The role of a software architect can vary from organization to organization. You may have also heard of a variety of job titles related to software architects, such as the following:

• Enterprise architect
• Solution architect
• Application architect
• Data architect/Information architect
• Solution architect
• Security architect
• Cloud architect

Some organizations have one or more architects who perform a combination of these roles. They may go by the title of software architect or by the title of one of these roles. In other organizations, different individuals play different architectural roles. Some companies organize their software architects so that they are in an architecture team. They collaborate with the team on architecture tasks but also work on other teams to design and implement software products.

This book does not focus on any one type of software...

As a software architect working in an organization, you will typically be required to use the software development methodology that has been adopted by the organization. However, in some cases, the software architect may play a role in deciding which software development methodology is used. Either way, software architects may be able to provide input to an organization's processes, giving them the ability to make suggestions that may improve these processes.

For these reasons, it is good to have an understanding of the more common software development methodologies. There are a variety of different types that can be employed for a software project, each of which has its own strengths and weaknesses. Today, Agile methodologies are much more widely used than traditional ones, but even among the methodologies that are considered Agile, there...

Software architects typically assist project management throughout the life cycle of a software system. One of the ways in which you will be asked to do so is in estimating the level of effort for technical tasks. How estimates are derived and who participates in estimation varies from organization to organization, but typically, software architects, with their expertise and experience, will be expected to provide some level of input during the process of estimating tasks.

The importance of estimation cannot be understated. Estimates and project planning are major factors in the success of a project.

Estimation can be difficult and must take into account a number...

Almost everyone in an organization has to deal with office politics to some degree. As you can see from the following pie chart, the majority of people think it is best to have an awareness of the office politics in your own organization:

As a software architect, you may find yourself engaging in office politics more than you have in the past, such as when you were a senior developer. This is because you will be interacting and communicating with a larger variety of stakeholders, and you may be doing so more frequently.

In an organization, individuals from diverse backgrounds, with their own unique goals and viewpoints, come together to work toward the goals of an organization. A variety of factors can shape people's motivations, which may lead to office politics.

When you want to achieve something,...

Risks are potential problems, and there are many risks involved in designing and developing software. Organizations, and the people working for them, have different levels of risk tolerance. Whatever that level is, an organization should have a plan for risk management.

As a software architect, you will need to assist project managers in managing those risks. If left unmanaged, risks can lead to cost/time overruns, rework, operational failures, and possibly total project failure.

The first step in assisting with risk management is being able to identify risks. The team should come up with and document potential risks. Using your knowledge and experience as a software architect, you may be able to help identify risks that stakeholders, project management, and other team members cannot.

Some examples of potential types of risks include the following:

• Functional...

As a software architect in an organization, you will be expected to be involved with configuration management. In many organizations, there is a software configuration management (SCM) team. In addition, there may be an SCM team at the project level. For small projects, this may be a single person, or it may even be taken on by someone who isn't even dedicated to the role, such as a team member who performs other duties.

Some of the responsibilities for a software configuration management team include identifying configuration items (software, documents, models, plans), implementing a change control process, and managing the process and tools used for builds. We will examine automated builds and continuous integration (CI) in Chapter 14, Architecting Legacy Applications.

Growing competitive pressures combined with the complexity of developing software systems makes it a necessity for organizations to increase efficiencies wherever possible. One way to accomplish this is to create software product lines. A variety of industries, including the software industry, have used product line engineering (PLE) successfully.

Product lines are multiple products from a single company that address a particular need or market. These products could be sold under the same brand, with the idea that customers who use one product from the brand are more likely to purchase another product from the same brand.

Organizations that develop software may have multiple existing software products and/or other software products in development. These software products may work in a similar way, have similar functional and/or non-functional requirements...

When working as an architect in an organization, you should be aware of the various types of software architect roles. The various roles have similarities and differences in terms of their responsibilities and duties. If you are required to use a software development methodology that has already been selected for your organization, it is important to become familiar with it and its practices. If you are in a position to select the software development methodology, be sure to be knowledgeable about the choices so that an appropriate one can be selected for the project's needs.

Software architects use their expertise and experience to work with project management on estimates for tasks, project planning, and controlling and monitoring the project during its life cycle.

Due to communicating with a larger number of stakeholders and management, office politics is a reality...