Planning a SOA is like Planning a Vacation

Did you ever just need to get away for a quick, short break? Have you ever turned to your significant other and said, "why don't we take a short vacation this weekend to try something new and relax?"

Then, before you know it you're on a two week vacation, with tons of luggage, half-way around the world? It does something like...

1. You're looking for a nearby destination to get away from the cold, maybe the Caribbean, but those tickets to the coast of France catch your eye.
2. The tickets to France turn out to the be the same price as those to the Caribbean... your first thought is - red eye Thursday, return Monday, perfect. But, you start to think that if you're going all the way there, you might as well make it a few days longer.
3. With a long trip like that, you'll want to experience the full range of culture... instead of an overnight bag with a bathing suit and toothbrush, you've got a different pair of shoes for each day, "just in case."

Before you know it, your "quick weekend beach getaway" has you taking two weeks off from work, shopping for new clothes, and totally stressed out planning the thing. You've lost site of the objective.

Somewhere, deep down, you realize that it's going to be a nice trip but... you really just wanted to lay on the beach in the sun for three days. Even worse, in the future, you might not bother to even suggest a quick getaway because you know it'll turn into a huge production.

I can hear you wondering, SOA What? And, I'm stunned to hear you say that because it's SOA obvious!

It's always nice to think and plan big but sometimes all you need to do is remember your objective, and do just that. A long weekend at the beach doesn't mean you can't take a bigger vacation when you have time to plan it properly. And, if you don't do anything stupid, a small project doesn't preclude you from rolling up into an enterprise SOA infrastructure down the line.