Architecture Board¶
The architecture board will guide key solution and architectural decisions about the DHI product and component ecosystem and oversee the rollout of key technical and development standards across T&I.
The architecture board will define principles to follow for both projects and products as well as providing development guidelines and templates documents to be used by projects and products.
The tasks of the Architecture Board can be divided into the categories below.
- Business Strategy Alignment Make sure that technology choices and development processes aligns with the DHI Business Strategy.
- Technology Selection Process Define principles and participate in the software technology and infrastructure selection process of projects and products.
- Software Architecture Identify the relevant software technology standards and guidelines for DHI products and projects and define them.
- Data Management Tools Identify recommended data management tools, user interfaces and technologies.
- Infrastructure Architecture Identify and define infrastructure standards and guidelines for DHI products and projects. This includes computing, network, cloud services, and storage resources.
- Architecture Governance Define the Architecture Compliance review processes and audits.
Architecture Governance¶
Principles for designing, implementing, and evolving governance practices to meet DHI goals must be developed.
By adhering to these principles, DHI can establish an effective governance framework that support strategic alignment, risk management, stakeholder engagement, and continuous improvement.
- Standardization and Consistency
A key principle of governance is ensuring that standards, guidelines, and best practices are developed and followed to ensure consistency across the architecture.
These standards should also be regularly updated and reviewed to keep them relevant and effective. - Transparency and Accountability
Make sure that people understand their role in the architectural process to ensure that people know what expectations to met. - Risk Management
Identifying, assessing, and managing risks in existing products and solutions and risks associated with architectural decisions and changes. - Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholder governance means maintaining open and transparent communication channels to inform stakeholders about architecture activities.
The architecture board should create guidelines ensuring that stakeholder input is gathered regularly and that their needs are addressed. - Continuous Improvement
Metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) and audits to measure the effectiveness and impact of the governance processes. - Flexibility and Agility
The governance processes must be flexible and adaptable to the needs of the business and technological advancements.
Flexibility in governance will encourage innovation and can better support agile methodologies when needed.
Business Strategy Alignment¶
One of the very important tasks of the Architecture Board, is to keep the T&I Management team updated on DHI Technology guidelines and to ensure that technology choices are in line with the DHI strategy and business goals.
Communicating business implications of technical decisions is required as well as identifying risks in the current DHI technology map.
The Architecture Board will use ideas from Architecture Frameworks (like TOGAF) for making sure that technology choices and development processes aligns with DHI Business Strategy.
Data Management Tools¶
Identify recommended data management tools, user interfaces and technologies.
This includes setting up principles for selecting software applications used for data presentation, transformation and merging.
Infrastructure Architecture¶
Identify and define infrastructure standards and guidelines for the DHI Infrastructure Architecture used in projects and products.
This includes computing, network, cloud services, and storage resources.
The infrastructure architecture standards should include:
- Security Define security standards for project and product safety.
- Core components Identify assets and components to use depending on required infrastructure (e.g. on-premises or cloud).
- Cloud Services Guidelines in setting up a cloud service infrastructure.
- Data Storage Recommendations on what data storages to use.
- Computing resources Computing resources to use e.g. when running models.
- Networking infrastructure
Network infrastructure refers to the hardware and software that enable network connectivity and communication between users, devices, apps, the internet, and more.
The Architecture Board should produce guidelines for the network infrastructure both for on premises installations as well as cloud solutions. - Deployment map Provide an overview of the DHI Technology map and where and when to use what assets.
Software Architecture¶
Identify the relevant software technology standards and principles for DHI products and projects and define them.
The software architectural principles should include:
- Technology and framework choices
- Overall organization of the DHI software (component diagrams)
- Code documentation requirements
- Code testing principles
Technology Selection Process¶
DHI has a history of inventing new software products and technologies with new projects instead of using common technologies and products.
The architecture board will develop Technology, Product and Components Selection Guidelines for projects and products, outlining what Data Management tools, assets, enablers and products to use for projects.
The architecture board will participate in the software technology and infrastructure selection process of projects and products.
Providing an overview of the DHI Technology and product map and where and when to use what assets is an important part of a successful Technology Selection Process.
The technology selection process includes:
- Creating and maintaining a DHI Technology Map
- Guide for short listing technologies and assets
- Technology and asset governance