Today’s software delivery teams are expected to operate at internet time and scale. These expectations have broadened the adoption of Agile and Continuous Delivery practices. As a result, the pendulum has swung away from traditional software architecture practices and, in particular, enterprise architecture. We do not believe that the pendulum will swing back to these traditional practices. However, practitioners still need an architectural approach that can encompass Continuous Delivery and Agile practices, providing it with a broader architectural perspective. Continuous Architecture addresses this concern.
Continuous Architecture is based on six principles and a set of tools that support them. It is not a formal process; rather, it is based on practical experience of architecting solutions in large enterprises. As enterprises struggle to implement Agile and Continuous Delivery practices at scale, Continuous Architecture will become more important. Adopting a flexible but structured architecture approach is critical to finding the right balance.
