The Role and Responsibilities of a Software Architect
While many developers and managers have a clear idea regarding the characteristics,
practices, and corresponding set of responsibilities of their roles, the picture is often
vague when it comes to software architects. What is the single most important task facing
the software architect? What is the division of labor and responsibilities between the
architect and the project manager? How much the architecture should be tied in to the
particulars of the underlying technology used, or for that matter, for the specifics of the
business? Where is the hand-off point between the architect and the developers? What are the
necessary skills and analysis tools employed by an architect? How do you validate the design
before construction begins? How do methodologies such as service-orientation affect the
design and development process? What are software architecture's best practices, guidelines
and pitfalls? How do you go about designing world-class systems? How do you make the
transition from abstract design patterns and concepts to concrete development decisions? How
does the architect decompose the system into its subsystems and modules?
Introduction to the Architect’s Master Class
IDesign's flagship offering, the Architect’s Master Class, is the ultimate resource for the
professional architect.
The class answers the above questions and more, by teaching the architect how to take an
active leadership role in process, design, and technology. You will learn how to lead your
team through the use of effective software processes, how to best leverage
service-orientation, how to prepare your team and system for the next methodology and
technology wave of actors, and how to apply the IDesign Method.
This five days training class is conducted by Juval Lowy who shares his vast experience and
perspective with the students, imparting both knowledge and insight, ensuring your success
as a modern software architect. Juval will provide the common foundation required by
software architects, both technical and soft skills. The class sets the focus on the "why"
and the rationale behind particular design decisions, often shedding light on poorly
understood aspects.
The Unique Focus of the Architect’s Master Class
Noteworthy is that this class is called the Architect’s Master Class (as opposed to the
Architecture Master Class) because it focuses on the person behind the role, on the skills
and techniques practiced by architects. The class presents the core body of knowledge
required of today’s modern software architects, knowledge that transcends mere design
patterns and architecture. The core body of knowledge comprises of three elements:
development process, technology, and finally analysis & design. The class shows the
architect how to take an active leadership role on all three aspects, as a continuum, since
in order to deliver high-quality, affordable solutions, one cannot separate process from
design from technology – all three have to work in concert. The class also points out
classic mistakes and risk mitigations across the process, technology and design.
Course Content Breakdown
The first part of the class is devoted to the accompanying development process and the
required project design skills. You will see how the development process itself needs to be
modular, accommodating the complexity of the microservices as a system. The class shows how
the various team members – the architect, the project manager and the developers – should
work in concert, and their respective tasks and responsibilities.
The second part starts with an analysis of today's key design methodology and services
contract factoring, showing how to design reusable services. Juval will next explain the
IDesign original approach to system analysis and design called the IDesign Method - a
battle-proven approach to software architecture providing a significant reduction in the
effort and time required for architecting, designing, and implementing software solutions.
The IDesign Method distils the IDesign's accumulative lessons learned over more than two
decades of architecting systems across numerous projects, industries, countries, and teams.
The IDesign Method has three elements: it is a method for decomposing a system into modules
or services based on volatility, the IDesign Method offers a set of simple design guidelines
how to structure the system, and a way to validate the design, to know it can handle any
requirements, present and future, known and unknown. You will learn what motivated IDesign
to lead the industry in calling for microservices almost twenty years ago and what is coming
next.
Future Projections and Resources
The class concludes with a detailed projection of the next generation of development
platforms, both from a technology and methodology standpoint, and how to best prepare for
them.
In the class you will also receive the IDesign documents and diagram templates, tools and
samples, and reference projects.
Don’t miss on this unique opportunity to learn and improve your architecture skills with
IDesign, and share our passion for architecture and software engineering, gain from our
experience of numerous projects and profound insight on architecture, process, methodology
and their applications.