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   Software architect
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return false;"href=#> </a><li class=lj><a onclick="share('lj'); return false;"href=#> </a><li class=li><a onclick="share('li'); return false;"href=#> </a></ul><div id=article><dl><div itemscope itemtype=http://webmaster.yandex.ru/vocabularies/enc-article.xml><dt class=term itemprop=title lang=en>Software architect<dd class=descript itemprop=content lang=en><div class=mw-content-ltr dir=ltr lang=en><p><b> Software architect </b> is a general term with many accepted definitions, which refers to a broad range of roles. Generally accepted terminology and certifications began appearing in connection with this role near the beginning of the 21st century.<table class=toc id=toc><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: left;"><div id=toctitle><h2>Contents</h2></div> <ul><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href=#History> <span class=tocnumber> 1 </span> <span class=toctext> History </span> </a><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href=#Duties> <span class=tocnumber> 2 </span> <span class=toctext> Duties </span> </a> <ul><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href=#Design> <span class=tocnumber> 2.1 </span> <span class=toctext> Design </span> </a><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href=#Communication> <span class=tocnumber> 2.2 </span> <span class=toctext> Communication </span> </a></ul><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5"><a href=#Other_types_of_IT-related_Architects> <span class=tocnumber> 3 </span> <span class=toctext> Other types of IT-related Architects </span> </a><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href=#Architect_metaphor> <span class=tocnumber> 4 </span> <span class=toctext> Architect metaphor </span> </a><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href=#Ivory_towers> <span class=tocnumber> 5 </span> <span class=toctext> Ivory towers </span> </a><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-8"><a href=#See_also> <span class=tocnumber> 6 </span> <span class=toctext> See also </span> </a><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9"><a href=#References> <span class=tocnumber> 7 </span> <span class=toctext> References </span> </a><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-10"><a href=#External_links> <span class=tocnumber> 8 </span> <span class=toctext> External links </span> </a></ul></table><h2><span class=mw-headline id=History> History </span></h2><p>With the increasing popularity of multi-tier application development, the choices of how an application can be built have also increased. Given that expansion, the risk that a software development project may inadvertently create an end product that in essence already exists has grown markedly. A new 'Software architect' role became necessary during <a href=155292> software development </a> <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup> .<p>The software architect concept began to take hold when object oriented programming (OOP) was coming into more widespread use (in the late 1990s and early years of the 21st century) <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup> . OOP allowed ever-larger and more complex applications to be built, which in turn required increased high-level application and system oversight.<p>The main responsibilities of a software architect include:<ul><li>Limiting choices available during development by</ul><dl><dd><ul><li>choosing a standard way of pursuing <a href=155292> application development </a> <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup><li>creating, defining, or choosing an <a href=156585> application framework </a> for the application <b> <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup> </b></ul></dl><ul><li>Recognizing potential reuse in the <a href=64314> organization </a> or in the application by</ul><dl><dd><ul><li>Observing and understanding the broader system environment <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup><li>Creating the <a href=1323824> component design </a> <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup><li>Having knowledge of other applications in the <a href=64314> organization </a> <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup></ul></dl><p>Software architects can also:<ul><li>Subdivide a complex application, during the design phase, into smaller, more manageable pieces <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup><li>Grasp the functions of each component within the application <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup><li>Understand the interactions and dependencies among components <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup><li>Communicate these concepts to developers <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup></ul><p>In order to perform these responsibilities effectively, software architects often use <a href=19772> Unified Modeling Language </a> <sup class="noprint Inline-Template"style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="The material in the vicinity of this tag may not be factual or accurate from June 2011"> dubious </span> </a> <span class=metadata> – <a href=1184843> discuss </a> </span> </i> ] </sup> and OOP <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup> . UML has become an important tool for software architects to use in communicating the overall system design to developers and other team members, comparable to the drawings made by <a href=326> building architects </a> .<h2><span class=mw-headline id=Duties> Duties </span></h2><p>Despite the lack of an accepted overall definition, the role of software architect generally has certain common traits:<h3><span class=mw-headline id=Design> Design </span></h3><p>The architect makes high-level design choices much more often than low-level choices. In addition, the architect may sometimes dictate technical standards, including coding standards, tools, or platforms, so as to advance business goals rather than to place arbitrary restrictions on the choices of developers <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup> . Software architects may also be engaged in the design of the architecture of the hardware environment, or may focus entirely on the design methodology of the code.<h3><span class=mw-headline id=Communication> Communication </span></h3><p>Architects also have to communicate effectively, not only to understand the business needs, but also to advance their own architectural vision. They can do so verbally, in writing, and through various software architectural models that specialize in communicating architecture.<h2><span class=mw-headline id=Other_types_of_IT-related_Architects> Other types of IT-related Architects </span></h2><p>The <a href=2610034> enterprise architect </a> handles the interaction between the business and IT sides of an organization and is principally involved with determining the AS-IS and TO-BE states from a business and IT process perspective. Unfortunately many organizations are bundling the software architect duties within the role of Enterprise Architecture. This is primarily done as an effort to "up-sell" the role of a software architect and/or to merge two disparate business-related disciplines to avoid overhead.<p>An application architect works with a single software application. This may be a full- or a part-time role. The application architect is almost always an active software developer <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup> .<p>Other similar titles in use, but without consensus on their exact meaning, include:<ul><li><a href=8974418> Solutions Architect </a> , which may refer to a person directly involved in advancing a particular business solution needing interactions between multiple applications. May also refer to an Application Architect.<li>System Architect (singular), which is often used as a synonym for Application Architect. However, if one subscribes to Systems theory and the idea than an enterprise can be a system, then System Architect could also mean Enterprise Architect.<li><a href=1184861> Systems Architect </a> (plural), which is often used as a synonym for <a href=2610034> Enterprise Architect </a> or <a href=8974418> Solutions Architect </a> .</ul><p>The table below indicates many of the differences between various kinds of software architects:<table class=wikitable><tbody><tr><th>Architect Type<th>Strategic Thinking<th>System Interactions<th>Communication<th>Design<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><a href=2610034> Enterprise Architect </a><td style="text-align: left;">Across Projects<td style="text-align: left;">Highly Abstracted<td style="text-align: left;">Across Organization<td style="text-align: left;">Minimal, High Level<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><a href=8974418> Solutions Architect </a><td style="text-align: left;">Focused on solution<td style="text-align: left;">Very Detailed<td style="text-align: left;">Multiple Teams<td style="text-align: left;">Detailed<tr><td style="text-align: left;">Application Architect<td style="text-align: left;">Component re-use, maintainability<td style="text-align: left;">Centered on single Application<td style="text-align: left;">Single Project<td style="text-align: left;">Very Detailed</table><p>In the software industry, as the table above suggests, the various versions of architect do not always have the same goals. <sup class=reference id=cite_ref-0> <a href=#cite_note-0> <span> [ </span> 1 <span> ] </span> </a> </sup><h2><span class=mw-headline id=Architect_metaphor> Architect metaphor </span></h2><p>The term "software architect" came into being because of the perceived similarities between the creation of software and the creation of buildings. <sup class=reference id=cite_ref-1> <a href=#cite_note-1> <span> [ </span> 2 <span> ] </span> </a> </sup> Although a simplified construction metaphor may be flawed, <sup class=reference id=cite_ref-2> <a href=#cite_note-2> <span> [ </span> 3 <span> ] </span> </a> </sup> the term is still meaningful in the sense that it describes the "design" aspect of the job.<p>The use of any form of the word 'architect' is regulated by 'title acts' in many states in the UK and the US, and a person must be licensed as a building architect to use it <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup> . Enforcement of these laws may be lax, if it is immediately clear that the title refers to the computer industry and not the building industry.<h2><span class=mw-headline id=Ivory_towers> Ivory towers </span></h2><p>When architects become too disconnected from the actual developers, they are often dismissively termed "architards", "architecture astronauts", or " <a href=1100836> Ivory Tower </a> Architects" <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup> . Architects may think this term is often incorrectly used by developers who do not have the experience or knowledge to comprehend the architecture <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup> .<p>Application or solutions architects work at a level of detail that demands involvement in actual coding, and will function best with a substantial background in software development. A school of thought <sup class="noprint Inline-Template"style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="The material in the vicinity of this tag may use weasel words or too-vague attribution. from August 2011"> which? </span> </a> </i> ] </sup> holds that enterprise architects should also have a development background, so as to avoid the issues that can arise from an ivory-tower approach <sup class=Template-Fact style=white-space:nowrap;> [ <i> <a href=#> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from January 2011"> citation needed </span> </a> </i> ] </sup> .<h2><span class=mw-headline id=See_also> See also </span></h2><ul><li><a href=1611302> Systems architecture </a> / <a href=1184861> Systems architect </a><li><a href=4167541> Software Architectural Model </a><li><a href=30974> Software architecture </a><li><a href=1704819> Hardware architecture </a> / <a href=1694206> Hardware architect </a><li><a href=17040> Systems engineering </a> / Systems engineer<li><a href=16536> Software engineering </a> / <a href=11626018> Software engineer </a><li><a href=287882> Requirements analysis </a> / Requirements engineer<li><a href=26551> Systems design </a><li><a href=5549> Electrical engineering </a><li>Electronics engineering<li>International Association of Software Architects</ul><h2><span class=mw-headline id=References> References </span></h2><div style="list-style-type: decimal;"class=reflist><ol class=references><li id=cite_note-0><b> <a href=#cite_ref-0> ^ </a> </b> <a class="external text"href=http://blogs.tedneward.com/2007/09/20/Hard+Questions+About+Architects.aspx rel=nofollow> Anecdote about an interaction between Solution and Enterprise Architect </a><li id=cite_note-1><b> <a href=#cite_ref-1> ^ </a> </b> <a class="external text"href=http://www.wwisa.org/wwisamain/phil.htm rel=nofollow> WWISA Philosophy </a><li id=cite_note-2><b> <a href=#cite_ref-2> ^ </a> </b> <a class="external text"href=http://www.google.com/search?q=construction+metaphor+software rel=nofollow> Google Search for "Construction Metaphor Software" </a></ol></div><h2><span class=mw-headline id=External_links> External links </span></h2><ul><li><a class="external text"href=http://www.iasahome.org/ rel=nofollow> International Association of Software Architects (IASA) </a></ul></div> <div class=catlinks id=catlinks><div id=mw-normal-catlinks>Categories: <ul><li><a href=30974> Software architecture </a></ul></div></div></dd><br><p class=src id=TerminSourceInfo><em> <span itemprop=source> Wikimedia Foundation </span> . <span itemprop=source-date> 2010 </span> . </em></div></dl></div><div style="padding:5px 0px;"><b> <a title="онлайн-сервис помощи студентам"href=https://homework.ru/promo/new21/?hide=3&partnerId=13389&ContentWorkType=9> Поможем решить контрольную работу </a> </b></div><div id=socialBar_h></div><ul class=post-nav id=TerminsNavigationBar><li class=prev><a title="Saint Pelagia"href=https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/1184841> Saint Pelagia </a><li class=next><a title="Margherita Taylor"href=https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/1184844> Margherita Taylor </a></ul><div class=other-info><div class=holder><h3 class=dictionary>Look at other dictionaries:</h3><ul class=terms-list><li><p><strong> <a href=//wiktionary.en-academic.com/210499/software_architect> software architect </a> </strong> — noun An architect (not to be confused with a designer) of software based on technology, who prepares plans and superintends construction of that software …   <span class=src2> Wiktionary </span></p><li><p><strong> <a href=//en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/7437070> IBM Rational Software Architect </a> </strong> — Infobox Software name = IBM Rational Software Architect caption = Rational Software Architect with Design Model Diagram developer = IBM released = ? frequently updated = yes programming language = ? operating system = language = ? genre =… …   <span class=src2> Wikipedia </span></p><li><p><strong> <a href=//dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/ruwiki/1445045> Rational Software Architect </a> </strong> — IBM Rational Software Architect Тип Среда разработки программного обеспечения Разработчик …   <span class=src2> Википедия </span></p><li><p><strong> <a href=//en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/11054586> Craig L. Russell (software architect) </a> </strong> — Craig L. Russell (born January 6, 1949) is an American software architect.BiographyEarly life and educationCraig L. Russell was born January 6, 1949 in New York. He graduated from Harvard University in 1971 with a BA in Applied Mathematics.… …   <span class=src2> Wikipedia </span></p><li><p><strong> <a href=//fr-academic.com/dic.nsf/frwiki/1412793> Rational Software Architect </a> </strong> —  Ne doit pas être confondu avec Rivest Shamir Adleman. Rational Software Architect est une technique d IBM d ingénierie dirigée par les modèles basée sur UML. Cette technique est prévue pour être utilisée particulièrement avec Java EE et C++ …   <span class=src2> Wikipédia en Français </span></p><li><p><strong> <a href=//en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/16536> Software engineering </a> </strong> — (SE) is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software, and the study of these approaches; that is, the application of engineering to software.[1] It is the… …   <span class=src2> Wikipedia </span></p><li><p><strong> <a href=//en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/30974> Software architecture </a> </strong> — The software architecture of a program or computing system is the structure or structures of the system, which comprise software components, the externally visible properties of those components, and the relationships between them. The term also… …   <span class=src2> Wikipedia </span></p><li><p><strong> <a href=//en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/4167541> Software Architectural Model </a> </strong> — An Architectural Model (in Software) is a rich and rigorous diagram, created using available standards, in which the primary concern is to illustrate a specific set of tradeoffs inherent in the structure and design of a system or ecosystem.… …   <span class=src2> Wikipedia </span></p><li><p><strong> <a href=//en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/4138803> Software blueprint </a> </strong> — A software blueprint is the final product of a software blueprinting process. Its name derives from the analogy drawn with the popular use of the term blueprint (within traditional construction industry). Therefore, a true software blueprint… …   <span class=src2> Wikipedia </span></p><li><p><strong> <a href=//en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/326> Architect </a> </strong> — For other uses, see Architect (disambiguation). 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