Role of Software Architects - Research Paper Example

? Object-Oriented Applications DB One Affiliation: Software Architecture Defined Software design and development has taken diverse and dynamic positions especially with the current trends in technological advancement. Software systems are continuously improved, advanced, or sophisticated to suit different users in the respective fields of application. In this pursuit, software architecture comes in to define, provide and aid the process through system designs that enhance software application across the various fields of computation. With the exacerbating software systems’ sophistication and sizes, the design of such systems focuses on more than just the algorithms and computational data structures to encompass system structure specification amid the underlying structural issues (Clements, 2010). This process defines what software architecture is all about. Gross organization of system structures in software has been a long living problem is software design. Software architecture is tailored towards addressing the underlying structural issues in designing and developing software. Since gross organization of system structures is just but of the primary issues that software architecture seeks to solve, there are a number of other evident issues. Controlling software system structures in the global context is another primary issue. In this regard, software architecture is, therefore, a procedural undertaking that seeks to design software systems in such a way that the structure of the systems can effectively be controlled. This means that software architecture is a global undertaking in the design and development of software. Software architecture also primarily encompasses realigning communication protocols, synchronize software designs, enhance data access, scale software performance, and revolutionize design elements in software development (Bass, Clements & Kazman, 2003). Role of Software Architects Software architects play numerous and dynamic roles in the IT industry, based on their field of specialization and the level of software design they undertake. One of the primary roles of software architects is the development of software designs that are macro-level in nature. Software architecture is applied across wide ranges of usability, from an individual context aspect to an organizational level. The use of software designs across the globe differs in terms of application and level of use. For this reason, macro-level designs become critical to account for by software architects. On the same note, inter-relating applications in software designs calls for understanding and documenting the applications’ relationships, and software architects play an active role in this pursuit. Addressing design issues in software development is not the only focus of software architects. They also undertake code reviews and mentoring in software architecture (Bell, 2008). Software architects in most cases employ team work in their undertakings for effective and efficient outcome that meets the expectations outlined by pursued goals and objectives. In reviewing codes and carrying out mentoring programs on software designs, it is easy to determine and point out areas of software architecture that need to be improved or advanced. On the same note, loopholes in the process can be effectively addressed and can consequently lead to the realization of an improved software architecture pursuit. Quality assurance and provision of relevant information to users of architectural software also falls under the docket of software architects’ role. Over and above the outlined roles, application design and application security constitute the role of software architects in software design and development (Javier & Mario, 2005). Example of Software Architecture Role Software architecture employs massive data computation in every aspect of software design and development software structures. A software architecture role that relates to data architecture is interesting to consider. This is in the view that software architecture is primary rooted in data use, data management and data computation to suit specific computational objectives in the design of software structures. There are numerous elements of software architecture, but the role of data use in the pursuit of software architecture is captivating, given that every aspect of software architecture is data-based. Under this architecture role, the primary objective is to understand storage and retrieval of data by applications that make up the software, and further account for the mechanisms employed in data optimization in application development and software design (Fowler, 2002). This architecture role is an all-round treatment of all the variables that define software architecture. Understanding the links between one set of data and another within an application or sets of applications is fundamental in employing total usability and functionality of software architecture. The data aspect of software architecture is spread across data architect, database design, and data warehousing in and out of an entrepreneurial context (Shan & Hua, 2006). Data storage and retrieval is, therefore, a critical arm of software architecture. Appeal of Role The role of data architecture in software architecture is appealing. This is due to the fact it constitutes a primary field in software architecture, especially in storing and retrieving data in all applications developed in line with software design and development. Software architecture is highly rooted in data concepts, meaning that data coding is essential to account for. The functionality of software is, therefore, determined by data alignment, and the ease with which applications run based on data usability. The use of data to enhance software design and development, and further enhance software architecture is an appealing undertaking. Data architecture in the context of software architecture roles takes diverse and dynamic aspects, thereby allowing software architects to undertake various practices under the same theme. From the data storage and retrieval aspect of software architecture, software architects can concentrate on data to become data architects. With the underlying knowledge and skills in this field, they revolutionize software architecture over time by making use of improved and advanced contemporary technologies. On the same note, contemporary changes in technology have also exacerbated changes in software architecture. This led to the emergence of diverse and ever changing user needs, allowing data architects to pursue customized mechanisms of data storage and retrieval in development of applications that suit specific user requirements. Consequently, data architecture has resulted in entrepreneurial opportunities as these needs continue to rise and vary across individual and organizational demanders of software architecture services. The coverage of data warehousing in software architecture have further given more reason to perceiving data architecture as an appealing aspect in software design and applications development. References Bass, L., Clements, P. & Kazman, R. (2003). Software Architecture in Practice, Second Edition. Boston: Addison-Wesley. Bell, M. (2008). Service-Oriented Modeling: Service Analysis, Design, and Architecture. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Clements, P. et al. (2010). Documenting Software Architectures: Views and Beyond, Second Edition. Boston: Addison-Wesley. Fowler, M. (2002). Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture. Boston: Addison-Wesley. Javier, G. & Mario, P. (2005). An Ontology for micro-architectural design knowledge. IEEE Software Magazine, Volume: 22, Issue: 2, March–April 2005. pp. 28 – 33. Shan, T. & Hua, W. (2006). Solution Architecting Mechanism. Proceedings of the 10th IEEE International EDOC Enterprise Computing Conference (EDOC 2006), October 2006, p.23-32. Read More