Evaluating software architectures

Methods and case studies

Paul Clements, Rick Kazman, Mark Klein

324 pages, parution le 13/11/2001

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Résumé

Drawing on clearly identified connections between architecture design decisions and resulting software properties, this book describes systematic methods for evaluating software architectures and applies them to real-life cases. It shows you how such evaluation can substantially reduce risk while adding remarkably little expense and time to the development effort (in most cases, no more than a few days). Evaluating Software Architectures introduces the conceptual background for architecture evaluation and provides a step-by-step guide to the process based on numerous evaluations performed in government and industry.

In particular, the book presents three important evaluation methods:

Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method (ATAM)
Software Architecture Analysis Method (SAAM)
Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs (ARID)

Detailed case studies demonstrate the value and practical application of these methods to real-world systems, and sidebars throughout the book provide interesting background and hands-on tips from the trenches.

All software engineers should know how to carry out software architecture evaluations. Evaluating Software Architectures is the chance to get up to speed quickly by learning from the experience of others.

Table of Contents

Legal
Preface
Reader's Guide
Acknowledgments
1: What is Software Architecture: Architecture as Vehicle for Communication among Stakeholders; Architecture as the Manifestation of the Earliest Design Decisions; Architecture as a Reusable, Transferable Abstraction of a System; Summary; For Further Reading; Discussion questions

2: Evaluating a Software Architecture: Why Evaluate an Architecture?; When can an Architecture be Evaluated?; Who's Involved?; What Result does an Architecture Evaluation Produce?; For what Qualities can we Evaluate an Architecture?; Why are Quality Attributes too Vague for Analysis?; What are the Outputs of an Architecture Evaluation?; What are the Benefits and Costs of Performing an Architecture Evaluation?; For Further Reading; Discussion Questions; Sidebar: What's Architectural?; Sidebar: "Why Should I Believe You?"

3: The ATAM: A Method for Architecture Evaluation: Summary of ATAM Steps; Detailed Description of the ATAM Steps; The Phases of the ATAM; For Further Reading; Discussion Questions; Sidebar: The Two Faces of the ATAM; Sidebar: Scenarios; Sidebar: Stakeholders; Sidebar: Sensitivities and Risks

4: The BCS--The First Case Study in Applying the ATAM: Preparation; Phase 1; Phase 2; Results of The BCS Evaluation; Summary; Discussion Questions; Sidebar: "Issues"; Sidebar: Leading an Evaluation; Sidebar: Making the Most of Evaluators' Efforts; Sidebar: My Experiences with the ATAM

5: Understanding Quality Attributes: Quality Attribute Characterizations; Using Quality Attribute Characterizations in the ATAM; Attribute-Based Architectural Styles (ABASs); Putting It All Together; For Further Reading; Discussion Questions

6: A Case Study in Applying the ATAM: Background; Phase 0: Partnership and Preparation; Phase 0 - Step 1: Present the ATAM; Phase 0 - Step 2: Describe Candidate System; Phase 0 - Step 3: Make a Go/No-Go Decision; Phase 0 - Step 4: Negotiate the Statement of Work; Phase 0 - Step 5: Form the Core Evaluation Team; Phase 0 - Step 6: Hold evaluation team kick-off meeting; Phase 0 - Step 7: Prepare for Phase 1; Phase 0 - Step 8: Review the architecture; Phase 1: Initial Evaluation; Phase 1 - Step 1: Present the ATAM; Phase 1 - Step 2: Present Business Drivers; Phase 1 - Step 3: Present Architecture; Phase 1 - Step 4: Identify Architectural Approaches; Phase 1 - Step 5: Generate Quality Attribute Utility Tree; Phase 1 - Step 6: Analyze Architectural Approaches; Hiatus between Phase 1 and Phase 2; Phase 2: Complete Evaluation; Step 0: Prepare for Phase 2; Phase 2 - Steps 1-6; Phase 2 - Step 7: Brainstorm and Prioritize Scenarios; Phase 2 - Step 8: Analyze Architectural Approaches; Phase 2 - Step 9: Present Results; Phase 3: Follow Up; Phase 3 - Step 1: Produce the Final Report; Phase 3 - Step 2: Hold the Post-Mortem Meeting; Phase 3 - Step 3: Build Portfolio and Update Artifact Repositories; For Further Reading; Discussion Questions

7: Introducing the SAAM and Using It to Evaluate an Example Architecture: Steps of a SAAM Evaluation; A SAAM Case Study; Summary; For Further Reading; Discussion Questions; Sidebar: "Their own Worst Critics"

8: Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs (ARID): An Evaluation Method for Partial Architectures; A Case Study in Applying ARID; Summary; For Further Reading; Discussion Questions; Sidebar: "Active Design Reviews".

9: Comparing Software Architecture Evaluation Methods: Questioning Techniques; Measuring Techniques; Automated Tools and Architecture Description Languages; Hybrid Techniques; ATAM; Summary; For Further Reading; Discussion Questions; Sidebar: Danger Signals to Look For; Sidebar: Quality Attribute Workshops

10: Growing an Architecture Evaluation Capability in Your Organization: Building Organizational Buy-in; Growing a Pool of Evaluators; Establishing a Corporate Memory; Summary; Discussion Questions; Sidebar: "Don't Scare Me Off"

11: Conclusions: You are now Ready!; What Methods have you Seen?; Why Evaluate Architectures?; Why does the ATAM Work?; A Parting Message; Good Luck!; Sidebar: "...but it was OK."; Further Reading

References
Index

L'auteur - Paul Clements

Paul Clements is a senior member of the technical staff at the SEI, where he works on software architecture and product line engineering. He is the author of five books and more than three dozen papers on these and other topics.

L'auteur - Rick Kazman

Rick Kazman is a senior member of the technical staff at the SEI. He is also an Associate Professor at the University of Hawaii. He is the author of two books, editor of two more, and has written more than seventy papers on software engineering and related topics.

Caractéristiques techniques

	PAPIER
Éditeur(s)	Addison Wesley
Auteur(s)	Paul Clements, Rick Kazman, Mark Klein
Parution	13/11/2001
Nb. de pages	324
Format	16,3 x 24
Couverture	Relié
Poids	651g
Intérieur	Noir et Blanc
EAN13	9780201704822