SE3201: Designing Architectures

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary objective of designing software architecture?

To follow established design methods

To enhance system performance

To reduce system complexity

To ensure scalability and flexibility (correct)

What happens when a designer is unable to produce a set of feasible concepts?

The design process is paused

Progress continues with alternative approaches

Progress stops (correct)

The designer is replaced

What is the purpose of the feasibility stage in the software design process?

To select and develop the best concept

To evaluate and alter the concept to suit production requirements

To identify a set of feasible concepts for the design as a whole (correct)

To develop engineering descriptions of the concept

What is the main benefit of abstraction techniques in software design?

To separate concerns in software design Signup and view all the answers

What is the limitation of the standard approach in software design?

It does not address relationships between products Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of the detailed design stage in software engineering?

Developing engineering descriptions of the concept Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary advantage of the adaptive design strategy?

It decides the next design strategy at the end of each stage Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of using abstraction and modularity in software design?

To separate concerns and improve scalability Signup and view all the answers

What is the main advantage of using architectural patterns in software design?

To ensure scalability and flexibility Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary benefit of separation of concerns in software design?

To reduce system complexity Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between the incremental and cyclic design strategies?

Incremental treats each stage as a separate task, while cyclic reverts to an earlier stage Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of designing for scalability?

To enable the system to handle increased load and usage Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary objective of the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern?

To separate information, presentation, and user interaction Signup and view all the answers

What happens when a model object value changes in the MVC pattern?

A notification is sent to the view and to the controller Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the controller in the MVC pattern?

To handle user input and update the model object Signup and view all the answers

What is the benefit of using architectural patterns in software design?

To improve the scalability of software applications Signup and view all the answers

What is the key difference between architectural patterns and DSSAs?

Architectural patterns have a narrower scope, while DSSAs have a broader scope Signup and view all the answers

What is the main advantage of separating concerns in software design?

To enhance the scalability and maintainability of software systems Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Designing Architectures

Objective of design: To develop judgment and provide new tools for enhancing skillset, focusing on highly effective techniques.

Engineering Design Process

Five stages:
- Feasibility stage: Identifying a set of feasible concepts for the design.
- Preliminary design stage: Selecting and developing the best concept.
- Detailed design stage: Developing engineering descriptions of the concept.
- Planning stage: Evaluating and altering the concept to suit production, distribution, consumption, and product retirement.

Potential Problems

Inability to produce a set of feasible concepts may stop progress.
Increased complexity and size of problems and products reduce the probability of individual success.
Standard approach may not address system design at stake, where relationships between products are at issue.

Alternative Design Strategies

Standard: Linear model
Parallel: Independent alternatives explored in parallel
Cyclic: Process can revert to an earlier stage
Adaptive: Next design strategy decided at the end of a given stage
Incremental: Each stage of development treats incrementally improving the existing design

Identifying a Viable Strategy

Use fundamental design tools: abstraction and modularity.
Inspiration and predictable techniques are necessary.
Architectural patterns are similar to DSSAs but applied at a lower level and within a narrower scope.

Architectural Patterns

State-Logic-Display: Three-tiered pattern used in business applications, web-based applications, and multi-player games.
Model-View-Controller (MVC):
- Objective: Separation between information, presentation, and user interaction.
- When a model object value changes, a notification is sent to the view and controller.
- When handling input from the user, the controller updates the model object.

Other Architectural Patterns

Sense-Compute-Control: Another architectural pattern used in different contexts.

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Description

This quiz assesses your understanding of designing architectures, focusing on potential problems and complexities in system design. It explores the challenges of producing feasible concepts and the relationship between problems and products.