A Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture [Paperback]

James McGovern (Author), Scott W. Ambler (Author), Michael E. Stevens (Author), James Linn (Author), Vikas Sharan (Author), Elias K. Jo (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0131412752 | ISBN-13: 978-0131412750 | Publication Date: November 7, 2003

In A Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture, six leading experts present indispensable technical, process, and business insight into every aspect of enterprise architecture. You'll find start-to-finish guidance for architecting effective system, software, and service-oriented architectures; using product lines to streamline enterprise software design; leveraging powerful agile modeling techniques; extending the Unified Process to the full software lifecycle; architecting presentation tiers and user experience; and driving the technical direction of the entire enterprise. For every working architect and every IT professional who wants to become one.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

• Comprehensive explanation of enterprise architecture concepts and methods
• Extend the Rational Unified Process to include Enterprise Architecture
• Unified view of the various architectural disciplines to create strategic blueprints
• Perspectives on Enterprise Development and Technology

Indispensable technical, process, and business insight from leading enterprise architects

Many organizations today face the challenge of designing, building, and maintaining large-scale distributed enterprise systems that are able to adapt to changing business needs. Many repeat the mistakes of others, resulting in cost overruns, blown deadlines, and lost opportunity. Today's business climate places additional burden on IT to deliver. Ever-adapting business drivers can diverge from the capabilities of the enterprise IT systems today, especially if the systems are complex, fragile, and intolerant of change. Enterprise architecture can help future-proof IT investments made today.

A Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture helps readers create adaptive architecture strategies for successfully implementing enterprise architectures. This classic handbook goes beyond theory and presents strategies that are based on experiences within organizations across multiple industry verticals. Behind each opinion, technique, and principle is a wealth of knowledge provided by some of the best-known industry thought leaders today.

This book's authors have architected industrial-strength software and infrastructure for many of the world's leading firms-in financial services, telecommunications, media, and e-business. They present practical guidance, candid assessments of existing practice, and detailed examples from their own experience. Coverage includes:

• Strategies for enterprise architecture-which ones work and why
• Proven "product line" practices for streamlining the design of enterprise software
• Understanding how to translate key business drivers into enterprise architecture output
• Agile architectural and modeling techniques-presented by their creator, Scott Ambler
• Architecting presentation tiers, user experience, and usability methods to create a reusable base of core assets
• Overcoming the challenges of transitioning to agile methods
• Identifying architecture enabling human resource practices

Whether you're a working architect or plan to become one, A Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture will be your timely, trusted advisor-today and for years to come.

About the Author

JAMES McGOVERN, Enterprise Architect for Hartford Financial Services, is a co-author of the bestselling books Java Web Services Architecture and Agile Enterprise Architecture. SCOTT W. AMBLER, senior consultant with Ronin International, specializes in O-O analysis/design, agile modeling, and architectural audits of mission-critical systems. His best sellers include Agile Modeling and The Elements of Java Style. MICHAEL E. STEVENS, Software Architect for Hartford Financial Services, is a columnist for Developer.com. He co-authored Java Web Services Architecture. JAMES LINN, consultant at Hartford Technology Services, co-authored XQuery Kick Start. VIKAS SHARAN is managing partner of Lozoic and architecture team member at Baypackets. ELIAS JO, Systems Architect for The New York Times Digital, has architected and/or led development at DeutscheBank, Citibank, Standard & Poor, and ADP.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall (November 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0131412752
• ISBN-13: 978-0131412750
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,689 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Major disappointment, June 15, 2004

By 

Rachel Tozier (Brea, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture (Paperback)

I purchased this book because Scott Ambler was listed as a coauthor. What I received is a book that is uneven in editing and content, and next to worthless as a "Practical Guide". There are some areas in the book that are worthwhile, but on the whole this book is out of touch with contemporary practices in enterprise architecture and how to approach it.

My advice is to avoid this book. A more realistic, realworld and practical approach to architecture can be found in "IT Architecture Toolkit" by Jane A. Carbone, ISBN 0131473794.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Just Plain Terrible, July 26, 2005

By 

Bryan G. Stepp "madmax" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture (Paperback)

What a disjointed collection of material. Did they even talk about Enterprise Architecture? No! This was my first book about Enterprise Architecture and it was so confusing on how it was written. Terrible. Don't get this one.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars They forgot the Enterprise bit, November 22, 2005

By 

James Thomas "James" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture (Paperback)

This is the worst IT book I have ever read. A collection of rambling unrelated raves. There is about 2 pages mentioning Enterprise Architecture. Scott Ambler uses the book to sell his EUP approach but makes sure he gives nothing away, so one is forced to buy his book...

The book is full of diagrams that are not even discussed in the text...just there to fill in the pages.

A waste of space