software architecture and agile: is it unrequited love?
DESCRIPTION
Nobody would argue that Agile software development and software architecture don't go hand in hand together, and yet it seems that the software architecture community is much more interested in agile topics than the agile community is in software architecture topics. Is this a case of unrequited love? This presentation explores this question and explores a few possible reasons why this perception of unrequited love between software architecture and agile might exist.TRANSCRIPT
SATURN Conference
Michael Keeling
IBM
@michaelkeeling
An Agile Practitioner’s Perspective
2Dante and Beatrice, by Henry Holiday, 1884
3Dante and Beatrice, by Henry Holiday, 1884
Hypothesis…
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The National Agile conference will have
fewer talks about software architecture
than SATURN has talks about Agile.
Implication: Architecture’s “love” for
agile is not returned.
How many speaker sessions might
work at either Agile or SATURN?
• Reviewed session keywords, titles,
abstracts, common speakers
– National Agile conference and SATURN
• Used some “expert judgment”
– Regular speaker and attendee
– Technical committee member for Agile and
SATURN since 2012 and 2013 respectively
– Master in Software Engineering5
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Session count...
Agile SATURN
2011 10 7
2012 6 8
2013 9 9
2014 5 11
How many speaker sessions might
work at either Agile or SATURN?
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Agile SATURN
2011 7% 21%
2012 4% 18%
2013 6% 26%
2014 3% 24%
Percentage of total sessions…
How many speaker sessions might
work at either Agile or SATURN?
By the numbers… Since 2011
• 5% of talks at Agile were likely relevant to
SATURN audience
– Approx 30 of 580
• 22% of talks at SATURN were likely
directly relevant to Agile audience
– Approximately 35 / 160
• Interesting aside: European Agile
conferences have greater focus on
architecture and design than in US8
SATURN “Best Presentation”
Awards presented by IEEE, SEI
• “Architecture in Practice” Best Presentation award started in 2010
– “Awarded to the presentation that best describes experiences, methods, and lessons learned from the implementation of architecture-centric practices.”
• Award decided by attendees
– Voting cards
• 4 out of 5 awards given to agile or lean topics since 2010
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From whence doth this apparent
unrequited love arise?
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More Vision-Oriented
MoreDetail-Oriented
CEO,Product Management
Programmers
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More Vision-Oriented
MoreDetail-Oriented
Ideas
Implementation
“Realization Boundary”
Must cross to see ideas become reality
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More Vision-Oriented
MoreDetail-Oriented
Extremely easy to change
More difficult to change
Code
Detailed Design
Architectural Design
Vision / Ideas
Disturbing Implication…
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Worst Case Scneario...
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I had a great idea over the weekend
that we just have to get in the next
release!
Visionary Leader
Legitimate Business Scenario...
17Visionary Leader
There's a trend emerging we didn't anticipate and I need this feature in the next release so we can
remain relevant!
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Software systems are built on
easily changeable premises.
This is a good thing.
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Architecting for agility is the point.
National Agile Conference Focus
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More Vision-Oriented
MoreDetail-Oriented
Product management,Project management,Organizational change (coaching)
Agile process and practices,Team performance,Craftsmanship,Agile Coaching
"Throw it over the wall..."
SATURN Conference Focus
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More Vision-Oriented
MoreDetail-Oriented
Product management, Project management, Organizational change...
through architecture
Development practices,Technology selection,Craftsmanship
SATURN Conference Focus
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More Vision-Oriented
MoreDetail-Oriented
Design methods and practices, Communication mediums,Foundations and concepts
Transitioning the realization boundary
Why does SATURN have
this focus?
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More Vision-Oriented
MoreDetail-Oriented
Software Architects must live in both worlds and cross the realization boundary freely!
CEO,Product Management
Programmers
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Hi, Agile, I'm ready to embrace
change!
*sigh* it's that software architecture again... he's just so...
structured..
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Agile promotes preserving choice.
Software architecture promotes preserving structure.
Natural tension between Agile and architecture…
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Lots of things have to work “just right” for a team to be agile.
We think software architecture is one of the more important and
interesting areas.
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SATURN is an amazing conference
for Agile Architects!
SATURN is for Agile Architects
• Smaller conference
– Greater engagement
– More meaningful networking
• Lower costs
– Better value – lower $$ / relevant knowledge
• Narrower focus
– Greater number of relevant sessions
– Higher density of usable software architecture
information29
Agile Highlights at SATURN 2014
• Joe Justice of WIKISPEED, SCRUM Inc
• Diane Marsh of Netflix
• Bill Opdyke, of refactoring fame
• Sessions hosted by Rebecca Wirfs-Brock
• Open Space facilitated by Diana Larson
• More…
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Hot Topics at SATURN and Agile
• Architecting for DevOps
– Continuous delivery
– Cloud concerns
– More…
• Micro-Services
• Technical Debt
• Design Thinking
• Organizational alignment (Conway’s Law)
• More…
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SATURN 2015 will continue to focus on architecting for agility.
Thank you!
Michael Keeling
@michaelkeeling
http://neverletdown.net
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Website: http://www.sei.cmu.edu/saturn/2015/
Call for Submissions: http://www.sei.cmu.edu/saturn/2015/call-for-submissions/
Rolling Acceptance until January 16, 2015