Task Descriptor: Refine the Architecture |
Make concrete decisions about the architecture to provide guidance and direction to the development work for the iteration.
Based on Method Task: Refine the Architecture
Relationships
Roles | Main: Architect | Additional: Project Manager | Assisting:
Inputs | Mandatory: Design Architecture | Optional: None | External: None
Outputs | Design Architecture Architectural Proof-of-Concept
Steps
Identify architectural drivers and scenarios
Architecture drivers can take the form of one or more Architecture Mechanisms brought into scope by association to the use case scenarios prioritized for the current iteration. Other drivers may also be apparent. For example, it may be necessary to move certain aspects of the architecture from prototype to production quality implementation; or explore certain aspects of the architecture to inform future iterations. Identifying these drivers will enable the Project Manager to allocate the resources needed.
Identify design mechanisms
Refine Architecture Mechanisms into Design Mechanisms by looking at the requirements in context. Look for commonality across scenarios as they are they are being analyzed and designed, then propose common components and patterns for their solution.
Identify business patterns
Identify areas of related or similar behaviour and propose any appropriate generic designs. See Business Pattern.
Identify reuse opportunities
Leverage reuse of existing components by looking to their interfaces and the behavior they provide.
Identify architecturally significant design elements
Decide on the important design elements (such as classes and subsystems) that make up the architecture, providing at least a name and brief description.
Define development and test architectures
Decide on additional architectural elements required to support the development and test activities.
Evaluate results
Verify that the architectural decisions taken are fit for purpose. This may take the form of such activities as verifying the success of exploratory prototypes; peer review of documentation; or formal assessment reviews.
Communicate and document decisions
Ensure that those who need to act upon the architecture work understand it and are able to work with it. Make sure that the architecture description is able to clearly express not only the solution but also the motivation and objectives for the decisions that have been made in shaping the architecture. This will make it easier for others to understand and adapt the architecture over time.
Properties
Multiple Occurrences |
Event-Driven |
Ongoing |
Optional |
Planned |
Repeatable |
This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the Eclipse Public License v1.0 which accompanies this distribution. View copyright information here: OpenUP Copyright