Customer Reviews

Real-Life MDA: Solving Business Problems with Model Driven Architecture (The MK/OMG Press)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read this book skipping over technical and theoretical excerpts and focusing on the 'project experience' part of every case study. This book confirms to me that MDA is finding its way into IT reality, graduating the approach from what's probable to what's possible, from phenomenon to ontic. The format, style, and presentation are excellent, and some of the case studies are captivating narratives that I learned quite a bit from. For me, this book is about what is workable more so than what is viable.
The nebulous aspect of "what is really MDA" is not clarified in this book, rather it is confirmed because you will see that each case study presents a project using some form of MDA, and they are all different.
So who do I recommend this book to? First, let's recognize that this book is fist-in-class, so it cannot be compared to others --the OMG has had MDA case studies posted on their Website for a while, but not with this substance.
If you are curious regarding what MDA is about, surprisingly, this book offers a great introduction by way of analogy to manufacturing -- I found the analogy very powerful. And browsing the case studies can paint a picture as to what the MDA experience entails.
If you are flirting with MDA, you might find the case studies compelling and perhaps start thinking about your first MDA pilot project.
If you are part of an MDA (or any model driven whatever) project, this book is mostly for you -- without meaning to preclude the first two.

One of the problems with something like architecture is that it's difficult to quantify the value. This is even more difficult when the approach can be applied in many different ways, in many different circumstances. This is certainly the case for MDA. Perhaps the best we can do is point to examples of how it is used, where it's been successful, and what value it has contributed. Well, if you want to answer those questions for MDA, this book is for you.

Real-life MDA, as the title suggests, is basically a book of case studies. Each case has a similar structure describing the problem being addressed, why an MDA approach was chosen, the goals, the challenges faced, how MDA was used, what processes and tools were used, the results and benefits, and the client's assessment of the MDA experience. But that's where the similarity ends. One case show MDA in an Agile environment, another highlights MDA and code generation, another shows how MDA is used to create Enterprise Architecture, yet another shows an MDA approach to outsourcing. This illustrates the variety of MDA approaches, while providing a framework to understand and compare the different examples.

I should of course mention that the book is easy to read, in spite of the non-trivial nature of the subject. Both Guttman and Parodi are excellent writers who keep the flow interesting and insightful. If you've thought MDA sounded good, but couldn't articulate the value, now you'll be able to. If you never quite bought the idea of MDA, hopefully this book will change your mind. In either case, you'll enjoy the read and learn something in the process.

We all know that there's a relationship between technology and history. Some argue that technology determines history (in terms of its shaping of economic, social, and political institutions). Others are concerned that we're not ready for really new technology at this point in history. The authors of this very well written book have used history and technology to locate MDA in a similar historical process (the development of mechanical technology - assembly line, components, machine tools, etc.) - by doing this we can think about where MDA is, where it is going to, and most importantly, what it needs next.

The book talks about MDA (Model Driven Architecture) not from a theoretical point of view but using 7 case studies where MDA was used successfully. I liked the idea of the format and it was certainly more compelling to read about real projects and tools than another discussion of the general benefits and approaches.

If you are thinking about MDA and like the idea of the approach then this book will give you some concrete examples to reference and to use to persuade others. I felt, however, that many of the stories were more about moving from very old-fashioned approaches to a more current approach and that most of the benefits could have been gained without labeling it MDA.

For those of you who read The Halo Effect: ... and the Eight Other Business Delusions That Deceive Managers you might be thinking "where are the comparisons to MDA projects that didn't work". I though that too and think it would have made a stronger book to present both sides. In the end the book is not compelling for someone who has not decided to adopt MDA or who considers MDA just another Computer Aided Software Engineering or CASE tool. It might be a useful tool for those who are already convinced about MDA who want examples and stories to share.