6 Evaluating software architectures

Question 1

Name the three approaches to architecture assessment.

Answer 1

1. SAAM: Software Architecture Analysis Method
2. ATAM: Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method => addresses quality attributes
3. CBAM: Cost-benefit Analysis Method => addresses cost-benefit

Question 2

What are the key concepts of architecture assessment?

Answer 2

1. Use case scenarios: describe typical system usage
2. Growth scenarios: address anticipated system changes
3. Exploratory scenarios: extreme stress cases

Question 3

What are the four main phases in ATAM?

Answer 3

PATR

1. Present: present the ATAM method, business goals

2. Analyze: describe architectural approaches, generate quality attribute utility trees and analyze risks

3. Test: brainstorm and prioritize scenarios, analyze architectural approaches

4. Report: present final results including risks, tradeoffs and sensitivity points.

Question 4

What is architecture simulation?

Answer 4

It is to simulate the behavior of the architecture before the implementation to predict performance.

Question 5

What is architectural compliance?

Answer 5

Architectural compliance ensures that a system’s design and implementation align with defined standards, guidelines, and principles, maintaining consistency, scalability, and maintainability.