Software System Architecture

Introduction to Software System Architecture

The architecture that explains the basic structure of software elements and their arrangement is called Software System Architecture. The relations and the links between the elements are explained along with the structure. Requirements and properties of the elements give an understanding of the architecture and its working. Performance and design parameters can be taken from the architecture that explains the system’s complexity and coordination. Collaborations are made between the elements. As the structure is huge, it is divided into sub structure so that complexity can be reduced. Let’s look into the details of the architecture.

Explanation of Software System Architecture

• Software architecture has quality attributes, design, technology environment, human dynamics and business strategy. All the functions and attributes are explained in the architecture to influence and modify for a better architectural structure. The technology explains and verifies the environment and modifies it well.

• Design plays a major role in any structure, and this is the fundamental node in the structure. Software design helps to check the requirements and modify them according to the need of the customers. It helps in the development process to understand the basics and to develop the structural elements. Integration with all the elements and testing is also done in the design phase. Coding helps to develop and design the elements. All these are done after a proper and detailed analysis of the domain, requirements, and risks. Risks can be handled with testing, and domain analysis helps develop the architecture better.
• Proper communication helps the software elements and the stakeholders to know each other. Communication is the key to architecture. Linking the software elements help to make them better by nullifying the defects and connecting the elements. Design and domain are modified so that the structure helps in the quality of the architecture. Also, communication between stakeholders helps to know the requirements and ideas of the domain elements.
• Complexity is reduced in the way that different elements are separated. The elements are understood better when they are fragmented. This also helps the developers separate and test the elements to make them more useful in the architecture. Risks are identified, and testing is done to evaluate and eliminate the risks. Testing also improves the quality and reliability of the system.
• Several standards are followed in the architecture so that patterns are followed without much change. Standards also help retain the customers as some customers look for standards and patterns as their main concern. Backward compatibility and availability are other attributes of the architecture as testing and standardization are managed well in the architecture.
• Communication of stakeholders helps to understand the business strategy and the future of the organization in the market. Understanding business help to modify the requirements and to eliminate the risks in the architecture. Malware and other attacks are eliminated with the help of testing and recurring scenarios. Fault tolerance is also an attribute of the architecture.
• Information Technology helps to improve architecture with novel methods, and this makes the architecture more powerful. Coding and technical properties develop the architecture to an extent and help the developers introduce other techniques and modify the architecture. All the stakeholders’ concerns can be met along with the newer techniques with the help of coding. All the quality attributes, along with functional requirements, are solved with coding and technology.
• Human dynamics mainly deals with the quality and the easiness to understand the architecture. As the complexities are resolved and stakeholders’ requirements are met, it is easy to say that human dynamics is an attribute in the architecture.
• Any architecture explains how the system should perform and how it should be performed in the system. Knowing the concepts and integrity helps to make the architecture powerful in its own ways. Numerical and operational constraints in the system help to follow the conceptual integrity in the system.
• The evolution of the architecture should be known to evaluate and analyze the software elements. Evolution involves the fundamental structure along with its maintenance and properties. This helps to analyze the architecture easily in the system. The current design can be modified according to the domain, and this modifies the structure itself. Few methods are available to analyze and evaluate the architecture so that quantitative calculations can be done for the software elements. Also, some frameworks in architecture help to design it well.
• It is important to document the architectural changes while doing design and domain modifications. This document acts as a supporting system for the developers and architects who executes the system architecture. Dynamic view and deployment view should be present so that all the actions of the system and the hardware can be known. View descriptions may not be the same for all architects. Knowing an alternate view helps to enhance the system more, and this improves the architecture as a whole structure.

Advantages of Software System Architecture

• The structure of the architecture is known well, and the developers can understand and modify the working of the software elements.
• It is possible to understand and satisfy the requirements of customers through architecture.
• It is rare that an architecture handles both functional and quality requirements in the structure. Software System Architecture belongs to that kind.
• Once a developer knows the architecture and its development fully, the organization’s market position is improved because who will say no to a supplier that understands customers very well.
• All the use cases are understood and solved in the architecture by knowing the scenarios. This helps the developers to boost their confidence and morale in and around them. Work satisfaction and thus, the revenue of the company is improved.

Standardized tools and proper analysis are needed in the architecture. Also, if the developer knows the design process very well, it improves the architecture one step ahead. Domain experts and design experts build the architecture with quality as the backbone of the structure.

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This is a guide to Software System Architecture. Here we also discuss the Introduction and detailed explanation of software system architecture along with advantages. You may also have a look at the following articles to learn more –

1. System Software Tools
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3. Cohesion in Software Engineering
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