Working with Infrastructure in the Enterprise as a Programmer Analyst

For 10 years I have been working as an analyst first then putting on the programmer hat and developing applications. In corporate America you need to concentrate on your ability to work with your infrastructure architects and be very open minded. I have learned that you must take time to explain in great detail what your solution design is doing. Most web solutions involve web servers and database servers along with needing separate environments for development, user acceptance testing and production. Your solution may be Intranet or Internet, but the key to working with your infrastructure architect is to document, document, document. Use applications such as Visio to convey to them what you are trying to accomplish in the form of a picture (Remember a picture speaks a thousand words). It will save you your sanity and provide a great working relationship with your architect. Humans are not mind readers so document and draw your solution with time and patience. And last, but not least be sure to consult with your architect and have your environments built before coding a solution and ensure all the environment mirror one another, that way you will not freak out when your app works in one environment and not the other.

Words of Wisdom from an individual who loves what they do, but has pulled a bit of hair out learning the ropes.

Thanks to my mentors

Doug Cain
Larry Leonard
Eddie Clodfelter
Troy Tucker
Robert Petree
Shaun Todd
Saran
Garry Blanks
Kelly O'Donnell