Software Architecture

Software Architecture

1. Notion of Architecture

   • Architecture in the discipline of buildings
     • The basic lesson that we can learn from buildings’ architecture is that the main function of the system is the most important and basic factor and determines its structure
       • Multiple Views
       • Architectural styles
       • The impact of implementation technique on design
   • Architecture in the discipline of computer hardware
     • Computer scientists in the hardware area use the notion of computer architecture to design and realise computer systems
       • Concepts of components
       • Inference of system property
       • The design space
   • The general notion of architecture
     • Common features of the notion
       • Architecture is an abstract model
       • Architecture is a structural model
       • Architecture is a model with a certain engineering purpose

2. Notion of Software Architecture

   • Prescriptive models Perry and Wolf
     • Elements
       • Data elements:
       • Processing elements
       • Connecting elements
     • Form
       • Relationships
       • Properties
       • Weight
     • Rationale
       • The rationale captures the motivation for the choice of architectural style, the choice of elements, and the form
   • Descriptive models Shaw and Garlac
     • Components
     • Connectors
   • Multiple view models Clements and Kazman
     • Components
     • Externally visible propertie
     • Structures
       • Module structure
       • Conceptual, or logical, structure
       • Process structure, or coordination structure
       • Physical structure
       • Uses structure
       • Calls structure
       • Data flow structure
       • Control flow structure
       • Class structure
   • Roles of architecture in software design
     • Communication among stakeholders
     • Manifestation of early design decisions
     • Representation of transferable abstraction of a system

3. Software Architectural Style

   • Introductory examples
     • Audio transcription system
     • Projection keyboard
     • DVD rental management system
   • Notion of software architectural style
     • Features
       • A set of component types
       • A set of connectors
       • A topological structure
       • A set of semantic constraints
     • style ignores details about the following aspects of a system.
       • The function of the system and components
       • The number of components involved
       • The mechanism of interaction