Architectural Patterns Selection

Definition

Architectural Patterns Selection

the architecting task during which architectural patterns are chosen for an architecture

Classification

As illustrated in the preceding figure, requirements are part of the following inheritance hierarchy:

• Type: Concrete
• Superclass: Task
• Subclasses:
  • Performance Modeling

Responsibilities

The typical responsibilities of the architectural patterns selection task are to:

• Select the architectural patterns for the application architectures.

Preconditions

Architectural patterns selection typically can begin when the following preconditions hold:

• The initiation phase has started.
• The architecture team is adequately:
  • Staffed.
  • Trained in architectural patterns selection.

Completion Criteria

Architectural patterns selection typically is complete when the following postconditions hold:

• Appropriate architectural patterns have been selected for each architecture to be developed.

Steps

Architectural patterns selection typically involves the following teams performing the following steps for each architecture to be developed in an incremental, iterative, parallel, and time-boxed manner:

• Architecture Team:
  • Identify potential architectural patterns.
  • Evaluate the potential architectural patterns by comparing the pattern's context and forces with information about the current endeavor (e.g., business rules, requirements, and constraints).
  • Select the relevant architectural patterns.
  • Instantiate the relevant architectural patterns with information from the current endeavor.

Techniques

Architectural patterns selection typically can be performed using the following techniques:

• Abstraction
• Brainstorming
• Cohesion
• Cost/Benefit Analysis
• Cost Estimation
• Coupling
• Cross Functional Teams
• Engineering Tradeoff Analysis
• Gap Analysis
• Iteration
• Parallel Development
• Patterns
• Prototyping
• Layering
• Reference Architectures
• Standards
• Timeboxing

Work Products

Architectural patterns selection typically results in the production of all or part of the following work products:

• List of selected architectural patterns.
• Class and interaction diagrams with the pattern's class parameters replaced with actual endeavor-specific classes.

Guidelines

• This task is primarily useful for application development endeavors.