Architecture Evaluation

Intro

• Design decisions, patterns are used because of the effects they have on the system.
• Hence, these choices are analysable.
• Design must be evaluated continuously during the life cycle, especially early on.
• There are many benefits to evaluation:
  • Financial.
  • Early detection of problems.
  • Captured rationale - Documented design rationale is important so that implications of modifications can be assessed.
  • Validation of requirements - opens up the requirements themselves for discussion. e.g. conflicting requirements.
  • Improved architectures.

• Use scenarios as vehicles for asking probing questions about how the arch. responds to various situations.
• Propose scenarios against a quality attribute.
• For e.g. against performance - give usage profiles that stretch the system.