The Manager’s Role
Must understand what to expect from IT architecture and infrastructure.
Must clearly communicate their business vision.
May need to modify the plans if IT cannot realistically support them.
Manager MUST be involved in the decision making process.
From Strategy to Architecture
Manager must start out with a strategy.
This strategy must then be used to develop more specific goals as seen in Figure 6.2.
Business requirements must be fleshed out for each goal in order to provide the architect with a clear picture of what IS must accomplish.
Figure 6.3 shows how this detailed process is accomplished.
From Architecture to Infrastructure
This stage entails adding more detail to the architectural plan.
This detail comprises the actual hardware, software, data, and networking.
Figure 6.2 shows this phase.
These components must be combined in a coherent fashion.
Global level – focus at the enterprise level; Inter-organizational level – focus on communications with customers, suppliers or other stakeholders.
A Framework for the Translation
Consider the following when developing a framework for transforming business strategy into architecture and then infrastructure:
Hardware – physical components.
Software – programs.
Network – software and hardware.
Data – quantity and format of data is of utmost concern.
The framework that guides analysis of these components is found in Figure 1.9.
Figure 6.3 contains questions that typify those asked in addressing architecture and infrastructure issues associated with each component.
Managers must begin with an overview that is complete.
The framework must answer the what, who and where questions for each infrastructure component.
What is the specific type of technology?
Who is involved (individuals, groups, departments)?
Where is everything located?
Table 6.3 shows the connections between strategy and systems.
Other Frameworks
Peer-to-peer – allows networked computers to share resources (no central server needed).
Wireless (mobile) – can utilize a variety of wireless technologies (fixed microwave, wireless LANs, cellular, satellite links, etc.)
Web-oriented architecture (WOA) – where significant hardware, software and possibly even data elements reside on the Internet.
Greater flexibility
Capacity-on-demand
Architectural Principles
Based on a set of principles, or fundamental beliefs about how the architecture should function.
Architecture principles must be consistent with enterprise values as well as the technology used in the infrastructure.
Number of principles vary widely.
Should define the desirable behaviors of the IT systems.
Figure 6.4 shows a sample architectural principles.
Enterprise Architecture
The “blueprint” for all IS for the entire organization.
Specify how IT will support business processes.
Identifies core processes of the company and how they will work together.
Four key elements:
Core business processes
Shared data
Linking and automation technologies
Customer groups
OTHER MANAGERIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Understanding existing architecture
Understanding existing architecture allows managers to evaluate the IT requirements of an evolving business strategy vs. their current IT.
Plans for the future architecture can then be compared with the current infrastructure to help identify which components of the current system can b e used in the system being developed.
Relevant questions for managers:
What IT architecture is already in place?
Is the company developing the IT architecture from scratch?
Is the company replacing an existing architecture?
Does the company need to work within the confines of an existing architecture?
Is the company expanding an existing architecture?
Strategic IT planning and legacy systems
Managers usually must deal with adapting existing architectures as part of planning their new systems.
In so doing they encounter both:
the opportunity to leverage the existing architecture and infrastructure and
the challenge to overcome the old system’s shortcomings.
Working with Legacy Architectures