How can you apply your system architecture skills to real-world projects?

1 Understand the problem and the context

Before you start designing a system, you need to understand the problem you are trying to solve and the context in which the system will operate. This means asking questions such as: Who are the users and what are their expectations? What are the functional and non-functional requirements of the system? What are the constraints and risks of the system? What are the existing or potential solutions and alternatives? How will the system evolve over time? By answering these questions, you can define the scope, boundaries, and objectives of the system, as well as the criteria for evaluating its performance and quality.

2 Choose an appropriate architecture style and pattern

Depending on the nature and complexity of the system, you may need to choose an architecture style and pattern that suits your needs. An architecture style is a general approach or philosophy for designing a system, such as client-server, peer-to-peer, microservices, or event-driven. An architecture pattern is a specific solution or template for addressing a common problem or challenge in a system, such as MVC, layered, pipe-and-filter, or broker. By choosing an architecture style and pattern, you can establish a common vocabulary, structure, and logic for your system, as well as leverage best practices and proven solutions.

3 Model and document the system

To communicate and document your system design, you need to use appropriate models and tools. Models are representations or abstractions of the system that capture its essential features and characteristics, such as its components, relationships, behaviors, or scenarios. Models can be expressed in different ways, such as diagrams, tables, or code. Tools are software applications or platforms that help you create, edit, analyze, or visualize models, such as UML, SysML, ArchiMate, or Enterprise Architect. By modeling and documenting your system, you can clarify your design decisions, validate your assumptions, and share your vision with others.

4 Apply design principles and practices

To ensure that your system is robust, reliable, and maintainable, you need to apply design principles and practices that guide your design choices and actions. Design principles are general rules or guidelines that reflect the values and goals of the system, such as modularity, cohesion, coupling, abstraction, or separation of concerns. Design practices are specific techniques or methods that help you implement the design principles, such as encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, or dependency injection. By applying design principles and practices, you can improve the quality, consistency, and efficiency of your system.

5 Evaluate and test the system

To verify that your system meets the requirements and expectations of the system, you need to evaluate and test the system. Evaluation is the process of measuring and assessing the performance and quality of the system, such as its functionality, usability, reliability, security, or scalability. Evaluation can be done in different ways, such as reviews, inspections, audits, or metrics. Testing is the process of finding and fixing errors or defects in the system, such as bugs, failures, or vulnerabilities. Testing can be done in different levels, such as unit, integration, system, or acceptance testing. By evaluating and testing the system, you can ensure that your system works as intended and satisfies the stakeholders.

6 Learn and improve

To enhance your system architecture skills, you need to learn and improve from your experiences and feedback. Learning is the process of acquiring new knowledge and skills that can help you design better systems, such as concepts, theories, frameworks, or tools. Learning can be done in different ways, such as reading, watching, listening, or taking courses or certifications. Improving is the process of applying your learning to your system design, such as refining, optimizing, or updating your system. Improving can be done in different ways, such as refactoring, redesigning, or adding new features or components. By learning and improving, you can keep up with the changing needs and trends of the system architecture field.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?