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Abstract
One+AbstractIs IT architecture about the “hidden bits of plumbing”, or should it focus on the “visible design” delivered to users, developers and other stakeholders? Read this paper, and consider your view.
Author Archives: Andrew
Review: The New World of Mr Tompkins
George Gamov's Classic Mr Tomkins in Paperback, By George Gamow, Russell Stannard
19 September 2004 - Please share: 
An excellent update to a classic introduction to modern physics
My introduction to the world of the mild-mannered bank clerk with an interest in modern Physics came through copies of the original 1940s books rescued from a school library "disposal" pile. Unlike the school librarian I treasured those books, which presented hard science in a humorous, accessible way, and learned a lot from them.
George Gamow brought his original material up to date for "Mr Tompkins in Paperback" shortly before his death in 1968. However, since then Physics has moved on still further, and a new update was appropriate. Russell Stannard took on the challenge, and has done a superb job.
The new version brings both the science and the charming human back story fully up to date, and also addresses some inconsistencies in the earlier text and illustrations caused by their derivation from a group of separate magazine articles.
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Review: The Coming Global Superstorm
By Art Bell, Whitley Strieber
19 September 2004 - Please share:
A good book, slightly spoilt by psueo-science
This book, which sired the recent blockbuster "The Day After Tomorrow", is a well-written and accessible analysis of how global warming may lead to not gradual but catastrophic climate change, potentially destroying much of our current civilisation. Given how the powerful fossil fuel lobby, led by the current US administration, seems determined to ignore such risks to ensure their own short-term profits, it is essential that books such as this exist and are able to present a discussion of wider considerations.
Architects Anonymous
27 June 2004 - Please share:
Is Architecture an Addiction?
This rather tongue in cheek piece was inspired by a “group therapy” session at the IRM/Meta group Enterprise Architecture Conference 2004.
Review: In Code
A Mathematical Journey: A Mathematical Adventure, By Sarah Flannery
8 May 2004 - Please share:
An inspiring and encouraging book
This is an inspiring book, telling the story of a young woman’s introduction to, and enamourment with, of all things, mathematics. In an era where enthusiasm for the sciences is often seen as "uncool", it is delightfully encouraging to read the story of a family, and in particular the author herself, who understand both the value and the pleasure of such interests.
The book balances two quite separate elements. On the one hand there’s the story of how Sarah became interested in mathematics, did an interesting science project, and got a lot of attention when as a seventeen year old Irish girl she nearly invented a powerful new cryptographic system. On the other hand there’s a very clear introduction to the mathematics underlying modern cryptography, presented using a range of interesting examples, puzzles and clear explanations.
Categories: Reviews. Content Types: Biography & Endeavour, Book, Cryptography, and Mathematics & Statistics.
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Review: Digital Fortress
By Dan Brown
7 May 2004 - Please share:
Mr Brown should stick to what he's good at
It’s not often I give up on a fiction book part-way through, but I just couldn’t take any more of this.
If you’re going to write a thriller about cryptography, where the central characters are code makers and code breakers, then you have to have a passing understanding of the subject – Dan Brown clearly doesn’t.
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Review: Modeling XML Applications with UML
Practical e-Business Applications, By David Carlson
3 April 2004 - Please share:
An excellent book covering an important niche
Like many web-related technologies XML and its many derivatives have evolved much more quickly than the support from traditional modelling and development tools. As a result many developers creating XML-based applications are doing so with the crudest of tools, and find it very difficult to either exchange ideas with more traditional developers, or to benefit from the strengths of more powerful tools and modelling approaches. This book sets out to address that issue, and it does an excellent job.
At the same time, the book provides a valuable introduction to a range of XML and e-Business technologies for those more familiar with traditional approaches. I found it answered a lot of questions I had about XML which had not been addressed by reading more typical “how to” books, so this book bridges the divide both ways. Read the full review 
Categories: Agile & Architecture and Reviews. Content Types: Book, Modelling & Analysis, and Programming & Development.
Posted in Agile & Architecture, Reviews
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Review: More Secrets of Consuting
The Consultant, By Gerald Weinberg
9 March 2004 - Please share:
Very good, but a harder read than "Secrets"
The original “Secrets of Consulting” is probably one of the most important books in my collection, and I had great expectations of this follow-up volume. However, where the first book focuses outwards, largely on what a consultant does, the second book focuses in, much more on what a consultant is, and to my mind makes much less comfortable reading.
Don’t get me wrong. This is not in any way a bad book: it’s still as well written and humorous as Weinberg’s other books, and chock full of amusing stories and “laws” derived from them. Anyone involved in consulting of any sort will still get a great deal out of it. But if, like many men, you’re uncomfortable talking and reading about “feelings” you may find this less easy to read.
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Review: The Secrets of Consulting
A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully, By Gerald Weinberg
9 March 2004 - Please share:
One of the most important books for any consultant
This is a little book with some big messages. As the subtitle says, it’s a book not only for those who give, or sell, their advice, but it’s also for those who are taking or buying it. It’s a book both for those who help to manage change, and for those undergoing change themselves. Many people should read it.
That said, the main focus of the book is on those who produce the advice and ideas. If you are a consultant as I am, this may be one of the most important books in your collection. I have read it cover to cover twice, and parts of it many other times.
The book is written with a light, humorous touch, illustrated both with many funny stories and some very apt cartoons and quotations. From each discussion he abstracts multiple “laws” and reminders, which on their own should prompt you to remember the key points he discusses.
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Modelling an Enterprise Data Architecture
6 December 2003 - Please share:
Unlike the simplistic models in books and training courses, a real enterprise has a very complicated data architecture. Most of the data will be held in large legacy or package systems, for which the details of data structure may be unknown. Other data will be held in spreadsheets and personal databases (such as
Microsoft Access), and may be invisible to the IT department or senior business data administrators. Some key data may reside in external systems maintained by service providers or business partners. To manage this you need powerful, simple, but effective models of the data structure from an enterprise viewpoint
— a set of models known as the “Enterprise Data Architecture.”
This article, co-written by Richard Wiggins and originally published in the Rational Edge in February 2003 describes a new approach, based on UML, which meets the real requirements of modelling the Enterprise Data Architecture.
Posted in Agile & Architecture, My Publications, Thoughts on the World
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Combining Risk Factors
25 September 2003 - Please share:
In “Waltzing with Bears” Tom DeMarco and Tim Lister introduce the very useful concept of the “Uncertainty Diagram”, the probability distribution for project metrics such as delivery date, expenditure or benefit delivery. This is used, for example, to assess the likelihood of delay from a given risk.
However, they rely entirely on Monte-Carlo simulation. I believe that where the curve is defined by, or can be approximated by, a few discrete points, a relatively simple analytical solution can then be used in place of simulation.
Modelling Change in Enterprise IT
15 August 2003 - Please share:
One of the big problems in a strategic or “enterprise architecture” view of IT is how to model the change in an enterprise’s IT portfolio over time. Most established modeling techniques deal with an essentially static view of the system landscape, supplemented by some modelling of the dynamics within systems. These are very poor tools if you are trying to understand how the complete set of systems, technologies and capabilities change over time. This item discusses two simple techniques which address this problem.
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