Within a development team, software architects and senior developers are responsible for specifying and maintaining all aspects of an application's architecture. They need powerful and configurable tools for managing the complexity in today's applications. IBM Rational® Software Architect is an integrated design and development tool that leverages model-driven development with the UML (Unified Modeling Language) for creating well architected applications and services. Rational Software Architect unifies all aspects of software design and development into one powerful and easy to use tool. It supports understanding, designing, managing, and evolving enterprise solutions and services. It includes the full functionality of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere® Software and is built on top of the open and extensible Eclipse platform which leverages several open industry standards. This enables users to create applications optimized for IBM middleware, as well as those developed using middleware technology from other vendors.

This tool provides support for the activities of the following team members: Designer and Software Architect.

To gain the full benefits from this tool, users need to have the following skills:-

• Object Orientation
• Unified Modelling Language

Training for this tool can be found in the following courses:-

• Essentials of Visual Modelling with UML 2.0
• Essentials of Rational Software Architect

IBM Rational Software Architect:-

• Incorporates all the capabilities in IBM Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software for building scaleable Web, Web services (including Web services that participate in SOA), Java, J2EE and portal applications
• Markerless visualization/editing of J2EE, Java, and C++ structure and behavior via UML diagrams
• Supports the major UML 2 diagrams
• Supports patterns and transformations for automating refinement of models and transition between analysis, design, and implementation
• Supports OCL for specifying architectural constraints
• Automatic detection of structural patterns & anti-patterns to facilitate the refactoring of Java applications
• Defines structural rules for architectural control of Java
• Integrates with IBM Rational RequisitePro, IBM Rational ClearCase LT, and IBM Rational ClearQuest
• Automates traceability from requirements to design and implementation