The Highlander Principle » Application Architecture

Web 2.0 Architecture

Mark Preston — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:50:43 +0000

I have just finished reading Web 2.0 Architecture: What Entrepreneurs and Architects need to know. A rather good book which pulls together content from an awful lot of places.

My thinking on the topic is that Web 2.0 is a bit of a marketing type term that does not solidly define anything; here is my take [...]

Troubleshooting certificates with a focus on Windows 2008 R2 DirectAccess

Mark Preston — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:53:37 +0000

Sometimes application troubleshooting when it comes to digital certificates can lead you to doing an awful lot of reading. In a nutshell there are four things you need to have clear in your mind.

Does the certificate need to be trusted outside of your organisation? Does the certificate have a revocation list that needs to be checked [...]

How to establish a TOGAF9 Enterprise Architecture Practice – Phase A

Mark Preston — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:15:31 +0000

TOGAF has a method called the ADM (Architectural Development Method), the good news is that the same method applies to defining any Architecture (including setting up the Architecture Practice itself).

The ADM breaks down into phases that are run iteratively (not always in a set sequence). So lets get started with Phase A:

Phase A – Setting [...]

How to establish a TOGAF9 Enterprise Architecture Practice – Phase B

Mark Preston — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:15:07 +0000

TOGAF breaks down Architecture into the following pillars:

Business Architecture Application and Data Architecture Technology Architecture

Phase B on our quest to establish an EA practice focuses on Business Architecture:

Terminology: Define a set of standards so that everyone is talking consistent language (formal term here is Ontology) Process: The ADM (architectural development method) is open to be tuned to suit [...]

How to establish a TOGAF9 Enterprise Architecture Practice – Phase C

Mark Preston — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:14:48 +0000

TOGAF uses a term “Enterprise Continuum” and I wish they would think of a different phrase as it throws me each time. It’s important we know exactly what it is as it’s the key deliverable for Phase C.

It relates to three elements:

Architecture Continuum Solutions Continuum Architecture Repository

Consider the repository as a folder full of documents, the usual [...]

How to establish an TOGAF9 Enterprise Architecture Practice – Phase D to H

Mark Preston — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:47:01 +0000

The good news is that most of the legwork to get the ball rolling is done in phases A to C. Here is what is left:

Phase D: Define the technology that is used within the EA practice, ideally a TOGAF aware repository. If nothing else set standards for people to follow; for example always create [...]

How to establish a TOGAF 9 Enterprise Architecture Practice

Mark Preston — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:44:29 +0000

Let’s start by establishing what does an EA practice do for your organisation. The EA practice should identify

Where are you? Where do you want to be? How do you get there?

The reason the methodology is so important is that all three of these answers are always changing. The wind of change blows in for a huge array [...]

What is the Half Life of the IT Industry?

Mark Preston — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:19:01 +0000

For those not into Nuclear Physics; Half Life is defined as the amount of time for the atoms in a radioactive substance to decay to half the level they started with.

The IT Industry may enjoy a minor boom once the effects of the global recession diminish but ultimately I suspect we are heading for a [...]

Are Digital Certificates Secure?

Mark Preston — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:03:52 +0000

Most people see digital certificates as a black art with layers of complexity. Having designed and deployed a Public Key Infrastructure for an Investment Bank I will try and convey the simplicity and risks.

A Digital Certificate has two parts, a public and private key. The public key can lock your door but only the private [...]

Commercials, Capability and Compliance needed to lift off SaaS?

Mark Preston — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:40:25 +0000

I see Commercials and Capability progressing a lot faster than the ability to tackle Compliance. What’s more some of the issues faced here are related to people perceptions and they are not easily fixed with technology alone.

Take a SaaS example in Google Mail. Its low cost and highly capable (ok a few more bells and [...]