Where do we go from here? – Mastering the changed needs of architectural work

This presentation discusses how the needs and demands regarding architectural work massively changed over the course of the past 10-15 years and how we can respond to it.

It first sketches architectural work in the past based on the typical settings back then. It then briefly covers why the agile movement (as valuable as it was and still is from many other perspectives) impeded properly adapting architectural work to a changing environment.

After that, the presentation outlines a number of changes in technology, system properties and overarching trends that massively influence architecture and architectural work, resulting in a new image what we need to take into account when doing architectural work (spoiler alert: the new image is very different from the original image and a lot more complex).

The presentation finally offers a few recommendations in terms of guiding principles how to address architecture and architectural work today to live up to the changed needs and demands.

As always, the voice track is missing. Still, I hope the slides offer a few useful insights and ideas to ponder.

Side note: This presentation is the successor of one of my prior presentations called "Squaring the circle". While the first part of the presentation only slightly changed, I completely rewrote the recommendations part (of course, there were also a lot of updates regarding the overall voice track but you won't see that on the slides).

Transcript

1. Where do we go from here? Mastering the changed needs of architectural work Uwe Friedrichsen – codecentric AG – 2006-2024
2. Uwe Friedrichsen Works @ codecentric https://twitter.com/ufried https://www.speakerdeck.com/ufried https://ufried.com/
3. The “good ol’ times” Software architectural work until 2008
4. Typical setting (1/2) • Many internally used systems • Relatively few external systems • Mostly monolithic systems • Rich frontend apps or server-side rendered web pages • On-premises data centers
5. Typical setting (2/2) • Perimeter-based security • Pre-definable load patterns • “IT is a cost center” thinking • Effects of distribution handled by infrastructure
6. Architectural work (1/3) • Design solution that satisfies project needs • Project cost efficiency as dominant design driver • Focus on system structure • Layered architecture was predominant
7. Architectural work (2/3) • Availability, security, scaling, … left to Ops • Standard, often mandatory solutions offered by Ops • Often respective NFRs determined by solutions offered • Performance as 2nd class citizen • Usability and architecture completely unrelated • Integration as 2nd class citizen • Either solved ad hoc or via centralized integration solution
8. Architectural work (3/3) • Speed of change usually constrained by project lead times • Typically measured in months or years • Core area of tension • Solution maintainability and changeability • Project cost efficiency
9. Focus on structure Core area of tension Changeability Maintainability Flexibility Project efficiency Opposing goals Amplifying goals Usability Detached topic Performance Minor design consideration Availability Scalability Reliability Confidentiality Integrity Security “Ops problem” Dominant solution driver Portability Interoperability Minor design considerations
10. Architectural work typically meant „Create building block design and decide technology” * * within the predefined constraints
11. The age of confusion Software architectural work between 2008 and 2015
12. The age of confusion • The IT world went “Agile” • Developers were “The new kingmakers” * • Countermovement to the architecture-centric movement of the 1990s * https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/the-new-kingmakers/9781449368036/
13. “We do not need architects. The dev team is the architect.” “We do not need architectural work. Architecture emerges.”
14. IT changed a lot in those days
15. Architectural work mostly stood still
16. Focus on structure Core area of tension Changeability Maintainability Flexibility Project efficiency Opposing goals Amplifying goals Usability Detached topic Performance Minor design consideration Availability Scalability Reliability Confidentiality Integrity Security “Ops problem” Dominant solution driver Portability Interoperability Minor design considerations We were still here
17. Or sometimes even worse “From 0 to legacy in just 6 months”
18. The present Software architectural work since 2015
19. Novel drivers (1/3) • Cloud revolution * • Completely new solution options • Pay per use • Elasticity • Moving data around has a price tag • Availability and reliability on non-HA hardware * https://www.ufried.com/blog/public_cloud_revolution_1/
20. Changeability Maintainability Usability Performance Availability Scalability Reliability Confidentiality Integrity Security Portability Interoperability Flexibility Cloud revolution Project efficiency Opposing goals Amplifying goals Suitability New solution options Pay per use Interoperability Data flow Economic efficiency Data flow Elasticity Elasticity Scalability Resilience Availability Reliability Scale out on non-HA hardware Project efficiency
21. Novel drivers (1/3) • Cloud revolution • Big data & ML/AI • Huge amounts of data to store, move and process • Data flow becoming 1st class citizen of system design • Polyglot persistence • MLaaS/AIaaS
22. Changeability Maintainability Usability Performance Confidentiality Integrity Security Portability Flexibility Big data & ML/AI Project efficiency Suitability Data flow Resilience Project efficiency Economic efficiency Move, store & process data Mlaas/AIaas Economic efficiency Availability Scalability Reliability Interoperability Performance Process & move data Polyglot persistence Suitability Processing options Interoperability Move data Scalability Move, store & process data Store data Reliability Availability
23. Novel drivers (1/3) • Cloud revolution • Big data & ML/AI • Mobile devices • Completely new interaction patterns • Various novel device classes • Less reliable and often limited connectivity • Unpredictable load patterns
24. Changeability Maintainability Usability Performance Confidentiality Integrity Security Portability Flexibility Mobile devices Project efficiency Suitability Resilience Project efficiency Economic efficiency Availability Scalability Reliability Interoperability Performance Limited battery Scalability Unpredictable usage patterns Suitability New interaction patterns Usability Increased user expectations Adaptability Novel device classes Portability Novel attack vectors Security Confidentiality Integrity Availability Dependability Less reliable connectivity Versatility Manifold subclasses Interoperability Less reliable connectivity Changeability Increased user expectations
25. Novel drivers (1/3) • Cloud revolution • Big data & ML/AI • Mobile devices • IoT & Edge • Most of the effects of mobile devices “to the square” • Solutions enter safety-critical domains
26. Dependability Versatility Changeability Maintainability Usability Performance Confidentiality Integrity Security Portability Flexibility IoT & Edge Project efficiency Suitability Resilience Project efficiency Economic efficiency Availability Scalability Reliability Interoperability Performance Limited battery Suitability New interaction patterns Usability Novel device classes Portability Novel attack vectors Security Confidentiality Integrity Availability Dependability Less reliable connectivity Versatility Manifold subclasses Interoperability Less reliable connectivity Adaptability Safety Safety-critical applications
27. Novel drivers (2/3) • Distributed systems • Highly connected, distributed system landscape • Service-based applications, … • Intricate new failure types need to be handled • Effects of distribution penetrate to the application level • Near-realtime response expectations intensify effects
28. Dependability Versatility Changeability Maintainability Usability Performance Confidentiality Integrity Security Portability Flexibility Distributed systems Project efficiency Resilience Project efficiency Economic efficiency Availability Scalability Performance Latency Confidentiality Integrity Adaptability Safety Reliability Remote communication Security Safety Availability Dependability Distributed failure modes Reliability Resilience Interoperability Suitability Communication flow Usability Suitability Communication flow Interoperability Observability Distributed failure modes
29. Novel drivers (2/3) • Distributed systems • Near-realtime • Batch updates turn into online updates • Complex web of continuously communicating systems • Integration becomes first-class citizen • Near-realtime insights feedback loop • Intensifies effects of system distribution
30. Dependability Versatility Changeability Maintainability Usability Performance Confidentiality Integrity Security Portability Flexibility Near-realtime Project efficiency Suitability Resilience Project efficiency Economic efficiency Availability Scalability Interoperability Performance Latency Confidentiality Integrity Adaptability Safety Reliability Availability Dependability Distribution failure modes Reliability Resilience Interoperability Integration as 1st class citizen Observability
31. Novel drivers (2/3) • Distributed systems • Near-realtime • 24x7 • Maintenance windows are gone • Overnight batch processing windows are gone • Upgrade/repair systems in-flight
32. Dependability Versatility Changeability Maintainability Usability Performance Confidentiality Integrity Security Portability Flexibility 24x7 Project efficiency Suitability Resilience Project efficiency Economic efficiency Availability Scalability Interoperability Confidentiality Integrity Adaptability Safety Reliability Availability Dependability In-flight system upgrade/repair Reliability Observability In-flight system upgrade/repair Observability Batch windows gone Performance
33. Novel drivers (2/3) • Distributed systems • Near-realtime • 24x7 • Perimeter-less security • Trusted zones are gone: “The Internet is everywhere” • Remote work, BYOD, mobile devices, etc. intensify challenges • “Shift left security” mandatory
34. Observability Integrity Integrity Dependability Versatility Changeability Maintainability Usability Performance Confidentiality Security Portability Flexibility Perimeter-less security Project efficiency Suitability Resilience Project efficiency Economic efficiency Availability Scalability Interoperability Confidentiality Adaptability Safety Reliability Observability Observability Trusted zones gone Integrity Trusted zones gone Security Confidentiality
35. Novel drivers (3/3) • Digital transformation • “IT and business are the same side of the same coin; the other side are the market and your customers” • IT being integral part of all business offerings • IT being integral part of most customer interactions • IT enabling new, previously unthinkable business models • IT becoming indispensable part of business and private lives
36. Integrity Integrity Dependability Versatility Changeability Maintainability Usability Performance Confidentiality Security Portability Flexibility Digital transformation Suitability Resilience Project efficiency Economic efficiency Availability Scalability Interoperability Confidentiality Adaptability Safety Reliability Observability New business models Adaptability System lifecycle Products, not projects Economic efficiency Availability Dependability Integral part of business offerings Reliability Resilience Scalability Usability Suitability Integral part of customer interactions Integrity Security Confidentiality Safety Indispensable part of our lives Interoperability API-driven revenue streams Changeability New business models Flexibility Maintainability Human needs Socio-technical systems Affecting humans
37. Novel drivers (3/3) • Digital transformation • Post-industrial markets • Supply exceeds demand by far à customer-driven markets • Fast adoption to changing demands becomes vital • Lead and cycle times become essential • Continuous feedback at all levels needed • More complex multidisciplinary collaboration needed
38. Human needs Socio-technical systems Integrity Integrity Dependability Versatility Changeability Maintainability Usability Performance Confidentiality Security Portability Flexibility Post-industrial markets Suitability Resilience Economic efficiency Availability Scalability Interoperability Confidentiality Adaptability Safety Reliability Observability Fast adoption Adaptability Human needs Socio-technical systems Multidisciplinary collaboration Changeability Fast adoption Flexibility Maintainability Observability Observability Continuous feedback Usability Suitability Customer-driven market System lifecycle
39. Novel drivers (3/3) • Digital transformation • Post-industrial markets • Exploding complexity • Probably the 2nd biggest challenge of the upcoming years • IT drowns in complexity and every day it becomes worse • Due to shortsighted thinking • Due to important decisions not made
40. Human needs Socio-technical systems Integrity Integrity Dependability Versatility Changeability Maintainability Usability Performance Confidentiality Security Portability Flexibility Exploding complexity Suitability Resilience Economic efficiency Availability Scalability Interoperability Confidentiality Adaptability Safety Reliability Observability System lifecycle Simplicity Tackling complexity System empathy System viability and collaboration
41. Novel drivers (3/3) • Digital transformation • Post-industrial markets • Exploding complexity • Ecological sustainability • Probably the biggest challenge of the upcoming years • Making sustainability 1st class citizen of system design • Counterforce to many other forces
42. Human needs Socio-technical systems Integrity Integrity Dependability Versatility Changeability Maintainability Usability Performance Confidentiality Security Portability Flexibility Ecological sustainability Suitability Resilience Economic efficiency Availability Scalability Interoperability Confidentiality Adaptability Safety Reliability Observability System lifecycle Fostering sustainability Sustainability Simplicity System empathy
43. Finally, let us add the amplifying and opposing forces
44. Human needs Socio-technical systems Integrity Integrity Dependability Versatility Changeability Maintainability Usability Performance Confidentiality Security Portability Flexibility Opposing goals Amplifying goals Suitability Resilience Economic efficiency Availability Scalability Interoperability Confidentiality Adaptability Safety Reliability Observability System lifecycle Simplicity System empathy Sustainability Project efficiency … and many more
45. All quality goals need to be balanced according to the given needs * * needs of different stakeholder groups, short-term and long-term needs, amplifying vs. opposing goals, …
46. All influencing forces and the derived quality goals vastly influence the resulting solution architecture
47. Observations What has changed in the last decade?
48. Human needs Socio-technical systems Integrity Integrity Dependability Versatility Changeability Maintainability Usability Performance Confidentiality Security Portability Flexibility Opposing goals Amplifying goals Suitability Resilience Economic efficiency Availability Scalability Interoperability Confidentiality Adaptability Safety Reliability Observability System lifecycle Simplicity System empathy Sustainability Project efficiency Focus on structure not sufficient anymore Data flow Communication flow Limited view on projects not sufficient anymore Economic perspective over lifecycle as 1st class citizen Prevalent complexity of IT system landscapes requires new design approaches Exploding number of device classes Integration as 1st class citizen Thinking in feedback loops Holistic view required. Focus on software alone not sufficient anymore Novel drivers of future system design. Counterforces to many other design forces Enterprise software affects safety-critical systems more and more Security as 1st class citizen in design (“Shift left security”) Huge new challenges due to highly interconnected distributed system landscapes (“microservices”) Unpredictable load patterns Massively increased user expectations influence system design Technology evolution provides new options and changes what a feasible solution is
49. This is a completely different game .. … than that
50. Lots of new forces. Lots of new tasks and challenges. Partially completely novel forces and resulting tasks.
51. Moving on Addressing the new challenges
52. A few suggestions …
53. Architecture is complex • The dev team as architect is dead • The omniscient architect is dead, too • Architectural work has become a team sport … • … but needs a conductor
54. Architecture unfolds • Emergent architecture is dead • BDUF is dead, too • Start with JDUF and then evolve along the way … • … but make deliberate architectural decisions
55. “A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be made to work. You have to start over, beginning with a working simple system.” -- John Gall Source: John Gall, "Systemantics", 1975
56. Architectural work is systemic • Decisions have complex impact patterns • Think global, act local • Foster feedback at all levels • Minimize overall complexity growth
57. Do you really think hundreds of local optimizations completely ignoring their context will result in a global optimum? Or do you rather think quite the opposite is going to happen?
58. Architecture is socio-technical • Mind the impacted socio-technical systems • Effectiveness of software design and development • Ease of operations • Effectiveness of problem detection and analysis • Efficiency of problem fixing or mitigation • Support of usage patterns, processes and organization • ...
59. "Ultimately, design is a tool to enhance our humanity” -- Ilse Crawford
60. Architectural work is challenging • Level up architectural work • Level up requirements engineering and communication • Master the foundations of good design • Help people understand software • Embrace distributed systems • Understand dependability, sustainability and simplicity
61. “There is nothing a mere scientist can say that will stand against the flood of a hundred million dollars. But there is one quality that cannot be purchased in this way - and that is reliability. The price of reliability is the pursuit of the utmost simplicity. It is a price which the very rich find most hard to pay.” -- Sir C. A. R. Hoare Source: “The emperor's old clothes“, Communications of the ACM, Vol. 24, No. 2, February 1981, pp. 75-83
62. Wrap-up
63. Wrap-up • Architectural challenges have changed a lot • Complexity went up significantly • New counterforces have emerged • Decision making has become a lot more demanding • Updated perception of architectural work required • Forget the traditional perception of architects and their work • New collaboration modes needed • Different skills have become vital
64. Uwe Friedrichsen Works @ codecentric https://twitter.com/ufried https://www.speakerdeck.com/ufried https://ufried.com/