Are services like software systems?
As part of my studies at Glamorgan Business School, I’ve been exploring the world of service evaluation, and relating this to what I know about software system evaluation. The initial outcome is a paper I am due to present at the PAC 2009 Conference in Cardiff in early September.
I have been drawn to the conclusion that, just like software systems, all services have an architecture, and that many of the methods and practices that deal with software system architectures are equally appropriate to service architectures. The paper focuses on architecture reviews and quality attribute models. What other IT architecture approaches are directly transferable, I wonder?
In the course of my work, I came across a new but blossoming academic community on “Service Design”. Of particular interest to me was the superb work of Roberta Tassi, whose graduate thesis is a work of art in itself. Her service design tools repository is beautifully laid out, and I especially like the family tree showing the provenance of the different tools and techniques. Fascinating work, beautifully and elegantly presented (what else would expect from the design school in Milano!).
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