Techniques for Architecture Evaluation

Architecture evaluation is a crucial step in the software development lifecycle, ensuring the chosen design effectively meets the system’s requirements and goals. Here are some prominent techniques:

1. Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method (ATAM)

• Focus: Identifies and evaluates architectural approaches by discovering trade-offs and sensitivity points.
• Process:
  • Gather stakeholders.
  • Elicit business drivers.
  • Extract quality attributes.
  • Create scenarios.
  • Analyze architectural approaches.
  • Identify trade-offs and sensitivity points.
  • Document results.

2. Software Architecture Analysis Method (SAAM)

• Focus: Analyzes the architecture’s ability to satisfy quality requirements.
• Process:
  • Define quality attributes.
  • Create scenarios that exercise quality attributes.
  • Identify architectural elements that contribute to quality attributes.
  • Analyze the architecture’s ability to satisfy scenarios.
  • Identify risks and trade-offs.

3. Cost Benefit Analysis Method (CBAM)

• Focus: Analyzes the economic feasibility of architectural decisions by comparing costs and benefits.
• Process:
  • Identify and quantify the costs associated with each architectural option (e.g., development costs, maintenance costs, risk mitigation costs).
  • Identify and quantify the benefits of each architectural option (e.g., improved performance, increased flexibility, reduced risk).
  • Compare the costs and benefits of different options to determine the most economically viable solution.

4. Architecture-Level Modifiability Analysis (ALMA)

• Focus: Assesses the ease with which the architecture can be modified to accommodate future changes. ¹
• Process:
  • Identify potential future changes to the system (e.g., new features, technology upgrades).
  • Analyze the architecture to determine the impact of these changes on the system.
  • Identify areas of the architecture that are difficult to modify and propose solutions to improve modifiability.

5. Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs (ARID)

• Focus: Early identification and mitigation of architectural risks.
• Process:
  • Prepare for the review (e.g., document architecture, identify key concerns).
  • Conduct the review (e.g., walkthroughs, inspections).
  • Resolve issues and document findings.

6. Quality Attribute Workshops (QAW)

• Focus: Identify and prioritize quality attributes.
• Process:
  • Gather stakeholders.
  • Brainstorm and document quality attributes.
  • Prioritize quality attributes based on importance and risk.
  • Use quality attribute scenarios to evaluate architectural decisions.

7. Simulation and Modeling

• Focus: Predict system behavior under different workloads and conditions.
• Techniques:
  • Performance modeling: Analyze system performance using mathematical models or simulation tools.
  • Fault tree analysis: Identify potential failure points and their impact on the system.

8. Family-Architecture Assessment Method (FAAM)

• Focus: Evaluates the suitability of an architecture for a family of related systems.
• Process:
  • Identify the commonalities and variations among the systems in the family.
  • Analyze the architecture to determine its ability to support the commonalities and variations.
  • Identify potential risks and trade-offs associated with using a common architecture.

9. Experience-Based Techniques

• Focus: Leverage expert knowledge and past experiences.
• Techniques:
  • Checklists and guidelines: Use predefined checklists to assess the architecture against common pitfalls and best practices.
  • Architectural patterns: Apply known architectural patterns to address common design challenges.
  • Design reviews by experts: Involve experienced architects in the evaluation process.

Tool-Supported Techniques

• Focus: Utilize software tools to automate or assist in the evaluation process.
• Tools:
  • Architecture analysis tools: Analyze architectural models for inconsistencies, vulnerabilities, and performance bottlenecks.
  • Simulation tools: Simulate system behavior and predict performance.
  • Static analysis tools: Analyze code for potential issues that could impact architecture.

Choosing the Right Technique

The choice of evaluation technique depends on factors such as:

• Project goals and constraints: The specific objectives of the project and the available resources.
• System complexity: The size and complexity of the system under development.
• Risk tolerance: The level of risk that the organization is willing to accept.
• Stakeholder involvement: The need for stakeholder buy-in and consensus.