Nick Rozanski CEng FBCS

Software Architecture

Wherefore the mere practical architect is not able to assign sufficient reasons for the forms he adopts; and the theoretic architect also fails, grasping the shadow instead of the substance. He who is theoretic as well as practical, is therefore doubly armed; able not only to prove the propriety of his design, but equally so to carry it into execution. -- Marcus Vitruvius Pollio: de Architectura, Book I (1st century BC) Our Software Architecture Book I have written a book on software architecture with a colleague, Eoin Woods. The book is called Software Systems Architecture : Working With Stakeholders Using Viewpoints and Perspectives, and was published by Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers on 29 April 2005 (ISBN 0321112296). It is a practical handbook for anyone who is, or would like to become, a software architect. Specifically, the book explains: what software architecture is about and why your role is vitally important to successful project delivery; how to determine who is interested in your architecture (your stakeholders), understand what is important to them (their concerns), and design an architecture that reflects and balances their different needs; how to communicate your architecture to your stakeholders in an understandable way that demonstrates that you have met their concerns (the architectural description); how to focus on what is architecturally significant, safely leaving other aspects of the design to your designers, without neglecting issues like performance, resilience, and location; what important activities you most need to undertake as an architect, such as identifying and engaging stakeholders, using scenarios, creating models, and documenting and validating your architecture. (If you want to go straight to buying the book, click here if you live in the United Kingdom, or here if you live in the United States or elsewhere.) Our Software Architecture Website We have set up a new website for the book at http://www.viewpoints-and-perspectives.info. Whether you are interested in our book or not, there is a wealth of useful information on the site for new or experienced architects. For example: There is a directory of websites devoted to software architecture, or of interest to software architects, here. There is a complete bibliography from our book, with information on books of interest to software architects, here. There are links to articles and presentations that Eoin and I have produced related to software architecture here. There are links to conferences and other events that Eoin or I have attended, or are planning to attend, here. And of course there is more information on our book, including reference material on viewpoints and on perspectives. We have also drawn up a Quick Reference Card which contains reference information on all our viewpoints and perspectives in a single PDF.

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