Architecture provides a vision and path for the creation of services and applications which conform to the fundamental principles of the system’s design.

April 13, 2023 5

Agile and architecture?

Every system has an architecture

Every system needs a shared vision

Agile Architecture is deciding when you conceive the architecture

and how you will share it?

April 13, 2023 6

When to Architect?

Architect Just-In-Time

Architect Early

EmergentArchitecture

Architect Just-In-Time

SMALL < 10 LARGE > 50

LOW

HIG

H

TEAM SIZE

SYSTEM

CO

MPLE

XIT

Y

April 13, 2023 7

How to Share Architecture?

VerbalAnd

DocumentDocument

VerbalDocument

And Verbal

SMALL < 10 LARGE > 50

LOW

HIG

H

TEAM SIZE

SYSTEM

CO

MPLE

XIT

Y

April 13, 2023 8

Agile Architecture

Conway’s Law Your architecture will resemble your

organization

Therefore, as an architect you should: Provide for loose coupling Preserve optionality Design for reuse Create APIs and SLAs

April 13, 2023 9

Architectural tradeoffs

Architects provide the technical background for business decisions

Every decision involves tradeoffs:

Jumping on short-term business benefits creates technical debt

Pursuing a tactical upgrade postpones rebuilding from scratch

Preventing hacks means spending time enforcing the architecture

April 13, 2023 10

How to be an Agile Architect

April 13, 2023 11

Adopt a Set of Principles

Define how you architect, for example: DRY – Don’t Repeat Yourself Single Responsibility Test Driven Hands-on, no ivory tower architects Continuous Everything Developer to Production Tools Empowered Teams Agile Manifesto

April 13, 2023 12

Live Your Principles

April 13, 2023 13

Being an Agile Architect

Be the architect, but architect as a team

"An army is a team. It lives, eats, sleeps, fights as a team. This individuality stuff is a bunch of bullsh*t."

~ General George S. Patton

April 13, 2023 14

Being an Agile Architect

Make decisions, now!

“Be willing to make decisions. That's the most important quality in a good leader.”

~ General George S. Patton

April 13, 2023 15

Being an Agile Architect

Provide a vision, not micro-management

“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”

~ General George S. Patton

April 13, 2023 16

Being an Agile Architect

Plan, but not too much

“A good plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed at some indefinite point in the future.”

~ General George S. Patton

April 13, 2023 17

And Finally

Listen to your people

“A leader is a [person] who can adapt principles to circumstances.”

~ General George S. Patton