As an architect, your main job is to understand what the customer currently has, figure out what the business really needs, identify any assumptions or limitations in the solution, acknowledge potential problems, explain the design choices, and create a smooth plan for implementing the solution.

Understanding the customer’s existing infrastructure and the readiness of their IT team is crucial. Without this knowledge, proposing an HCI migration without considering their current state could lead to challenges and potential issues.

Pinpointing and documenting specific business requirements is crucial for your solution design. This step is where you derive and outline Service Level Agreements (SLAs), especially in large-scale enterprise designs.

In solution design, it’s vital to document assumptions such as “Assuming compatibility with the current operating system versions for seamless integration, based on the information provided by the client.” This ensures clarity and sets a solid foundation for the overall design process.

In solution design, document constraints such as “Due to regulatory requirements, data storage must be confined to on-premises servers, limiting the adoption of cloud-based solutions.” This illustrates a constraint impacting both the design and delivery of the proposed solution.

In solution design, recognize risks like potential service disruptions due to third-party service dependencies. To mitigate this risk, implement redundancy measures and establish contingency plans. It’s customary in enterprise-class designs to detail multiple risk scenarios and their corresponding remediation strategies across several pages.

A comprehensive solution architecture encompasses both conceptual/logical and physical designs, incorporating illustrative diagrams and detailed descriptions of all functional components within the solution. This documentation provides a holistic view, guiding the implementation of a robust and effective system.

Develop a migration and transition plan that considers infrastructure changes, includes a people-enablement strategy with a training plan, and outlines a contingency for reverting to the current environment if needed. This ensures a well-rounded approach to a smooth transition.