Tools for Architects?

  • Article

While VSTA has been pitched as a tool for the software architect discipline, I think of VSTA in a different way. I think of it simply as architecture tools. While useful for any of the various types of architects (https://blogs.msdn.com/smguest/archive/2005/12/12/503001.aspx)  that might exist out there, the product's usefulness is not limited to those roles.  The product is useful to anyone who works on the software architecture, whether they are an architect or not.

I also recognize that there are a large set of architects who are deeply engaged in the development process. These architects may find that VSTS's developer SKU also offers them significant value.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 22, 2006
    I think the pitch that VSTS 2005 tool is for the software architect discipline was very misleading. VSTS 2005 offers nothing for the Software architect.

    See my concerns here:
    [http://realworldsa.dotnetdevelopersjournal.com/dsl.htm]

    See Jack Greenfield's response here:
    [http://blogs.msdn.com/jackgr/archive/2006/01/06/510162.aspx]

    Where he openly admit Software Architects were ignored in the initial releases of VSTS 2005.
  • Anonymous
    January 22, 2006
    I'm the first to say that an architect will need to use other tools such as Visio to fill the holes in the current toolset. Which is why we invested in upgrading Visio to work on VS2005, even though we decided not to support UML 2.0. This in itself was no small task. Furthermore, some of the early marketing slides indicated that we might release the Visio UML tools only in the Architect SKU. This was later revised.

    I also agree with Jack's statement that we had to scope this release to make our tight schedule. Therefore, we focused on an acheivable target for V1, i.e. supporting Connected Systems and our DSI intiative. As a result, we focused only on the structural viewpoint of the architecture. This, however, does not reduce the value of the current toolset for its given purpose. I am simply recognizing that VSTA still has some distance to cover in order to meet all the tooling needs of a Software Architect.

    Also, I'm not sure about how you (or Jack) defined a Software Architect. Nevertheless, Jack does mention that the tools were targeted towards the System Architect. He, in my opinion, however, fails to point out that Software Architects is a set that includes System Architects. Jack is an example of this himself as he is one of the key architects defining the system architecture of the current toolset. Please note that his designations is still a Software Architect.

    Thanks,

    Ali
  • Anonymous
    January 22, 2006
    Please read "the structural viewpoint" as "a structural viewpoint"
  • Anonymous
    January 22, 2006
    Thanks for you response. I think you guys did do a tremendous job in the features you included in the toolset. There are plenty of new tools for the System Architect, Developer, Tester, and Project manager. I did however switch my VSTS MSDN subscription from Architect to Developer once I saw the tools where only geared towards System Architects.

    I view a Software Architect as someone who is concerned with all the views of the application and is concerned with architecting a complete solution based on functional requirements elicited from all stakeholders and non-functional (Quality Attributes) requirements.

    I view a System Architect as someone primarily focused on the software in the context of hardware and the software's physical architecture only, or the implementation view of the application. This is all VSTS 2005 concentrated on.

    Part of the job of a Software Architect is to concern themselves with System Architecture, but that is only one part of what must be considered.


    I did notice Visio Architect version was upgraded to Visio 2003 as it's core, but it's integration with VSTS is not any better, and as you mentioned is still not in UML 2.0. My job can be done with Visio, but the effort to use it is huge effort compared to tools built for Software Architecture, like XDE was. Having Visio offered free is nice, but it makes it a pain to sell management on the fact that it will be cheaper in the long run to spend the money on another tool that offers a better set of tools for Software Architecture as well as Analysis and Design.

    We ended up doing this to resolve the problem:
    [http://realworldsa.dotnetdevelopersjournal.com/uml_in_vsts_2005_provided_by_sparx_ea.htm]
  • Anonymous
    January 28, 2006
    Tad, you have provided a laundary list of things that we need to provide.

    What would be great is if you could provide the top three adoption blockers?

    If we could offer you one feature to convince you to get the Architect SKU, what would it be?
  • Anonymous
    January 29, 2006
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    February 01, 2006
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    February 02, 2006
    The comment has been removed