C6: Architectural Design

Question 1

Software architecture

Answer 1

The style of design of the structure of the system including the interacting and interaction among its major components.

Question 2

Software architectural design

Answer 2

A decision making process to determine the software architecture for the system under development.

Question 3

Architectural Design Process

Answer 3

1. Determine design objectives
   Overall design objects are identified and specified.
2. Determine type of system or subsystem
3. Apply an architectural style or perform custom architectural design
4. Specify subsystems functions, interfaces, and interaction behaviour
   Interfaces between the subsystems are defined and the interaction behaviour between the subsystems are specified.
5. Review the architectural design
   Review to ensure that it satisfies the requirements, design objectives and software principles.

Question 4

Determine Architectural Design Objectives

Answer 4

1. Ease of change and maintenance
   Does the application requires frequent changes to the system to respond to changes in the application such as a response to requirement change?
2. Use of commercial off the shelf parts
   Does the project require or prohibit the use of COTS?
3. System performance
   Does the application require high performance?
4. Reliability
   To what extent does application required system to correctly perform its intended functions under the assumed conditions?
5. Security
   What is the extent of protection of data and programs resources required by the application?
6. Software fault tolerance
   To what extent does the application enquiry system to continue operation when a software problem occurs?
7. Recovery
   to what extent does the application required the system to return to a previous state after a system crash?

Question 5

Determine System Type

Answer 5

1. Interactive system
2. Event-Driven Systems
3. Transformational systems
4. Object persistence systems

Question 6

Applying Architectural Styles

Answer 6

1. N-tier Architecture
2. Client-server architecture
3. Main program and subroutines architecture
4. Event driven system architecture
5. Persistence framework architecture

Question 7

Software Design Principles

Answer 7

Widely accepted guiding rules for the software design - correctly applying these principle can significantly improve software quality.

Question 8

Guidelines for Architectural Design

Answer 8

1. Adapt on architectural when possible
2. Apply software design principles
3. Apply design patterns
4. Check against design objectives and design principles
5. Iterate the steps if needed

Question 9

Applying Agile Principles

Answer 9

● Value working software over comprehensive documentation.

● Apply the 80 - 20 rule, that is, good is good enough.