Incremental Software Architecture: A Method for Saving Failing IT Implementations

by Michael Bell

The best-practices solution guide for rescuing broken software systems

Incremental Software Architecture is a solutions manual for companies with underperforming software systems. With complete guidance and plenty of hands-on instruction, this practical guide shows you how to identify and analyze the root cause of software malfunction, then identify and implement the most powerful remedies to save the system. You'll learn how to avoid developing software systems that are destined to fail, and the methods and practices that help you avoid business losses caused by poorly designed software. Designed to answer the most common questions that arise when software systems negatively impact business performance, this guide details architecture and design best practices for enterprise architecture efforts, and helps you foster the reuse and consolidation of software assets.

Relying on the wrong software system puts your company at risk of failing. It's a question of when, not if, something goes catastrophically wrong. This guide shows you how to proactively root out and repair the most likely cause of potential issues, and how to rescue a system that has already begun to go bad.

Mitigate risks of software development projects Increase ROI and accelerate time-to-market Accurately assess technological achievability and viability Identify actual software construction value propositions

Fierce competition and volatile commerce markets drive companies to invest heavily in the construction of software systems, which strains IT and business budgets and puts immense strain on existing network infrastructure. As technology evolves, these ever-more-complex computing landscapes become more and more expensive and difficult to maintain. Incremental Software Architecture shows you how to revamp the architecture to effectively reduce strain, cost, and the chance of failure.

Genres: Architecture

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 26, 2016

Reviews

[Bart Du Bois · Rating 2 out of 5]

I fail to recognise the value of this book. Maybe that’s why it it took me so long to pick it up again and finish it.

Its use of non-standard terminology makes it disconnected from architecture literature. E.g., “Design Substantiation” as a replacement of software development. Who talks like that?

Essentially it promotes mapping/mining the application landscape and segmenting it based on coupling and distribution objectives and business domains/tiers. The resulting landscape view is related to business agility needs.

It’s quite exotic in that it aims to “develop software to achieve architecture goals with less emphasis on development goals”. In that extent it seems to apply a mechanistic world view of mathematical rigour to frame software top down.

It does, however, contain original contributions, e.g. a classification model for system failures (incl. mgmt & enterprise level arch failures) and on architectural stressors.

[JH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very verbose, even though the concepts can be summarised into a single chapter. Mostly common sense but it's good to proceduralise it as an analytical process.

[Kev · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was very poorly written and contained a lot of bad advice. Do not recommend.