Hardware Architect
- Hardware Architect
- the specialized architect role that is played when a
person produces the
architecture of one or more
hardware components
As illustrated in the preceding figure, Hardware Architect is part of the following inheritance hierarchy.
The typical role-specific responsibilities of a Hardware Architect are to:
- Architect the Servers.
Architect the servers for one or more related
systems, applications, contact centers, and/or data centers including:
- Determine the appropriate kinds of servers (e.g., Web,
application, database, file, printer, security, etc.) based
on the operational and quality requirements.
- Determine the appropriate characteristics (e.g., number
and type of processors, amount of RAM, amount of hard drive
memory) and number of each kind of server based on such
quality requirements as operational availability, robustness, and scalability).
- Determine the appropriate tier-structure (e.g., centralized, client-server, n-tier).
- Determine the associated mechanisms (e.g., redundancy, load-balancing, fail-over).
- Architect the Mass Storage.
Architect the associated storage units including:
- Determine the appropriate storage type (e.g., tape library, disk library).
- Determine the appropriate technology (e.g., RAID), characteristics, and numbers of storage units.
- Determine the appropriate tier-structure (e.g., centralized, client-server, n-tier).
- Architect the Clients.
Architect the associated clients including:
- Determine the appropriate kinds of clients (e.g., terminals, work-stations, smart phones, point-of-sale
devices). based on the operational and quality requirements.
- Determine the appropriate characteristics (e.g., number and type of processors, amount of RAM,
amount of hard drive memory, wireless connectivity) and number of each kind of client.
- Architect the Networks.
Architect the associated networks including:
- Determine the appropriate networks (e.g., LANs, WANs, intranets, extranets).
- Determine the appropriate networking models (e.g., peer-to-peer, server-based).
- Determine the appropriate organizational models (e.g., centralized, distributed, collaborative).
- Determine the appropriate physical and logical network topology (e.g., bus, mesh, ring, star).
- Determine the appropriate transmission media (e.g., shielded or unshielded twisted-pair cable, Thinnet or
Thicknet coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, telephone, microwave, radio, infrared, or laser) and associated
connectors based on the required bandwidth, number of nodes, room for cables, cost, distance limitations due to
attenuation, ease of installation, fire codes, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and security.
- Determine the appropriate communications and hardware technology (e.g., versions of Ethernet or TokenRing).
- Determine the appropriate protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, NFS, IPX, etc.).
- Determine the appropriate network connectivity devices (e.g., repeaters, bridges, routers, brouters, gateways,
switches, accellerators, firewalls, etc.).
- Architect the Centers.
Architect any associated contact and data centers including:
- Determine the center layout.
- Determine the normal electrical and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS).
- Determine the air-conditioning.
- Determine the fire suppression.
- Determine the physical security devices (in collaboration with the security architect).
- Select Hardware Component Vendors.
- Document these Hardware Architectures.
Hardware Architect typically inherits the
general role responsibilities from the
role method component.
To fulfill these responsibilities, hardware architects typically should have the following expertise:
- Knowledge of application, contact center, and/or data center requirements.
- Theoretical knowledge and practical experience in hardware architecting including:
- Hardware architecture patterns and mechanisms.
- The seven layer OSI model.
- HDL and VHDL.
- Fault-tolerant/redundant systems.
- Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs)
- Client hardware components.
- Server hardware components including:
- Web Servers.
- Application Servers.
- Database Servers.
- File Servers.
- Print Servers.
- Security Servers (e.g., LDAP, encryption, decryption).
- Email Servers.
- Mass Storage:
- Tape libraries.
- Disk libraries.
- Networks including:
- Network connectivity devices.
- Network layout patterns.
- Network protocols
- Network routing
- Network quality of service (QOS)
- Strong in strategic and analytical thinking.
- Hardware board design experience.
- Able to see and understand:
- The context of the hardware architecture.
- The big picture without being caught up in diversionary details.
- Beyond the obvious.
- Patterns or connections between situations that are not obviously related.
- Key or underlying issues in complex situations.
- A bachelor’s or master of science degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or the equivalent.
Hardware architects typically perform the following
architectingsubactivities in an iterative, incremental,
parallel, and time-boxed manner:
Hardware architects typically perform the following
role-specific activities and tasks in an
iterative, incremental, parallel, and time-boxed manner:
Hardware Architect typically inherits
common role tasks from the
Role method component.
A Hardware Architect typically performs these tasks as a member of the following teams:
As a member of these teams, a Hardware Architect typically produces the following work products:
- Include this role in the endeavor-specific process only if an architecture involving
hardware components is to be produced.
- This role typically inherits the
common team guidelines from the
Role method component.
