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Architecting software systems is complex, and it keeps getting more complex. New
architectural styles, such as Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), add further
complexity -- not only to individual projects, but to the entire enterprise. You need
the right tools, skills, and processes to more easily plan and design high-quality software that meets specific business requirements. This software architect kit offers a collection of materials to help you use IBM tools, which are designed to unify all aspects of software design and development.
Abstraction through modeling lets you more effectively manage complexity while
minimizing risk. Not all projects require models to be successful, but the more
complex your project is and the more distributed your project team is, the more you
need models. Those who adopt software modeling are realizing significant improvement
in technical quality, reduced business costs, and better risk management. Modeling is
perceived as difficult and time-consuming, but it doesn't have to be. IBM
Rational® Software Architect for WebSphere® or Rational Software Architect
Standard Edition gives you -- with a low up-front investment -- the tools that make
modeling your software architecture easier so you can realize immediate benefits. In
fact, the Rational Software Architect products automate what you spend significant
time on, such as translating design into code, updating design to ensure it reflects
the latest code of the system, and keeping documentation current for audits and
compliance mandates. Through these and other automations, modeling will in fact save
you time and shorten your delivery life cycle, while also providing a platform to communicate design to your distributed stakeholders in real time.
Model-driven development (MDD) is a style of software development in which the
primary software artifacts are models, not code. Software models are typically expressed in the Unified Modeling Language (UML). In MDD, models are used not just as sketches or blueprints, but as primary artifacts from which efficient implementations can be generated by the application of transformations. For more information, read the developerWorks articles, "UML in support of model-driven development" and "Good modeling, good governance."
If your projects would benefit from your own business-domain-specific solutions, in
a language that both the business stakeholders and the IT department would
understand, you may want to use domain-specific language (DSL) for your
model-driven development. For more information, read the developerWorks article “Applying domain-specific modeling to Model-Driven Architecture.”
Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) is a style of MDD that employs several open industry standards. The MDA specification is managed by the Object Management Group (OMG). MDA guides architects and developers to more effectively define models at various levels of abstraction and to develop transformations between models, code, and other artifacts of the software life cycle. Check out the developerWorks article, "An introduction to Model-Driven Architecture."
IBM Rational Software Architect supports MDD and MDA by allowing the user to define multiple levels of models coupled with user-defined transformations between those models and code, resulting in a clearer separation of concerns roles across the project life cycle. Learn more in the article, "Gain an edge in patterns-based development using Rational Software Architect."
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