Kirk Knoernschild
Software Developer & Mentor
Kirk is software developer with a passion for building great software. He takes a keen interest in design, architecture, application development platforms, agile development, and the IT industry in general, especially as it relates to software development. His recent book, Java Application Architecture was published in 2012, and presents 18 patterns that help you design modular software.Presentations
Java 9 - The Jigsaw Module System
1:30 PM MDT
With Java 9, modularity will be built in to the Java platform…Finally! In this session, we explore the default Jigsaw module system and compare it to the alternative module system, OSGi, on the Java platform.
We will demonstrate the impact that Jigsaw will have on our existing applications and identify what we must do to get ready for Jigsaw. You will also see firsthand how to use the Jigsaw module system and the benefits that support for modularity on the Java platform will have on your applications.
Modular Architecture - Refactoring the Monolith
9:00 AM MDT
Microservices are all the rage. But this isn’t a session on microservices. It’s a session on modularity. At the end of the day, microservices are just one way to the increase modularity of our software system. But there are others.
In this session we’ll refactor a monolith using patterns of modular architecture. In the end, you’ll see how the underlying set of principles used to modularize the monolith are virtually identical to the benefits of a microservice architecture, albeit manifest in a different way. Once modularized, you’ll also be amazed at how much architectural agility we have in our ability to now shift between different approaches to modularity, including microservices.
Modularity, Microservices, and Modern Architectural Paradigms
10:45 AM MDT
New architectural paradigms are emerging that challenge traditional assumptions about the way that scalable and adaptable software is built. At the heart of these paradigms is a modular approach that breaks apart the monolithic application. But breaking apart the monolith has implications beyond software architecture and never before has architecture, infrastructure, and methodology been linked in a way that demands a new approach to software development.
In this workshop, we will explore modularity’s role in a large scale software technology agnostic architecture. We’ll compare and contrast different implementation technologies, including Dropwizard and OSGi, for building modular architectures. And we’ll discover the impact that modern architecture has on infrastructure and methodology. Throughout the discussion, we will examine how modern web and mobile apps fit into this overall architectural story. This session is a workshop and hands on labs are available, so bring your laptop if you’d like to perform the exercises.
Modularity, Microservices, and Modern Architectural Paradigms
1:30 PM MDT
New architectural paradigms are emerging that challenge traditional assumptions about the way that scalable and adaptable software is built. At the heart of these paradigms is a modular approach that breaks apart the monolithic application. But breaking apart the monolith has implications beyond software architecture and never before has architecture, infrastructure, and methodology been linked in a way that demands a new approach to software development.
In this workshop, we will explore modularity’s role in a large scale software technology agnostic architecture. We’ll compare and contrast different implementation technologies, including Dropwizard and OSGi, for building modular architectures. And we’ll discover the impact that modern architecture has on infrastructure and methodology. Throughout the discussion, we will examine how modern web and mobile apps fit into this overall architectural story. This session is a workshop and hands on labs are available, so bring your laptop if you’d like to perform the exercises.
Principles of Agile Architecture
3:15 PM MDT
Traditional approaches to software architecture are broken. Attempts to define the architectural vision for a system early in the development lifecycle do not work. In today’s volatile technology and business climate, big architecture up front is not sustainable. In this session, we will explore several principles that help us create more flexible and adaptable software systems. But first, we’ll expose the true essence of what’s meant when we say “architectural agility.”
What’s the goal of architecture? To serve as a blueprint of the system that everyone understands? Possess the flexibility to evolve as new requirements emerge? To satisfy the architectural qualities, including performance, security, availability, reliability, and scalability? Yes. Yes. Yes. At the heart of these three questions are the three pillars of architecture - social, process, and structure. But how do we create software architectures that achieves all of these goals? And how do we ensure no disconnect occurs between developers responsible for implementation and architects responsible for the vision? In this session, we’ll explore several principles to increase architectural agility and provide some actionable advice that will help you get started immediately.
Books
Java Application Architecture: Modularity Patterns with Examples Using OSGi (Robert C. Martin Series)
by Kirk Knoernschild
“I’m dancing! By god I’m dancing on the walls. I’m dancing on the ceiling. I’m ecstatic. I’m overjoyed. I’m really, really pleased.”–From the Foreword by Robert C. Martin (a.k.a. Uncle Bob)
This isn’t the first book on Java application architecture. No doubt it won’t be the last. But rest assured, this title is different. The way we develop Java applications is about to change, and this title explores the new way of Java application architecture.
Over the past several years, module frameworks have been gaining traction on the Java platform, and upcoming versions of Java will include a module system that allows you to leverage the power of modularity to build more resilient and flexible software systems. Modularity isn’t a new concept. But modularity will change the way we develop Java applications, and you’ll only be able to realize the benefits if you understand how to design more modular software systems.
Java Application Architecture will help you
- Design modular software that is extensible, reusable, maintainable, and adaptable
- Design modular software today, in anticipation of future platform support for modularity
- Break large software systems into a flexible composite of collaborating modules
- Understand where to place your architectural focus
- Migrate large-scale monolithic applications to applications with a modular architecture
- Articulate the advantages of modular software to your team
Java Application Architecture lays the foundation you’ll need to incorporate modular design thinking into your development initiatives. Before it walks you through eighteen patterns that will help you architect modular software, it lays a solid foundation that shows you why modularity is a critical weapon in your arsenal of design tools. Throughout, you’ll find examples that illustrate the concepts. By designing modular applications today, you are positioning yourself for the platform and architecture of tomorrow. That’s why Uncle Bob is dancing.