Evolving Architecture“CASE STUDY:

Architecture in Statistics NZ”

Presented by: Rosemary McGrath Application Architecture Manager

Statistics New Zealand

Agenda

• Statistics NZ• Drivers for Change• Where Does Architecture Fit?• Architecture ‘A’ Definition• Architecture – the ‘tools’ of the trade• A History of Architecture at Statistics NZ• Conclusions - Everything Evolves• What is Shaping Where we Evolve to Next?• Questions

Statistics New Zealand

• Government agency

• New Zealand's national statistical office

• Leads New Zealand’s Official Statistics System

Drivers for Change• Fiscal Sustainability

– Reduce the risk, time and cost of new statistical developments

– Maintain or reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

• Increased Operational Efficiency– Strengthen the application of common classifications and

standards across subject matter areas– Enables continuous improvement through the increased

adoption of standards, improved methodologies and best practice

• Enhancement of Statistical Effectiveness– Increased utilisation of administrative data– Expanded role in leadership of the Official Statistics System

(OSS)– Increased demand for access to timely and relevant

statistical data

And so, Where Does Architecture Fit?

Identify a ‘Framework’

Architect

Develop an Architecture

<<include>>

Stakeholder

DocumentRequirements

Define a Vision

<<include>>

BusinessAnalyst

TestAnalyst

Design theSolution

SolutionArchitect

<<include>> <<include>>

<<include>>

Developer

<<include>>

Implement the Solution

Validatethe Solution

<<include>>

<<include>>

Architecture – “A” Defintion

• An often used/abused term• ANSI/IEEE Std 1471-2000 is: "the fundamental

organization of a system, embodied in its components, their relationships to each other and the environment, and the principles governing its design and evolution."

• This is a definition I like – and reflects the way I like to look at ‘what architecture is’

• “Architecture is the use of abstractions and models to simplify and communicate complex structures and processes to improve understanding and forecasting.”

http://blogs.technet.com/michael_platt/archive/2006/03/27/423300.aspx

Architecture – “A” Definition

• Architecture is the use of sets of abstractions and models of a environment, problem space or domain, either physical or logical, with a set of associated views into that domain to provide:

 – Simplification and management of complexity in all it's forms (structural,

procedural or informational), in particular the management, understanding and integration of the business and technical domains.

 – Communication and common understanding of the problem space to multiple

stakeholders from widely different environments by the use of multiple domain specific views of the architectural model.

 – Completeness and relationship analysis of proposed solutions in the problem space or

domain by examining the models and architectures from multiple differing viewpoints for incompleteness and gaps.

 – Forecasting and predicting future architectures, strategies, structures, patterns,

relationships and technologies in the business and technical space by extrapolation of present abstractions and models.

http://blogs.technet.com/michael_platt/archive/2006/03/27/423300.aspx

Architecture – The tools of the trade• Architectural Frameworks

– There are quite a few of them – Zachman, TOGAF, FEAF are probably the most well known

– For one perspective on an assessment across the frameworkshttp://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb466232.aspx

• Architectural Principles– Each framework has a set of principles– The are very similar– They are not contentious

• Architectural Models– Domain models – Static.– BPMN – Dynamic.– Enterprise models - Big picture– Deployment – Infrastructure/support– Models for technical audience may include Class, Component, ERD

etc – all UML based

Architecture – The tools of the trade – a learned view

• Guidelines– Help people– Clarify understanding– Support implementation

• Direction– Options are key– Feedback

• Roadmap– Let everyone understand– Have clear milestones and deliverables– Be attainable (believed to be attainable)

A History of Architecture at Statistics NZ

Acknowledgement – Gartner Hype Cycle

http://www.gartner.com

2004

2005

2006

20072008

2009

Some ‘hard’ lessons learned• Having artefacts does not equate to having an architecture.

(wide criticism)• Do not take an extremely structured systematic top-down

approach to establishing an EA. “This type of approach works well when applied to complex but fixed domains, such as building or aircraft construction, but is completely inappropriate when applied to emergent (dynamic) domains such as economies or enterprises.” (Gartner)

• It is OK to have gaps• Accept that there are various levels of acceptance of change

(any change) across the organisation, find those that will partner with you

• Find some champions, champion architecture, market (not a common skill)

• Always present options – everyone wants a choice• Architecture is a verb not a noun.

12

How has our approach changed?

People Process Methods Software

Process

Methods

Software

People

Time

Remember!!

Engagement is not saying hello as you pass on the stairs

Early Problem 1

Architecture, SOA, Web services, Reuse

##$@@!! %%^&&& **&^% ##$%#@!

Early Problem 2• Challenges - Misalignment of strategies, plans, outputs and

outcomes (impacts governance, funding, capability) – What is the ‘right’ architecture

What has helped us? – The ‘War’ room

What has helped us? – The generic Business Process Model

• To define our business processes, we– identified the enterprise wide business processes– abstracted at the business level, NOT the data level or

‘system’ level, and– Stayed at the common level – generally activity, not task– used commonly understood terms to be inclusive

What has helped us? – The Domain Model

What is a Domain model ?

• Conceptual model of a system which describes the various real world entities involved in that system and their relationships

• Communication tool to validate and verify the understanding of the business domain between various groups. (Technical and non-technical)

• Structural view of the system, complemented by the dynamic (process) views in Use Case models/ User stories

• Domain models (partial) are an important decomposition tool, view the system in many contexts using entities and relationships

• Domain model should apply to the industry – Common Taxonomy

Partial Domain model – Sample Survey (including weighting)

Weighting is not part of Census as it surveys the whole population –

Have we identified two different survey types with different associations and business rules ?

What are the linkages

Identify a ‘Framework’

Architect

Develop an Architecture

<<include>>

Stakeholder

DocumentRequirements

Define a Vision

<<include>>

BusinessAnalyst

TestAnalyst

Design theSolution

SolutionArchitect

<<include>> <<include>>

<<include>>

Developer

<<include>>

Implement the Solution

Validatethe Solution

<<include>>

<<include>>

Conclusions

Everything Evolves

There is a light at the end of the tunnel

We’re doing what we can to ensure it’s not a train!!

What are we doing next?

Re-Invigorating the Architecture Service Model

1.2.

3.

4.5..

Processes external to core IT architecture processes

Procurement

Project Management

Change/ Release Management

Procurement

Project Management

Change/ Release Management

Architecture Compliance

Process

Business Strategic Elements

IT Strategic Elements

Architecture Review Process

Business Strategic Elements

IT Strategic Elements

Architecture Review Process

Enterprise Architecture Framework

Documentation

Architecture Governance

Architecture Blueprints

Architecture Communications

Plan

Enterprise Architecture Framework

Documentation

Architecture Governance

Architecture Blueprints

Architecture Communications

Plan

Architecture Documentation

Process

Architecture Blueprint Process

Architecture Framework

Process

Architecture Communication

Process

The Relevant Views/Perspectives for ‘our’ Architecture Framework

Starting to complete the jigsaw

Agile with SCRUM

• Agile with SCRUM“Scrum is an Agile process that can be used to manage and control complex software and product development using iterative, incremental practices. Scrum has been used from simple projects to changing the way entire enterprises do their business. Scrum significantly increases productivity and reduces time to benefits while facilitating adaptive, empirical systems development.”

www.controlchaos.com

Agile with SCRUM• What we have noticed so far– Scrum is an implementation of agile

methods and practices– ‘Agile Architecture’, ‘just enough

architecture - allowing for the big, long-term picture as well as the fluid nature of implementation, within 2 week sprints

– Makeup of the teams is important, cross functional and relevant to the current priorities

– There is a shift to architecture becoming a stakeholder instead of a 'prescriber' allowing the focus to change from technology or techniques to working iteratively and incrementally within project teams.

Questions?