Exciting times for IT architects: agile practices and domain-driven design, cloud nativity and Web APIs, generative AI and DevOps automation and many other trending topics keep on changing the context of our work. The main responsibilities and essence of our role remain, though: serving as advocates of development teams, coaches and communicators, technical risk managers, and, last but certainly not least, decision makers.
This talk introduces old and new Architectural Decision (AD) making practices such as AD Records (ADRs), AD definitions of ready and done, and Most Responsible Moment (MRM). It also identifies criteria for architectural significance and ADR (anti-)patterns.
The talk concludes with a proposal of a maturity model for AD management and a first look on ongoing research to position ethical values such as sustainability as special types of non-functional requirements.
Take aways:
– Find out when to best make which type of decision (MRM).
– Learn how to make and document ADs effectively, efficiently, and responsibly.
– Identify opportunities to improve existing architecture practices