Cutter Consortium: Enterprise Architecture

Is Your Perimeter Secure?

17 Jun 2009 19:58:09 GMT

Rosen, Mike | E-Mail Advisors | 17 June 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

Is your perimeter secure? The answer to that is simple: NO. As business has become more distributed, outsourcing has gone global, supply chains are more connected, employees have become teleworkers, customers demand better information, and so on, we have systematically punched holes into perimeter security until it now resembles Swiss cheese.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090617.html

Are You at the Controls? Do You Know Where Your Data Is?

10 Jun 2009 19:43:38 GMT

Rosen, Mike | E-Mail Advisors | 10 June 2009 | Enterprise Architecture; Business Intelligence; Enterprise Risk Management & Governance

Perhaps you remember the public service campaign from 1960s television that went something like, "It's 10 pm. Do you know where your children are?" For IT, we could rephrase it as; "It's 2009. Do you know where your data is?" You probably don't, especially if it's in the hands of your partners or outsourcers. So, the answer to the question in the title of this Advisor is most likely, "I don't know."

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090610.html

Open Source Java Frameworks: Development/Testing, Middleware, and Comprehensive Frameworks

5 Jun 2009 16:21:10 GMT

Welsh, Tom | Executive Updates | 05 June 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

In Part V, I move on to the findings for development/testing, middleware, and comprehensive OSJFs. Then, before summing up the series and to put the OSJF findings into context, we take a look at the non-Java frameworks that respondents have been using.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/updates/2009/eau0911.html

The Cloud Machine: Some Tips to Get Behind the Haze

3 Jun 2009 16:15:40 GMT

Seiden, Mark | E-Mail Advisors | 03 June 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

"The cloud" is important, yes, but in my view it isn't rocket science (or even atmospheric science). I think of it as just another step in outsourcing and pushing everything into a commodity, which for me creates only "modified rapture."

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090603.html

Enterprise Collaboration Architecture Webinar

3 Jun 2009 16:14:46 GMT

Rosen, Mike | Webinars/Multimedia | 03 June 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

Collaboration is a hot topic within Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 technologies. It seems that everybody wants it, but what does it really mean for an enterprise? How can collaboration help improve internal processes and development? And how can it improve interactions with customers and partners? In this Webinar, Mike Rosen, Director of Cutter's Enterprise Architecture practice, first looks at what we mean by collaboration and why we do it. Then, he looks at the impact on traditional business transaction processing when we try to add collaboration. Mike will discuss a detailed example of an extended business transaction and the benefits it can deliver, and finally he'll take a look at the application architecture necessary to integrate Enterprise 2.0 technologies into real business transactions at an enterprise level. Join Mike Rosen for this hour-long, interactive webinar. Ask questions, get answers. Discover the opportunities opened by Enterprise Collaboration Architecture, consider some approaches, and anticipate the obstacles.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/webinar/2009/enterprisecollaborationarchitecture.html

For Hybrid Clouds, Fog of Confusion Is Burning Away

28 May 2009 16:05:28 GMT

Hall, Curt | E-Mail Advisors | 28 May 2009 | Business Technology Trends & Impacts; Sourcing & Vendor Relationships; Enterprise Architecture

Most of the attention being paid to cloud computing has focused on public cloud providers, such as Amazon and Google, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) vendors, such as Salesforce.com. However, based on my research, including feedback I've received from readers, I believe that the future of corporate IT, especially when it comes to larger companies, will be based on "hybrid clouds" -- those employing both public and private clouds to meet business goals.

http://www.cutter.com/content/trends/fulltext/advisor/2009/btt090528.html

EA and SOA: A Marriage Made in Heaven?

27 May 2009 16:03:30 GMT

Allen, Paul | E-Mail Advisors | 27 May 2009 | Enterprise Architecture; Business-IT Strategies

While EA and service-oriented architecture (SOA) have their own advocates and camps of followers, recent developments have seen many of the EA approaches and frameworks looking to offer increasing support for SOA. The fact that business is increasingly conducted in a collaborative fashion, using distributed Internet technologies, makes this very welcome. While I review these developments and more in an upcoming Executive Report ("EA Meets SOA in a Challenged Global Economy"), right now I want to offer some general observations on extending your EA to support SOA.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090527.html

Architectural Challenges in Transforming to SaaS Solutions

22 May 2009 15:50:46 GMT

Markande, Krishna | Executive Updates | 22 May 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

To fully understand the advantages and challenges in software as a service (SaaS), we must analyze the emerging model thoroughly from the viewpoint of customers and independent software vendors (ISVs). The aim of such scrutiny is to reap the benefits and mitigate possible risks of SaaS.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/updates/2009/eau0910.html

Aiming for the Big Picture, EA Goes Beyond 3D

20 May 2009 15:40:43 GMT

Orr, Ken | E-Mail Advisors | 20 May 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

For a long time, I have been advocating that the right analogy for enterprise architecture is urban/transportation planning versus building architecture. Now, while designing and building a single large building is a complex, difficult problem, what large IT organizations everywhere are faced with is not just developing or replacing individual systems, regardless of how difficult that that may be. Rather, they are managing networks or systems; in some cases networks of networks of systems. Enterprise architecture, like urban/transportation planning, is involved with trying to understand and shape the really big picture.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090520.html

COBIT Primer

13 May 2009 15:30:20 GMT

Rosen, Mike | E-Mail Advisors | 13 May 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

There are so many different frameworks with which architects work -- TOGAF, Zachmann, FEAF, ITIL -- to name just a few. All have different goals, strengths, weaknesses, audiences, and so on. The one that I find to be the least well known among architects is COBIT. Yet I find that many CIOs and executives are familiar with this framework and that it is important in communicating up to the C-level. COBIT, originally released in 1996, is currently at version 4.1 (you can download the guide from www.isaca.org).

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090513.html

Open Source Java Frameworks: GUI, Web, Web Services, and Persistence

12 May 2009 14:52:03 GMT

Welsh, Tom | Executive Updates | 12 May 2009 | Enterprise Architecture
This is the fourth in a series of Executive Updates in which I analyze the results of a recent Cutter Consortium survey on the subject of open source Java frameworks (OSJFs). Part I1 explored Java EE's perceived strengths and weaknesses, to find out whether there is good reason for developers to look for alternatives. In Part II,2 we saw that nearly three in four respondents think that OSJFs always or often offer good solutions to Java's shortcomings, though there was some concern about the risk of lock-in, uncertainty over future plans, and lack of standardization.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/updates/2009/eau0909.html

A Capability Trilogy, Part III: Triage Comes Into Play

6 May 2009 16:00:35 GMT

Allen, Paul | E-Mail Advisors | 06 May 2009 | Enterprise Architecture; Business-IT Strategies

While the notion of core/context capabilities is central to the whole capability-driven approach, it is sometimes quite difficult to take a strictly binary view. Graduating capabilities in terms of their degree of commoditization can help, and it is possible to use several classifications along a spectrum from high to low commoditization. At the same time, it's important not to overegg the pudding.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090506.html

Harnessing Your Architecture Repository to Value

30 Apr 2009 15:52:20 GMT

Rosen, Michael | E-Mail Advisors | 30 April 2009 | Business Technology Trends & Impacts; Enterprise Architecture

As more and more enterprises realize a need for architecture, the vendors of tools that support architecture are jumping on the opportunity. I'm seeing a growing trend in the acquisition of enterprise architecture repositories. Unfortunately, I haven't yet seen most organizations realize the value that these tools can bring. As always, technology itself does not provide business value; it only enables solutions. It is how you use the technology that brings value, and repositories are no exception.

http://www.cutter.com/content/trends/fulltext/advisor/2009/btt090430.html

Take Iterative Steps: Start Small, Empower Team Via Vision, Value

29 Apr 2009 15:50:35 GMT

Berglove, Dan; van Tyn, Jeroen | E-Mail Advisors | 29 April 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

The iterative and incremental approach to software development has become a well-established best practice, as evidenced by its centrality to any number of software development methodologies, including agile and variations on the Unified Process.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090429.html

The Myth of Software Reuse

24 Apr 2009 15:45:34 GMT

Rooney, David | Executive Updates | 24 April 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

I've been developing software professionally since 1988, long enough to have encountered multiple fads and movements within the software industry. A goal that has endured from my first few months as a developer to the present day: software should be reusable. Object orientation promised it. Component-based software promised it. Now, Web services and service-oriented architecture (SOA) promise that holy grail of substantially reduced costs through the reuse of code.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/updates/2009/eau0908.html

Getting to the Root of Corporate Change -- Motivation

22 Apr 2009 15:37:03 GMT

Rosen, Mike | E-Mail Advisors | 22 April 2009 | Enterprise Architecture; Business-IT Strategies; Agile Project Management

As an architect, I'm constantly challenged to help organizations come up with better ways to do things. Unfortunately, in IT, we don't usually bring in architecture before there is some kind of mess to clean up. The typical scenarios include: complexity has gotten out of control, costs are too high, it takes too long to do anything, systems are brittle and can't be changed, a change in one place breaks something somewhere else, and on and on. You know the litany of problems.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090422.html

A Capability Trilogy, Part II: The Nine Dimensions of Capability

15 Apr 2009 15:00:44 GMT

Allen, Paul | E-Mail Advisors | 15 April 2009 | Enterprise Architecture; Business-IT Strategies

As discussed in the first Advisor in this series (see "A Capability Trilogy, Part I: The Politics of Capability," 25 March 2009), capability-oriented thinking is becoming increasingly influential in methodologies, enterprise architecture frameworks, and business strategy. A business capability (capability for short) is a combination of capacity and ability to perform a coherent family of functions in terms of what must be done to achieve stated outcomes (see my Business-IT Strategies Executive Report, "Business Capabilities: Realizing the Potential" Vol. 12, No. 2).

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090415.html

Don't Blame It All on Release Management

14 Apr 2009 14:57:14 GMT

Konkol, Sebastian | Executive Updates | 14 April 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

After the publication of Part I of my two-part Executive Report series1, 2 on release management, I received some comments. Some of the issues mentioned could be seen as symptomatic of each organization that deals with release management. In light of these comments and from a recent consulting project at a mobile operator struggling with release issues related to its IT and VAS platforms environments, I decided to revisit release management and provide another perspective in this Executive Update: how release management helps uncover problems that can directly be attributed to software development, architecture, and collaboration.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/updates/2009/eau0907.html

What Doesn't Kill You ... And Other Lessons About Support

8 Apr 2009 13:17:36 GMT

Rosen, Mike | E-Mail Advisors | 08 April 2009 | Enterprise Architecture; Enterprise Risk Management & Governance

They say "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," and perhaps this is true for architects as well. I recently went through an experience that all architects and IT professionals should go through occasionally, but not too often. An insipid virus infected my computer, having evaded the defenses of my firewall/security product and, slowly but surely, rendered my laptop useless. Since I had also fallen prey to application bloat over the years and laptop performance had slowed to the speed of a pig stuck in molasses in January without a paddle, there was really nothing to do but rebuild the OS.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090408.html

Making SOA Work by Shedding IT's Anorak

7 Apr 2009 13:15:27 GMT

Allen, Paul | Executive Updates | 07 April 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is often approached as very much a technology-centric initiative. However, while SOA infrastructure and technical design both have vital parts to play, they must be judged at the end of the day as enablers of business improvement. A good SOA is only as good as the business knowledge that goes into its construction. Eliciting this business knowledge depends on developing and sustaining a good business case, which requires significant raising of the business-IT communication bar. This Executive Update considers the results of a recent Cutter Consortium survey showing that we remain well short of this bar. We present some short, sharp guidelines for improving this situation. The bottom line is that IT must shed its anorak1 and operate within the context of organizational change management. This Update offers guidance for you to apply on this difficult journey, with particular reference to the impact of SOA on the business case for IT projects.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/updates/2009/eau0906.html

Review: TOGAF 9 Takes Key Steps Forward

1 Apr 2009 13:10:32 GMT

Rosen, Mike | E-Mail Advisors | 01 April 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

It's been five years in the making, and perhaps a few years later than promised, but TOGAF 9 was finally released to the public in mid-February 2009. You can download a 744-page, PDF evaluation copy, subject to license restrictions, from The Open Group's Web site (www.opengroup.org/togaf), purchase a downloadable version for US $40 (free to Open Group members), or spring for the nicely bound hard-copy version for €75.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090401.html

Service-Oriented Architecture: Foundational Elements

1 Mar 2009 14:35:26 GMT

Maitra, Amit K. | Executive Reports | 01 March 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

"Service-oriented architecture" (SOA) is a powerful term regularly abused by its constant reference to developmental technologies rather than its architectural approach. This Executive Report by Dr. Amit K. Maitra discusses SOA in the context of "services" as the term applies to architecture and to "architecture" as it applies to exposing the services. The new service concept is revolutionizing and accelerating the way enterprises accomplish business integration by providing a foundation for business agility with minimal cost and full potential for application reusability. This report first defines the foundational elements of SOA then argues that just as the Enterprise Service Bus connects applications to services in an SOA, a similar approach with the potential benefits of architecting a messaging foundation for the functionality of "information as a service" could and should be undertaken.

http://www.cutter.com/architecture/fulltext/reports/2009/03/index.html

A Capability Trilogy, Part I: The Politics of Capability

25 Mar 2009 14:26:34 GMT

Allen, Paul | E-Mail Advisors | 25 March 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

Organizations continue to recalibrate their business models in order to cut costs in challenging economic circumstances. At the same time, cuts that are spread evenly across business units and departments may seem democratic but can be a very shortsighted strategy. Breaking an organization down into component capabilities can allow an organization to focus its investment where it has the greatest benefit.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090325.html

Bold CIO -- It Is SOA Time!

25 Mar 2009 14:25:55 GMT

Cohen, Pini | E-Mail Advisors | 25 March 2009 | Enterprise Architecture; Cutter IT Journal

A lot has been said lately about service-oriented architecture (SOA). Still, I would like to take a look at another angle of SOA adoption in the light of the current economic turmoil.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090325.html

Semantics Is Hot; Data and Objects Are Not, Part I: The Emergence of the Semantic Web

19 Mar 2009 14:13:32 GMT

Orr, Ken | E-Mail Advisors | 19 March 2009 | Business Technology Trends & Impacts; Business Intelligence; Enterprise Architecture

(This is the first in a series of Trends Advisors that will deal with the complex landscape of content, unstructured and structured, that confront organizations and individuals as we move from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 and beyond. Future Advisors will deal with the growing schism between developers and database experts.)

http://www.cutter.com/content/trends/fulltext/advisor/2009/btt090319.html

Six Key Capabilities on Road to EA Success

18 Mar 2009 14:11:27 GMT

Berglove, Dan; van Tyn, Jeroen | E-Mail Advisors | 18 March 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

A key objective of enterprise architecture (EA) is to deliver to business strategies and imperatives. This is also the basis for measuring the success of EA investment. While architectural models, specifications, standards, and so on are, of course, important; they will not, in and of themselves, enable this on their own. A foundational set of organizational capabilities must be in place that enables businesses to realize architecture-based solutions on a sustained basis.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090318.html

Desktops in the Cloud? They're on the Horizon

11 Mar 2009 19:51:47 GMT

Hall, Curt | E-Mail Advisors | 11 March 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

We are beginning to hear more serious thought given to the concept of third-party providers managing desktop environments via the cloud. For example, as reported in a recent Computerworld article,1 at the recent VMWorld Europe 2009 conference in Cannes, France, Jocelyn Goldfein, general manager of VMWare's desktop business unit, said she believes the desktop is an area that's ripe for moving to the cloud. Having spent about one and one-half years dealing with Microsoft's Vista operating system, I'm beginning to think that she may be onto something. But is widespread use of cloud-based desktops really on the horizon?

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090311.html

Value from the Intersection of Business and Technology Architecture: Part II

8 Mar 2009 19:47:49 GMT

Bess, Charles E.; Mullis, Philip S. | Executive Updates | 08 March 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

In Part I of this two-part Executive Update series, we explored the value of architecture and the function of the architect.1 Here, we discuss the various stages and domains of architecture and why enterprise architecture (EA) is good business.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/updates/2009/eau0905.html

Taking a Step Toward Radical Delivery with Enterprise Architecture

4 Mar 2009 19:40:22 GMT

Andriole, Stephen J. | E-Mail Advisors | 04 March 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

Pretend that you are either starting a new company or -- with the help of a magic wand -- completely reengineering the technology delivery model at your current company. What do you do? One of the steps that you should take involves enterprise architecture.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090304.html

Release Management Framework: Part II

1 Feb 2009 14:17:24 GMT

Konkol, Sebastian | Executive Reports | 01 February 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

This Executive Report by Sebastian Konkol is the second in a two-part series focusing on the practice of release management. Release management is a method of coordinated introduction of various software modifications to the production systems environment. While the first report looked at the methodological aspects of release management implementation, this report offers a pragmatic view on the various issues directly related to release management. It provides examples of concepts employed and presents two real-world case studies.

http://www.cutter.com/architecture/fulltext/reports/2009/02/index.html

Open Source Java Frameworks: Adoption

27 Feb 2009 14:11:08 GMT

Welsh, Tom | Executive Updates | 27 February 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

Here in Part III, I shall examine how far OSJFs have penetrated the market as well as which types are currently most popular. I shall also present some ways in which responding organizations "give back" to the open source organizations that develop and maintain the software they use, and in what ways they do so.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/updates/2009/eau0904.html

The Trojan Horse for IT

25 Feb 2009 14:03:09 GMT

Allen, Paul | E-Mail Advisors | 25 February 2009 | Business-IT Strategies; Enterprise Architecture

Like me, you may already be all too well aware of the Trojan horse as a security threat and use regular virus checks to avoid the problem. Yet, the same idea -- smuggling through content under a label that refers to something else -- can be used with a much more positive effect.

http://www.cutter.com/content/alignment/fulltext/advisor/2009/bit090225.html

Death by Architecture

3 Mar 2009 14:02:15 GMT

Rosen, Mike | E-Mail Advisors | 25 February 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

I recently received a large architecture document to review. After poring through a few hundred pages of text and drawings, I was impressed by how much work and thought had gone into it yet how utterly useless it was. Now, don't get me wrong: it's not that architecture is unimportant; quite the opposite. The classic, big architecture document is just the wrong way to deliver it. I had hoped that the industry had gotten past these kinds of deliverables; apparently I was wrong.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090225.html

Value from the Intersection of Business and Technology Architecture: Part I

20 Feb 2009 13:55:43 GMT

Bess, Charles E.; Mullis, Philip S. | Executive Updates | 20 February 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

The buildup of application strata is a side effect of the success of various projects in isolation. Addressing this issue is exactly where architecture adds to and enables business value to be maximized. In this two-part Executive Update series, we consider the stages and functions of architecture, as well as architects themselves and describe why architecture maximizes business value.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/updates/2009/eau0903.html

All Aboard the SOA Governance Train: Laying down the Track

19 Feb 2009 22:19:00 GMT

Allen, Paul | E-Mail Advisors | 18 February 2009 | Enterprise Architecture; Business-IT Strategies

Despite the promises of service-oriented architecture (SOA), many organizations are increasingly encountering difficult governance issues as they start to ramp up their early SOA efforts. For example, if a service is to be widely used, then who owns the service, who funds it, who is allowed to provide it, who is allowed to use it, and how is it specified in a way that consumers can readily understand?

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090218.html

Good Timing: Conducting Architecture in Tune with the Mood

11 Feb 2009 22:01:37 GMT

Allen, Paul | E-Mail Advisors | 11 February 2009 | Business-IT Strategies; Enterprise Architecture

Gaining momentum for any type of IT architectural effort partly depends on the organization's level of architecture adoption maturity. Push too soon, and the necessary infrastructure won't have had time to mature, and your solutions won't scale. Time it too late, and your architecture effort will be forever playing technology catch-up, squeezed off the front page of the business and IT agenda by other initiatives with more pressing cases for action. Architecture maturity, however, is only part of the story.

http://www.cutter.com/content/alignment/fulltext/advisor/2009/bit090211.html

Taking the Long View Means Thinking Like an Enterprise Architect

11 Feb 2009 22:00:12 GMT

Orr, Ken | E-Mail Advisors | 11 February 2009 | Enterprise Architecture; Business Intelligence

Here is a question: "What will the computing environment of a midsize enterprise be in 2020?" That is, it seems to me, a fair question. The year 2020 is just about 11 years away (10 years if you're in government), and a decade is just a blink of the eye. What programming language will you be developing systems in: Java, .NET, Python, Ruby -- something else? What database management system will you be using? What computing platform will your organization be using: centralized, decentralized, on the cloud?

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090211.html

Producing Agile Applications

1 Jan 2009 14:24:58 GMT

Sims, Oliver | Executive Reports | 01 January 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

Application developers need to handle a surprising amount of software technology. Platform suppliers cater to many architectural styles, thereby leaving a gap between their platforms and an application's business function. Filling this gap takes time and effort and reduces the "agility" -- simplicity and resilience -- of the application code. This Executive Report by Oliver Sims first identifies how software technology can be clearly separated from business function and then proposes simplifying approaches that can make the business function more "agile." Together, these elements can significantly reduce the time needed to develop distributed enterprise applications.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/reports/2009/01/index.html

Managing Risk with SOA

9 Feb 2009 13:39:32 GMT

Allen, Paul | Executive Updates | 09 February 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

There has rightly been much focus of late on service-oriented architecture (SOA) governance and managing the risks of SOA.1 In this Executive Update, we explain how SOA -- properly done -- is in fact a powerful mechanism for managing both IT and business risks.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/updates/2009/eau0902.html

Book Review: A Fresh Look at Building the Agile Enterprise

4 Feb 2009 13:33:10 GMT

Rosen, Mike | E-Mail Advisors | 04 February 2009 | Enterprise Architecture; Business-IT Strategies

Are you ready for a fresh perspective on agility, architecture, and SOA? Then check out Building the Agile Enterprise with SOA, BPM and MBM, a book by Fred Cummins (Morgan Kaufmann, 2008). Don't let the title scare you away. While it does cover service-oriented architecture (SOA), business process management (BPM), and model-based management (MBM), and gives you a good overview of these technologies, this is more a book about structuring the agile enterprise from a business perspective.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090204.html

Open Source Java Frameworks: Strengths and Weaknesses

4 Feb 2009 13:31:58 GMT

Welsh, Tom | Executive Updates | 04 February 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

This is the second in a series of Executive Updates examining the results of a recent Cutter Consortium survey on the subject of open source Java frameworks (OSJFs). Part I looked at the conventional Java EE model, with particular focus on its strengths and weaknesses.1 It turns out that respondents see Java EE's platform neutrality as its greatest asset, followed by tool support, scalability, maturity, and robustness. On the other hand, there is widespread feeling that Java EE suffers from excessive complexity and its consequences. These include a formidably steep learning curve, difficulty in finding suitably experienced developers, and delays in adopting the latest technical improvements.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/updates/2009/eau0901.html

The King (SOA) Is Dead; Long Live the King

28 Jan 2009 19:05:40 GMT

Allen, Paul | E-Mail Advisors | 28 January 2009 | Enterprise Architecture; Business Technology Trends & Impacts

A recent blog post from the Burton Group on the alleged "Death of SOA" has been causing quite a stir.1 The contention is that the bad economic situation has finally finished the "SOAsaurus" off and that we must now concentrate on services, along with mashups, cloud computing, and software as a service (SaaS) -- and not service-oriented architecture (SOA).

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090128.html

EA Resolutions for '09: Roadmap, 2.0, Good Books, Value

21 Jan 2009 18:54:53 GMT

Rosen, Mike | E-Mail Advisors | 21 January 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

As 2009 brings dramatic change to the economy, politics, and IT, some consistency might be in order. So, as I have in the past, I've devoted my first Advisor of the year to suggestions for New Year's resolutions.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090121.html

SOA Enables Agile Methods

16 Jan 2009 18:48:55 GMT

Cummins, Fred A. | Executive Updates | 16 January 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) provides the basis for structuring the business and supporting applications as a composition of relatively autonomous services that interact through well-defined interfaces. An otherwise large, monolithic project comes to comprise multiple small projects, each defined to support the adaptation or development of a distinct business capability. These small projects are amenable to agile methods.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/updates/2008/eau0824.html

The 31-Square-Foot Architecture

15 Jan 2009 16:16:53 GMT

Coldewey, Jens | E-Mail Advisors | 15 January 2009 | Agile Project Management; Enterprise Architecture

How much architecture does an agile team need up front? Most agile methods are surprisingly silent when it comes to this question. Scrum regards architecture as an issue the team has to deal with on its own discretion -- and thus does not include any advice. In Crystal Clear: A Human-Powered Methodology for Small Teams, Cutter Senior Consultant Alistair Cockburn suggests having a lead designer who is responsible for creating the system architecture description -- "usually fairly early in the first iteration" -- but also emphasizes that "the architecture will probably evolve" and gives two strategies to help evolving: Walking Skeleton and Incremental Rearchitecture. XP finally suggests using a metaphor to keep up the technical vision of the system; unfortunately, one of the most neglected practices of XP. XP also relies heavily on refactoring to evolve the architecture in addition to unit tests to scaffold it. In the second edition of his book Extreme Programming Explained, Cutter Senior Consultant Kent Beck finally introduced the architect as a role in the XP team, emphasizing that, "Architects sign up for programming tasks just like any programmer."

http://www.cutter.com/content/project/fulltext/advisor/2009/apm090115.html

Enabling Your Solution Projects with SOA

14 Jan 2009 16:10:34 GMT

Allen, Paul | E-Mail Advisors | 14 January 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

Despite the reality of service-oriented business -- as evidenced by partnering, collaboration, outsourcing, core competency focus, and the like -- many software solution projects aimed at solving business problems do not yet use service-oriented architecture (SOA) as a key enabler. I hear a variety of reasons from project managers for this, including the following:

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090114.html

Bailing Out IT's Infrastructure

7 Jan 2009 15:53:33 GMT

Orr, Ken | E-Mail Advisors | 07 January 2009 | Enterprise Architecture; Business-IT Strategies; Business Technology Trends & Impacts

This is the time of year when everyone makes resolutions and projects what they'd like to see in the new year. As I thought about what CIOs could wish for, it occurred to me that they might wish for inclusion of US President Elect Barack Obama's Infrastructure Investment Program for 2009. Clearly, we need to "invest" in roads, bridges, and electrical and telecommunications networks; why not some investment in one of the most significant portions of the economy: business enterprise architecture infrastructures and knowledge management.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2009/ea090107.html

Open Source Java Frameworks: Strengths and Weaknesses of Java EE Provide Motivation for OSJF

7 Jan 2009 15:52:18 GMT

Welsh, Tom | Executive Updates | 07 January 2009 | Enterprise Architecture

This is the first of a series of Executive Updates that examines the results of a recent Cutter Consortium survey on the subject of open source Java frameworks (OSJF). Here in Part I, I look at the reasons behind the recent surge in popularity of OSJF, which mostly arise from dissatisfaction with enterprise Java.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/updates/2008/eau0823.html

SoaML: A Fresh Modeling Language for SOA

31 Dec 2008 15:38:33 GMT

Rosen, Mike | E-Mail Advisors | 31 December 2008 | Enterprise Architecture

So, for the domain of services and SOA, it should be no surprise that a domain-specific, UML profile has been developed by the OMG. Under development for the past two years, SoaML, the UML profile for services, has just been approved by the OMG Architecture Board and is well on its way through the lengthy path of standardization.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2008/ea081231.html

Joined-Up Service Sourcing and Usage

1 Dec 2008 19:54:11 GMT

Allen, Paul | Executive Reports | 01 December 2008 | Enterprise Architecture

While effective service sourcing strategies are absolutely critical for effective outsourcing, they are commonly misunderstood and ill defined. Worse still, the execution of these approaches tends to be somewhat isolated, both from the domain of software architecture and development and the world of business decision making. In this Executive Report by Paul Allen, we take an inclusive approach to service sourcing, explaining in particular how SOA can be used to facilitate decisions on outsourcing and how an SOA center of excellence can work as a unit to join up what are often disparate functions. We take the lid off the service sourcing can and explain how best to organize it in terms of processes, policies, roles, and artifacts.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/reports/2008/12/index.html

A Good Example of Business Rules in Action

24 Dec 2008 19:47:10 GMT

Hall, Curt | E-Mail Advisors | 24 December 2008 | Enterprise Architecture

I've been covering business rules management systems (BRMS) for years now. However, I occasionally get the feeling that some still consider BRMS to be some sort of far-out technology. That's "far out" in the way of being too advanced or too out of reach for more mainstream end-user organizations to employ. This is understandable, because many of the BRMS applications cited tend to focus on advanced systems developed by high-tech companies. So, for this week's Advisor, I thought I'd give an example of how an end-user company outside of the high-tech, financial services, or insurance industries is benefiting from business rules technology.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2008/ea081224.html

Recently Added

29 Dec 2008 19:26:45 GMT

The Technology Five-Step: Why You Need to Do the Strategy, Architecture, Delivery, Organization, and Efficiency Dance -- Now by Stephen J. Andriole
Radical Delivery: How the Extreme Gets to Normal in 10 Steps by Stephen J. Andriole
Quality of Service: You Can't Measure What You Don't Specify! by Paul Allen
Turning Stuff Off: The New Productivity Booster by Tim Lister and the Cutter Business Technology Council

Focusing on Components Means Missing the Big Picture

18 Dec 2008 19:19:45 GMT

Orr, Ken | E-Mail Advisors | 18 December 2008 | Business Technology Trends & Impacts; Enterprise Architecture

I am always surprised to find myself in discussions with people who have architect titles and who have little feeling about the key concepts of architecture. Too many members of the current generation of technical experts have very little comprehension of what differentiates systems from programs or services. As a consequence, they and the companies that they counsel are doomed to a very limited set of options: 1) purchase and install packages, 2) hire outsourcers to develop systems that they are incapable of maintaining, or 3) make cosmetic changes to ever older core systems.

http://www.cutter.com/content/trends/fulltext/advisor/2008/btt081218.html

For Architectural Fundamentals, Look to the Romans

17 Dec 2008 19:10:01 GMT

Rosen, Mike | E-Mail Advisors | 17 December 2008 | Enterprise Architecture

When we think about IT architecture, or talk about it, the desire to draw parallels with building architecture is often irresistible. Since I have just returned from a visit to Italy, I'm drawn to make some observations along these lines.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2008/ea081217.html

Agile SOA Governance: Illusion or Reality?

15 Dec 2008 19:03:49 GMT

Allen, Paul | Executive Updates | 15 December 2008 | Enterprise Architecture

Many service-oriented architecture (SOA) governance initiatives become bogged down in a bureaucracy that militates against the very agility that SOA promises in the first place. Is there a way to achieve agile SOA governance, or is this simply an illusion? Fortunately, our experiences show that there are responsive and practical approaches to SOA governance. As with most things in life, balance is the key. In this Executive Update, we consider how to introduce SOA governance in a planned yet incremental fashion, in small chunks, with respect to prioritized business outcomes and risks.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/updates/2008/eau0822.html

Trends and Anti-Trends for 2009

11 Dec 2008 14:45:42 GMT

Kellen, Vince | E-Mail Advisors | 11 December 2008 | Business Technology Trends & Impacts; Business Intelligence; Enterprise Architecture; Sourcing & Vendor Relationships; Business-IT Strategies

With 2009 looming large, ugly, and just around the corner, it's time for the obligatory prognostications. Boy, is this difficult.... Hmmm. What will next year bring? Any wild guesses?

http://www.cutter.com/content/trends/fulltext/advisor/2008/btt081211.html

The Universal Nature of Enterprise Architecture

10 Dec 2008 14:41:37 GMT

van Tyn, Jeroen | E-Mail Advisors | 10 December 2008 | Enterprise Architecture

I've recently been observing a group of people attempting to develop a local food system for their community. What strikes me is that the principles of enterprise architecture (EA) that I've learned and used over the years are entirely relevant to this endeavor, despite the fact that IT has no role in it whatsoever.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/advisor/2008/ea081210.html

Release Management Framework: Part I

1 Nov 2008 17:11:34 GMT

Konkol, Sebastian | Executive Reports | 01 November 2008 | Enterprise Architecture

This Executive Report by Sebastian Konkol focuses on the release management framework, which is a method involving the coordinated introduction of various software modifications to the production systems environment. The method aims at global optimization by building business value through the delivery of software modifications. The framework consists of a release implementation process, which provides a skeleton for work organization and progress assessment; strict definition of the release contents able to be altered throughout the process run; a set of environments giving means of iterative release contents validation; and interrelations with other processes related to technology management, such as configuration management, problem handling, or project management. The report also discusses a means of risk management, which is embedded in the method, as well as how the method relates to business value delivery processes.

http://www.cutter.com/architecture/fulltext/reports/2008/11/index.html

EA to AE: Enterprise Architecture to Assets for the Enterprise

5 Dec 2008 17:08:56 GMT

Peterson, Mark | Executive Updates | 05 December 2008 | Enterprise Architecture

Many corporations and public-sector organizations are struggling with the increasingly rapid changes in the business and political environment. Market conditions, cost constraints, and technology implementations often bring stress to an IT organization. One of the most significant stress points is the lack of IT management's ability to effectively gain support for an enterprise architecture (EA) and provide a roadmap to generate asset value from IT investments.

http://www.cutter.com/content/architecture/fulltext/updates/2008/eau0821.html