| <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> |
| <org.eclipse.epf.uma:ArtifactDescription xmi:version="2.0" |
| xmlns:xmi="http://www.omg.org/XMI" xmlns:org.eclipse.epf.uma="http://www.eclipse.org/epf/uma/1.0.4/uma.ecore" |
| xmlns:rmc="http://www.ibm.com/rmc" xmlns:epf="http://www.eclipse.org/epf" |
| epf:version="1.2.0" xmi:id="_H4gOYKYTEdmvhNXG0Oc2uA" |
| name="architecture_notebook,_0XAf0MlgEdmt3adZL5Dmdw" guid="_H4gOYKYTEdmvhNXG0Oc2uA" |
| changeDate="2007-05-01T08:43:26.291-0700" version="1.0.0"> |
| <mainDescription><p>
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| This artifact gives context and guidance for developers to construct the system. It's a critical artifact used to help
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| capture and make architectural decisions, and explain those decisions to developers. It can contain any information and
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| references that are appropriate in communicating how developers should build the system. It generally doesn't contain
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| design information, although it will likely reference architecturally significant design elements.
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| At a minimum, this artifact should:
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| </p>
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| <ul>
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| <li>
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| List guidance, decisions, and constraints the developers must follow in building the system
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| </li>
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| <li>
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| Justify those guidelines, decisions and constraints
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| </li>
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| <li>
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| Describe the <a class="elementLink" href="./../../openup/guidances/concepts/arch_mech_2932DFB6.html" guid="_mzxI0A4LEduibvKwrGxWxA">Architectural Mechanism</a>s and where they should be applied.
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| </li>
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| </ul>
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| <p>
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| Team members who were not involved in those archtiectural decisions need to understand the reasoning behind
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| the&nbsp;context of the architecture so they can best address the needs of the system.
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| Other recommended content is:
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| </p>
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| <ul>
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| <li>
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| References to architecturally significant requirements
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| </li>
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| <li>
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| References to architecturally significant design elements
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| </li>
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| <li>
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| Packaging instructions for subsystems and components
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| </li>
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| <li>
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| Layers and critical subsystems
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| </li>
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| <li>
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| Critical system interfaces
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| </li>
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| <li>
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| Key abstractions
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| </li>
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| <li>
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| Important analysis classes
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| </li>
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| <li>
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| Key scenarios that describe critical behavior of the system
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| </li>
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| </ul>
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| <p>
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| Architects should use this artifact to collaborate with other team members in developing the architecture, and to help
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| team members understand the motivations behind architectural decisions so those decisions can be robustly implemented.
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| For example, the architect may place constraints on how data is packaged and communicated between different parts of
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| the system. This may appear to be a burden, but the justification in the Architecture Notebook can explain that there
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| is a significant performance bottleneck when communicating with a legacy system. The rest of the system must adapt to
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| this bottleneck by following a specific data packaging scheme.
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| This artifact should also inform the Project Manager and other team members how the system is partitioned or organized
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| so the team can adapt itself to the needs of the system. It also gives whoever must maintain and change the
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| architecture later their first glimpse of the system and its technical motivations.
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| This artifact is distinct from the <a class="elementLink" href="./../../openup/guidances/concepts/executable_architecture_D4E68CBD.html" guid="_O1kAANvfEduv2KOT-Teh6w">Executable Architecture</a>. This artifact describes how the system should be
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| constructed, while the Executable Architecture is a build that contains part of the validated architecture.
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| </p></mainDescription> |
| <purpose><p>
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| To describe the context and perspective of the system to assure its integrity and understandability.
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| </p></purpose> |
| <representationOptions><p>
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| The architecture can be represented in many forms and from many viewpoints, depending on the needs of the project and
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| the preferences of the project team. It need not be a formal document. The essence of the architecture can often be
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| communicated through a series of simple diagrams on a whiteboard; or as a list of decisions. Choose the medium that
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| best meets the needs of the project.
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| The architecture can be expressed as a simple metaphor or as a comparison to a predefined architectural style or set of
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| styles. It may be a precise set of models or documents that describe the various aspects of the system's key elements.
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| Expressing it as skeletal build is another option - although this build may need to be baselined and preserved to
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| ensure that the essence of the system can be understood as the system grows.
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| Part of the architecture&nbsp;frequently references architecturally significant portions of the&nbsp;<a class="elementLink" href="./../../openup/workproducts/design_D677D182.html" guid="_0WuL8slgEdmt3adZL5Dmdw">Design</a>. It can reference models that describe <a class="elementLink" href="./../../openup/guidances/guidelines/architectural_view_FF6EDA37.html" guid="_T9nygClEEduLGM8dfVsrKg">Architectural View</a>s for communicating the architecture. A view is a representation
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| of a system from the perspective of a related set of concerns.&nbsp;To choose the appropriate set of
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| views,&nbsp;identify the Stakeholders who depend on software architecture documentation and the information that they
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| need.
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| </p>
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| <br /></representationOptions> |
| </org.eclipse.epf.uma:ArtifactDescription> |
