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Help
Me Decide
Can anyone enroll? Yes,
the class is an open enrollment workshop. The Software Architecture class is targeted
at practicing software architects and technical leads, and managers of
software architecture teams.
What does the class
cover?
First, we lay the essential groundwork of
architecture concepts and organizing frameworks, but as quickly as we can,
we start working through the Visual Architecting Process. This is an
iterative process. So we cover Init/Commit, and then we begin a cycle that
works through Architecture Requirements, Architecture Specification and
Architecture Validation repeatedly as the architecture progresses through
Meta, Conceptual, Logical and Execution Architecture cycles.
During these cycles, we address the
architecture topics that are related. For example, in meta-architecture we
deal with architecture principles and architectural patterns or styles. In
architectural requirements, we cover how to define system qualities
(non-functional requirements) and architecturally significant functional
requirements that drive architecting decisions. In architecture validation, we cover
the process for assessing an architecture. In conceptual architecture we
cover general principles of system decomposition. And so on, and on.
The key is that, in all of these cycles, students work in
small teams practicing what has been learned and evolving a draft
architecture.
This allows participants to apply what they are learning at the appropriate point in the process.
We end with modules on Architecture Deployment,
Tailoring the Process, and The Role of the Architect. In Tailoring the
Process we discuss how this process applies to architecture recapture,
"renovation", make-versus-buy assessments, etc., recognizing
full well that "greenfields" (clean slate) architecting is not
what most of us are doing.
You can get a sense of whether our
frameworks and approach mesh well with your insights and values by reading the following
4 papers:
You might also like to take look at the following 2 charts on the
Visual Architecting Process:
Does the class apply to
other architecture disciplines? The Software
Architecture Workshop, as the name implies, focuses on software
architecture, and uses UML as the visual modeling language, where it
applies. Many of the techniques and concepts apply to other
architecture disciplines, and we have had people from the other
related architecture disciplines take the class and find it
valuable.
Is the class full?
No! We had 12 people enrolled in this workshop, but predominantly these
attendees were from Scandinavia, so we are holding a workshop in Oslo to
be closer to that center of interest. As a result, the UK workshop is back
below critical mass. In fact, right now we have only 1 person committed to the UK workshop and
unable to make it to the workshop in Oslo, Norway at the end of June.
Help My
Manager
Decide
What is the value of
this class? Hundreds of very talented and
experienced architects have taken our classes and found them to be highly
valuable.
Even the most experienced architects consistently
identify key steps that they have not been undertaking on their
architecting projects. They also identify much that they have been doing
right, and value this confirmation of their use of best practice. Doing
the right steps, in the right order, to the right extent, with good
techniques and sound principles, saves architects time and makes them more
effective.
Yes, there is some strength to the argument that architecting
skills are learned from experience--but the lesson is always much less
costly when it is from someone else's experience! We have focused
exclusively on software architectures, effective architectural practice,
and architecture teaching since 1995, and arguably lead the industry in
synthesizing architecture experience into our approach to architecture and
our training classes.
Who else should take this
class? We firmly believe that individuals can bring about significant
organizational change, but it takes effort and attention. It would behoove
your team to focus this leadership and effort on making the architecture
successful, rather than on figuring out a common team approach to creating
the architecture! Having the entire team take the class is obviously the
most effective way to establish a solid foundation of architecture
concepts and practice.
Why take this class near
London in June? This is most likely
the only
public Software Architecture Workshop we will hold in the UK in 2004. It is
possible we will hold
a workshop elsewhere in Europe in the latter half of the year, but at this
point we are not planning one. This makes
it a unique opportunity to attend the class with peers from the UK and
Europe, and keep travel costs as low as possible.
Please let others know about
this workshop--you can email this page using the "File/Send/Page by Email"
option on Internet Explorer!
Workshop Logistics
What is the location for the workshop? We
are now holding a Software Architecture
Workshop in Oslo, Norway.
Sorry--but we held this open as long as we could.
When does the class
start and end? In general, when in Europe we begin at 9:00am and end around 5:30pm. We serve lunch,
and morning and afternoon snacks.
How do I enroll? Please fill out
our online enrollment form to
register for the class. We will contact you for payment information, and
your registration will be complete once payment is made.
Where should I stay? So
far, it looks like you should stay in Asker near Oslo, Norway!! But if
we get a surge in interest in the UK, then we'll take it from there
and give you our suggestions.
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