What Are Example Cases of Architecture Evaluation?

Abstract

An architecture evaluation approach can be illustrated best with examples in which the approach was applied. We report on four real but anonymized architecture evaluation projects with industrial customers. We will show how critical decisions about the future of a software system were supported, how architecture evaluation was applied to identify risks, and how architecture evaluation supported the selection of a foundational technology. We will share experiences with the application of our checks and show the results as they were presented in the management presentation. We will then summarize lessons learned from more than 75 architecture evaluation projects on architecting in general, on maintainability, and on metrics, and briefly outline how our evaluation approach evolved over time.