Inside Architecture
Notes on Enterprise Architecture, Business Alignment, Interesting Trends, and anything else that interests me this week...
Will WCF Indigo empower SOA in your enterprise
In order for Service Oriented Architecture to have the impact that Architects around the world have...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 03/20/2006
Governance is knowing who holds the key
Ever had a good idea that could make millions for your company? Did you tell the right person? Did...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 03/18/2006
When good design is not an accident
One potential often missed in a large IT organization is the potential for us to lift up another...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 03/10/2006
When emergent design doesn't
It is quite possible that the notion of emergent design is an anathema to architects. Allowing a...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 03/07/2006
Why a workflow model is not code
It is no secret that I am not fond of using EAI systems like Biztalk for Human Collaborative...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 03/06/2006
Interesting tool for schema-first design
I guess it goes without saying that you cannot communicate in a language unless at least two people...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 03/05/2006
If we improve a process in a forest, and no one hears it... did it happen?
In Six Sigma, from what little I know about Six Sigma, you identify the outputs of your process that...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 02/27/2006
What standards to enforce, and who are the enforcers
I've been working on a problem that has to do with standards, enforcement, and the notion of a...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 02/25/2006
Do we have the courage to take ourselves out of the loop?
Workflow tools only fulfill their real promise if the business users can not only see the workflow,...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 02/18/2006
Would a six-sigma business architect support Agile methods?
A few weeks ago, I spent a few days with "six sigma" folks. I was reminded of that experience when...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 02/15/2006
No one will read it
I've thought about writing a book on workflow. I have a lot to say (more below). The problem is, no...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 02/11/2006
Better software cost estimation tools are needed
Geeky topic: Why has there been so little investment in software cost estimation? I know that Boehm...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 02/02/2006
Paying to get to the new Enterprise Architecture
I need to rant. I ran across an article on the IASA web site that provides tips for knowing if your...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 02/01/2006
Patterns and the Peter Principle - The positive effects of recognizing good application design
Old developers don't die... Sometimes they move up. Think about it. Have you ever met a manager who...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 02/01/2006
A service by any other name...
In a meeting yesterday, we discussed the various 'types' of services. There are some pretty...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 01/27/2006
The Estimation Game: Do not confuse cost with size
The cost of a project is a function of how big it is. That isn't really a hard thing to...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 01/25/2006
Agile definition: Chickens and Pigs
In agile project management, you have frequent meetings of the project team (usually daily). The...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 01/23/2006
Workflow visibility: driving levels of abstraction into functional requirements
I'm sitting in a meeting typing a blog. Shoot me. However, there is a discussion going on about how...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 01/23/2006
Project Management Antipattern 3: Guesses for Estimates
Basically, in IT work, we usually need to figure out, early on, if a project is "large" or "small"...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 01/21/2006
Project Management Antipattern 2: Pardon My Dust
I ran across this anti-pattern on a non-software project, but it definitely applies. This one comes...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 01/19/2006
I have a dream of software
I was listening to a portion of one of Dr. King's speeches the other day. I noticed one aspect of...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 01/15/2006
Using BITS to move private data
I'm looking at the possibility of using the BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service) to move...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 01/06/2006
Does SOA make eXtreme Programming (XP) obsolete?
One of the promises of SOA and SOBA is that applications will be less complex, and therefore can be...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 01/04/2006
Project Management AntiPattern - PMs who write specs
One of my favorite organizational mistakes, and I've seen this one MANY times, is asking your...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 01/03/2006
Recollections on a year of change...
I've been home on holiday for a few days now (since just before Christmas). It's nice to stay with...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 12/29/2005
Deciding what web services to build
Ever built a web service? I bet you have. And I bet, that for most readers, you thought "here's a...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 11/16/2005
Coding Dojo Suggestion: Template Method Kata
As I've blogged before, a Kata is a practice exercise. I'm attempting to brainstorm out a kata for...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 10/28/2005
Application Adolescence
As my kids have grown (I have a 12 year old, a 10 year old, and a 7 year old), it is easy to watch...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 10/28/2005
SOA: The data aggregation layer
When developing a Service Oriented Business Application (SOBA), you want to seperate your user...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 10/19/2005
SOA: Good fences make good neighbors
One of the tenants of Service Orientation is that the boundaries are explicit. Boundaries are...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 10/17/2005
For those of you who think that services solve everything...
A few days back, I blogged on "how to design a service." It has become increasingly clear that I...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 10/15/2005
SOA: How to design a service
I find myself in the situation of having to set down a design standard for SOA services. The thing...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 10/07/2005
Futurist wanted
I have the best job in the world. I am paid to think about the future. Not in the sense of writers...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 10/06/2005
Measuring EAI Maturity
Hohpe and Woolf identify four basic integration styles. I am considering the enterprise as a whole...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 10/04/2005
Is placing the assembly in the database next?
In SAP implementations, the ABAP code that performs the functions of various business processes is...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 09/14/2005
Developer accountability? How about PM accountability!
There's some current talk in the Agile community about making developers more accountable in the...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 09/10/2005
Ajax and Soap, again
I'm flattered by all the attention my statements are getting on comparing Ajax with SOA web...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 09/09/2005
Is SQL XML a bad idea?
I worry that we may have created a monster. The fact that you can now submit an XML document to SQL...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 09/08/2005
Killing the Helper class, part two
Earlier this week, I blogged on the evils of helper classes. I got a few very thoughful responses,...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 09/07/2005
Coding Dojo concept: one kata for each common design pattern
Time to combine two basic ideas: the idea of the coding dojo and the idea of design patterns as an...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 09/07/2005
Why Ajax can be safely ignored for a SOA adoption program
While it is interesting that a wide variety of consulting and product companies have tried to brand...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 09/06/2005
Are Helper Classes Evil?
First off, a definition: A helper class is a class filled with static methods. It is usually used to...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 09/06/2005
Whose name is in the namespace?
There's more than one way to group your code. Namespaces provide a mechanism for grouping code in a...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 08/22/2005
On Atlas/Ajax and SOA
I ran across a blog entry that attempts to link Atlas/Ajax to SOA. What absolute nonsense! The...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 08/20/2005
The link between strategy and standards
I blogged a little while back that there is some interest in creating a common naming convention for...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 08/20/2005
Enterprise Architecture Agility
Can a strategy for Enterprise Application Integration be developed in an iterative manner? I just...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 08/16/2005
Is it a change request?
This is an interesting question in business IT. I just sat through a long meeting discussing...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 08/11/2005
Coding Dojo suggestion: the decorator kata
I ran across a posting by Robert Martin on the Coding Dojo and I admit to being intrigued. I'm...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 08/09/2005
Developing a standard for naming web services within the enterprise
Sometimes, the first person to speak up, and point out a problem, gets to be involved in solving it....
Author: Nick Malik Date: 08/03/2005
A Case For and Against the Enterprise Library
I've been an architect for a while now, but, as far as being an architect within the walls of...
Author: Nick Malik Date: 08/01/2005