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Systems architect

Systems Architect
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Systems Architects divide large and complex systems into manageable subsystems that can be handled by individual engineers.
Occupation
Names Systems Architect
Occupation type
Profession
Activity sectors
Systems Engineering
Systems
Design
Engineering
Description
Competencies user domain knowledge, scientific knowledge, engineering, planning and management skills
Education required
see professional requirements

The systems architect is a professional figure in ICT. Systems architects define the architecture of a computerized system (i.e., a system composed of software and hardware) in order to fulfill certain requirements. Such definitions include: a breakdown of the system into components, the component interactions and interfaces (including with the environment, especially the user), and the technologies and resources to be used in the design.

The Systems Architect's work must avoid implementation issues and readily permit unanticipated extensions/modifications in future stages. Because of the extensive experience required for this, the Systems Architect is typically a very senior technician with substantial, but general, knowledge of hardware, software, and similar systems. But above all, the systems architect must be reasonably familiar with the users' domain of experience (that is, the architect of an air traffic system needs to be more than superficially familiar with all of the tasks of an air traffic system, including those of all levels of users).

Systems Architects interface with multiple stakeholders in an organization in order to understand the various levels of requirements, the domain, the viable technologies, and anticipated development. Their work includes determining multiple design alternatives, assessing such alternatives based on all identified constraints (such as cost, schedule, space, power, safety, usability, reliability, maintainability, availability, and so on), and selecting the most suitable options for further design. The output of such work sets the core properties of the system, and those that are hardest to change later.

In small systems the architecture is typically defined directly by developers. In larger systems, a Systems Architect may be appointed to outline the overall system and interface with the users and stakeholders. Very large, highly complex systems may include multiple architects, in which case the architects work together to integrate their subsystems or aspects, and may respond to a Chief Architect responsible for the entire system.

In systems design, the architects and engineers are responsible for:

Large systems architecture was developed as a way to handle systems too large for one person to conceive of, let alone design. Systems of this size are rapidly becoming the norm, so architectural approaches and architects are increasingly needed to solve the problems of large systems. In general, increasingly large systems are reduced to 'human' proportions by a layering approach, where each layer is composed of a number of individually comprehensible sub-layers-- each having its own principal engineer and/or architect. A complete layer at one level will be shown as a functional 'component' of a higher layer.


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