Software architecture design is a key step in building successful software systems, and this chapter begins by exploring what software architecture design is, and why it is important in a software project.
There are two main approaches to architecture design: the top-down and bottom-up approaches. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages, and in this chapter you will learn how to select the best approach for a given project. Designing a software and architecture can be challenging, but we will take a look at design principles and existing solutions that can be leveraged in a design.
Architecture design processes provide guidance to software architects to ensure that a design satisfies requirements, quality attribute scenarios, and constraints. This chapter covers the activities that are typically performed as part of an architecture design process and then provides an overview of four processes: attribute-driven design (ADD), Microsoft's technique for architecture and design, the architecture-centric design method (ACDM), and the architecture development method (ADM).
The chapter will conclude by explaining how to use an architecture backlog to prioritize work and track the progress of architecture designs.
In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:
- Software architecture design
- The importance of software architecture design
- Top-down versus bottom-up design approaches
- Greenfield versus brownfield software systems
- Architectural drivers
- Leveraging design principles and existing solutions
- Documenting the software architecture design
- Using a systematic approach to software architecture design
- Attribute-driven design (ADD)
- Microsoft's technique for architecture and design
- Architecture-centric design method (ACDM)
- Architecture development method (ADM)
- Tracking the progress of the software architecture's design