Chapter 3 - Contexts of SW Architecture

Question 1

the 4 contexts of SW architecture

Answer 1

• in a technical context
• in a project life-cycle context
• in a business context
• in a professional context

Question 2

what is meant by the technical context?

Answer 2

a description of the technical role that the software architecture plays in the system(s) of which it’s a part

Question 3

what is meant by the project life-cycle context?

Answer 3

how the architecture relates to other phases of the software development life-cycle

Question 4

what is meant by the business context?

Answer 4

how does the presence of a software arch affect the organization’s business environment

Question 5

what is meant by the professional context?

Answer 5

what is the role of the software architect in an organization or a development project

Question 6

2 important factors of the technical context

Answer 6

• the set of quality attributes the architecture can help achieve
• the current technical environment (like the state of technology in the industry)

Question 7

7 fundamental architecture activities in the project life-cycle context

Answer 7

1) make a business case for the system
2) understand the architecturally significant requirements
3) create or select the arch
4) document and communicate the arch
5) analyze or evaluate the arch
6) implement and test the system based on the arch
7) ensure that the implementation conforms to the arch

Question 8

What is the main influencing force on the architecture in the business context? How does the architecture cater to this?

Answer 8

The business goals of vested organizations influence the arch. The requirements represent a manner of achieving a business goal and the quality attributes that a given architecture helps to support helps to satisfy those goals.

business goals help architects balance/prioritize non-functional requirements

Question 9

2 technical context aspects affected by the architecture

Answer 9

• can affect stakeholder requirements for the next system (if you have an arch that you can reuse, a stakeholder may be willing to adjust requirements to save money)
• the customer can receive system in a more timely manner in the case of reuse

Question 10

2 influences of the arch in the project context

Answer 10

• arch prescribes units of software that must be implemented and thusly influence the development project’s structure
• the SW units are the basis of software teams which become embedded in organizations structure

Question 11

2 influences of the arch in the business context

Answer 11

• the arch of a successful system can enable a company to establish a foothold in a certain market segment (become specialized)
• the arch provides opportunities for efficient production and deployment of similar systems (i.e. establish a product line) which the organization can take advantage of to create a vertical market

Question 12

3 influences the arch has in the professional context

Answer 12

• building a system gives the architect more experience
• a successful architectural approach is more likely to be used again in the future
• architectures that fail are less likely to be used again in the future