Free SEI Webinar 10/17: Use of Architecture-Centric Engineering for Improving a Software System

On Thursday, October 17 from 1:30 to 2:30 Eastern time, Felix H. Bachmann of the SEI will present a free SEI webinar, titled “Use of Architecture-Centric Engineering for Improving a Software System.”

Register.

About the Webinar

New SEI Workshop in Software Architecture

The SEI is offering a new course in its software architecture curriculum on July 24-25 and October 29-20.   The new Advanced Software Architecture Workshop

• allows participants to apply what they’ve learned in other SEI courses to a concrete architecture problem
• integrates classroom knowledge with everyday practice
• trains participants to use architecture-centric engineering methods effectively in their organizations

The Advanced Software Architecture Workshop debuted at the SATURN 2012 Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida, on May 7 and 8. Attendees agreed that it met their expectations, provided timely content, and was a good use of their time.

Something for Everyone at SATURN 2012

Whether you are an aspiring software architect or an experienced practitioner, the SATURN 2012 Conference offers courses, presentations, tutorials, and talks tailored to your level of knowledge and experience.

Relative newcomers to architecture-centric engineering and development can take the introductory course in the SEI Software Architecture Curriculum, Software Architecture: Principles and Practices (SAPP) on Monday and Tuesday, May 7-8 at a discounted price. This popular course, offered each year at SATURN and taught this year by Rob Wojcik of the SEI, introduces participants to the essentials of software architecture. Also offered at SATURN this year is a half-day tutorial on Tuesday, May 8 by Peter Eeles of IBM Rational titled Software Architect 101. This tutorial (T1) provides attendees with a solid grounding in all aspects of software architecture and a framework on which they can build a deeper understanding of the role of the architect. Other Tuesday tutorials cover effective stakeholder collaboration (T2), integration of software architecture-centric methods into object-oriented analysis and design (T3), and architectural implications of cloud computing (T4).

Webinar, Architecting Software the SEI Way: Now Available on Demand

More than 630 people from 68 countries joined the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute (SEI) three-hour, live virtual event entitled Architecting Software the SEI Way: Essential Steps Toward Mastery on February 28, 2012. The three hour-long webinars from the event are now available for on-demand viewing at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/go/architecting-software-the-sei-way/.

In the three webinars, SEI researchers Rob Wojcik, Felix Bachmann, and John Klein share insights from their work, including

• what software architecture is and why it is important
• why architecture evaluation methods can continuously ensure the creation of successful systems
• how a system-of-systems perspective improves the analysis of enterprise architectures

To watch the webinar recordings, download the webinar slides, and get more information about software architecture, please visit http://www.sei.cmu.edu/go/architecting-software-the-sei-way/.

New SEI Advanced Software Architecture Workshop to be Offered at SATURN 2012

A new course from the SEI, Advanced Software Architecture Workshop, will be offered publicly  for the first time at SATURN 2012 in St. Petersburg, Florida on May 7 and 8. Register now.

The course, taught by Felix H. Bachmann of the SEI, is targeted to

• software architects and software lead designers who want to practice what they learned in the SEI software architecture curriculum, and
• seasoned software architects who want to get ready for a project that requires major architecture improvements

SATURN 2012 Registration Now Open

Registration is now open for the eighth annual SEI Architecture Technology User Network (SATURN) 2012 Conference. Register by April 9 to take advantage of early-bird savings, which include $250 off the regular full-conference rate.

SATURN 2012 will be held May 7-11, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Florida  at the St. Petersburg Bayfront Hilton hotel. The conference is presented in collaboration with IEEE Software magazine.

Architecture: Catalyst for Collaboration

The SATURN 2012 program includes more than 25 technical sessions, tutorials, courses, panel discussions, and keynote addresses that will explore how effective collaboration across geographical, cultural, and technical boundaries is increasingly prevalent and essential to system success. You will leave the SATURN 2012 conference with new ideas and solutions to implement in your organization. You will also have the opportunity to

• Share ideas and hear case studies on hot topics including cloud computing; software architecture for ultra-large-scale systems; certification, culture, and process; architecture evaluation and review; enterprise architecture; and the interaction of architecture and Agile development
• Take the first public offering of a new course from the SEI, the Advanced Software Architecture Workshop
• Learn from and interact with industry leaders (including keynote speakers Michael Stal and Andy Hunt), researchers, and senior members of the SEI staff

To register and review rates, visit the SATURN 2012 website. We hope to see you in Florida!

Free Webinar: Architecting Software the SEI Way: Essential Stops Toward Mastery

Start down the path to using architecture-centric practice more effectively. Join SEI researchers on February 28 at 1:00 pm ET for a FREE webinar, Architecting Software the SEI Way: Essential Steps Toward Mastery.

Get an expert perspective on three key areas in this webinar:

• Fundamentals: Learn what software architecture is and why it is important
• Improved Practice: Get a quick look at architecture evaluation guidelines
• Bridging Technical and Business Goals: See how to use architecture methods to analyze and evaluate enterprise architectures

Register now.

Rick Kazman on Evaluating Software Architectures

Evaluating software architectures is a critical part of software architecture life-cycle processes. The book Evaluating Software Architectures: Methods and Case Studies covers the software architecture evaluation topic in detail focusing on evaluation frameworks such as Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method (ATAM), Software Architecture Analysis Method (SAAM), and Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs (ARID). The authors also discuss in the book some case studies in applying these frameworks as well as comparison of the software architecture evaluation methods.

InfoQ spoke with Rick Kazman, Visiting Scientist at Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute (SEI) and a co-author of the book, about the significance of evaluating software architectures and how to perform the architecture evaluations in Agile and Lean software-development organizations. They also talked to him about the emerging trends.

Read InfoQ’s interview with Rick Kazman.

Architecture-Centric Engineering in the Financial Industry, Part Two

Last week, we posted a link here to an article at the SEI blog about how Bursatec, the technology arm of Groupo Bolsa Mexicana de Valores (BMV, the Mexican Stock Exchange), used architecture-centric engineering to respond to its challenges.

Part two of this article was posted today: Using Team Software Process (TSP) to Architect a New Trading System, by James McHale.

Case Study: Architecture-Centric Engineering in Financial Industry

Bursatec, the technology arm of Groupo Bolsa Mexicana de Valores (BMV, the Mexican Stock Exchange), recently embarked on a project to replace three existing trading engines with one system developed in house. Given the competitiveness of global financial markets and recent interest in Latin American economies, Bursatec needed a reliable and fast new system that could work ceaselessly throughout the day and handle sharp fluctuations in trading volume. To meet these demands, the SEI suggested combining elements of its Architecture Centric Engineering (ACE) method, which requires effective use of software architecture to guide system development, with its Team Software Process (TSP), which teaches software developers the skills they need to make and track plans and produce high-quality products. This post at the SEI blog by Felix Bachmann—the first in a two-part series—provides a case study of how Bursatec used architecture-centric engineering to respond to its challenges.