Systems Architecture Consultation

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About this service

Summary

Creating robust, scalable systems is difficult. Keeping them documented and planning ahead is crucial, but many businesses don't have the time to do so, and thus put off major system implementations or upgrades.
This service involves consultation and evaluation of a project from the ground up. You'll be directly communicating with me about your ideas, requirements and resources, and in return I'll develop an attack plan using my years of knowledge as a systems architect and automation engineer.

Process

We'll begin with a call to lay out exactly what kind of project you're looking to architect. Systems architecture is pretty complex, so these go for around an hour, and in them we'll note down any considerations for later.
Then, the documentation begins! I'll use my knowledge of various serverless/cloud platforms, such as AWS (Amazon Web Services) and GCP (Google Cloud Platform) to create a draft version of a Serverless Architecture Document.
From there, we'll continue with a few more calls to get things just right. Once everyone's happy with the result, I put together a small document, called a Systems Brief, which contains a less technical overview of your systems.
Finally, there is a short period where I'm available for further consultation, if you have any questions about implementation or ideas.

FAQs

  • What's included in the Serverless Architecture Document?

    That all depends on the architecture that we're looking at, but at minimum you'll have a list of resources that the architecture makes use of; the basic building blocks of the system, like Notification Services, Queues, Functions and Event Buses, a set of "flows" that the architecture might encounter, which begin with events, like a customer logging in, completing an order, or adding products to their wishlist, and go on to explain how each subsequent step is implemented in the architecture, and finally, a security breakdown, including what is accessed internally/externally, and first party or third party connections to/from your systems.

  • What is the Systems Brief?

    This is like the Serverless Architecture Document above, but much more concise. It contains a less technical breakdown of core features, which is great for any stakeholders, third parties, or executives, who often want the cliff notes over the nitty gritty. That's not to say that it doesn't contain details - the Systems Brief is designed to outline everything in your architecture that matters from a top level.

  • Do you perform implementation work?

    At this point, no. I'm primarily consultation, though I have previously worked in teams that focused on implementation, mostly in AWS. If you're looking for me to integrate your existing systems or automate parts of your business, I do have other services available for that, which you can find on my profile.

  • What should I do with the Systems Architecture Document?

    Ideally, give it straight to a development team. Once the document is completed, it's designed to be used as both a scratchpad and a bible - the team should be using it to inform their design, take note of considerations, and if needed, make amendments or modifications based on your changing business needs.

  • Who has the rights to these documents?

    When you order a document, after handover, that copy is yours - you or your team are free to modify it as you see fit. I keep the original copy of the document, and can make my own modifications.

  • I have a question about the document after handover - what do I do?

    Contact me! I'm available Fridays in the late afternoon and Saturdays/Sundays all day. I'm always happy to discuss further, and if it's within two weeks of handover, amendments can be made as we go.

  • How many video meetings can I schedule with you?

    Ideally, one or two a week, maximum. With meetings, as a long time engineer, I believe in quality over quantity. We won't be doing weekly catch-ups, but if you've got crucial information, a change request, new requirements or anything of the sort, feel free to reach out and we can book in more time. I'm always available through other avenues of communication as well, so feel free to email.

  • What's your prior experience?

    I've delivered three large-scale integrations, walking through design, architecture and handling the implementation itself in AWS. All three were in the finance sector, and involved handling of sensitive information as a part of the security considerations. For smaller projects, I've worked with hundreds of Australian businesses in both systems architecture consulting and delivery of business automation solutions, integrating platforms like Shopify, Hubspot, Pipedrive, Xero, SimPRO and more. As for myself, I've worked in this sector as a lead software engineer, and have been both a team lead and senior developer on large-scale integration projects, app builds and the like.

  • Do you perform systems architecture consultation for enterprise?

    I do. Due to scale, there are some additional considerations that I would need to cover in our initial briefing, and from there we would make a decision based on your needs and my time constraints.

What's included

  • Serverless Architecture Document

    This contains a detailed breakdown of the entire serverless project, from beginning to end, including individual components and resources, security considerations, and examples. The goal of this document is to allow you to take this to a development team and implement it directly.

  • Systems Brief

    This is like the serverless architecture document, but much shorter and simplified - essentially an overview with less technical detail. This is great for presenting to stakeholders, third parties, or executives, who may not wish to read through a highly detailed piece of documentation like the SAD.

  • 2 Weeks of Follow-Up Assistance

    Should you have any questions or clarifications regarding the SAD, or the concise version, I'm available for a short time afterwards to provide direct amendments and video meetings to go over its various details.


Skills and tools

Software Architect
Systems Engineer
AWS
Azure
Google Cloud Platform
LucidCharts

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