There were some architects from Hitchen, designing systems in the kitchen...

There were some architects from Hitchen
Designing systems in the kitchen.
They said with a smile
The model doth compile!
And that's why Architect edition's a rich-un!

And if you think that’s funny, check out the movie Broadway Danny Rose for even better material. Thank you very much, you’re all beautiful individuals.

The key to understanding Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Software Architects is DSI and SDM. Here’s the short version, and then I’ll give you links for more technical material.

Consider that all artifacts generated using the distributed systems designers in Architect edition are serialized to XML, and the XML schema that constrains these document instances is SDM or Systems Definition Model. This leads to the logical conclusion that SDM is formal to the extent that it can be supplied as input to downstream compilers. SDM scopes aspects of systems design decisions including application hosting, operating systems and service pack versions, production-time health models, security, and IIS server configuration to name just a few. This is the domain of DSI, or the Dynamic Systems Initiative. DSI enables end-to-end models throughout the SDLC from application design to post-production support. Application and data-center perspectives are within the model so that decisions made by data-center architects can be compared to related decisions made by application architects. It is eminently feasible to take the SDM generated by the application distributed designer in VSTS, and create scriptable deployments, MOM management packs, and runtime SLAs. With Virtual Server 2005 R2, you can clearly see that dynamic load balancing of virtual servers is squarely on the SDM and DSI path.

It’s a great time to consider getting a few projects in Architect edition. Start using the existing functionality to enhance development efforts. When you add in current partner offerings, you are rewarded with an inspiring vision of what lies ahead. Obviously, modeling done now will yield additional benefits as design decisions accrue in SDM as opposed to the dust bin.

Recommended Reading:

DSI Home Page at Microsoft
https://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/dsi/default.mspx

Microsoft Systems Definition Model Home Page
https://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/dsi/sdm.mspx

Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Software Architects Home Page
https://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/teamsystem/architect/default.aspx

Microsoft Webcast on new clustering and high availability features in Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2. Features like guest clustering and host-based clustering can help you ensure a robust production server consolidation.

https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?culture=en-US&EventID=1032284291&CountryCode=US

Microsoft Webcast on DSI, MOM 2005. .NET Application Health Monitoring, and MOM Management utilities from MS partner AVICode
https://msevents.microsoft.com/cui/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032282312&EventCategory=5&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US

Best regards,

Ken Garove