Book Image

Becoming an Agile Software Architect

By : Rajesh R V
Book Image

Becoming an Agile Software Architect

By: Rajesh R V

Overview of this book

Many organizations have embraced Agile methodologies to transform their ability to rapidly respond to constantly changing customer demands. However, in this melee, many enterprises often neglect to invest in architects by presuming architecture is not an intrinsic element of Agile software development. Since the role of an architect is not pre-defined in Agile, many organizations struggle to position architects, often resulting in friction with other roles or a failure to provide a clear learning path for architects to be productive. This book guides architects and organizations through new Agile ways of incrementally developing the architecture for delivering an uninterrupted, continuous flow of values that meets customer needs. You'll explore various aspects of Agile architecture and how it differs from traditional architecture. The book later covers Agile architects' responsibilities and how architects can add significant value by positioning themselves appropriately in the Agile flow of work. Through examples, you'll also learn concepts such as architectural decision backlog,the last responsible moment, value delivery, architecting for change, DevOps, and evolutionary collaboration. By the end of this Agile book, you'll be able to operate as an architect in Agile development initiatives and successfully architect reliable software systems.
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
1
Section 1: Understanding Architecture in the Agile World
Free Chapter
2
Chapter 1: Looking through the Agile Architect's Lens
4
Section 2: Transformation of Architect Roles in Agile
8
Section 3: Essential Knowledge to Become a Successful Agile Architect
15
Section 4: Personality Traits and Organizational Influence

Understanding the need for change 

One of the Agile software manifesto principles centered around people is "Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done". As we discussed in Chapter 3, Agile Architect – Linchpin to Success, a construction architect's journey to becoming a gardener and interior designer is beyond merely changing their ways of working. There needs to be an entirely radical transformation of culture, mindset, and social behavior.

The following diagram captures the change in the operating environment for architects in Agile software delivery:

Figure 13.2 – Architect's engagement in traditional versus Agile environments

As shown in the preceding diagram, traditional engagement is top-down, with almost no feedback mechanisms, whereas in Agile software development, teams interact closely without hierarchies. A fully engaged...