Software Architecture: Components and Server Organization

10 Questions

What is the fundamental influence of the architecture of a system?

Non-functional system properties

Why is minimizing complexity an important goal for architectural designers?

To make the system easier to understand and change, and to reduce the likelihood of mistakes, bugs, and security vulnerabilities

What are some non-functional system quality attributes described in the text?

Responsiveness, Reliability, Availability, Security, Safety, Usability, Performance, Maintainability, Resilience

What is a centralized security architecture and what principle is it based on?

Centralized security architecture is based on the principle of maintaining all information in one place and applying lots of resources to protect it.

In the Star Wars prequel Rogue One, what is the centralized security architecture used by the evil Empire and what happened to their security?

The evil Empire stored the plans for all of their equipment in a single, highly secure, well-guarded, remote location. The rebels managed to breach their security and stole the plans.

What are the key aspects of architectural design that need attention?

Overall organization, decomposition into components, server organization, and technologies used

How does the architecture of a software product affect its performance?

The architecture affects performance, usability, security, reliability, and maintainability.

According to the IEEE definition, what does software architecture encompass?

The fundamental organization of a software system embodied in its components, their relationships, and the guiding design principles.

How is a component defined in the context of software architecture?

A component is an element that implements a coherent set of functionality or features.

What does a software component consist of?

A collection of one or more services that may be used by other components.

Study Notes

Influence of System Architecture

The architecture of a system has a fundamental influence on its overall quality and functionality.

Importance of Minimizing Complexity

Minimizing complexity is an important goal for architectural designers to ensure the system is easier to maintain, modify, and extend.

Non-Functional System Quality Attributes

Scalability: the ability of a system to handle increased load and usage.
Availability: the ability of a system to be operational when needed.
Security: the ability of a system to protect itself from unauthorized access and malicious attacks.

Centralized Security Architecture

A centralized security architecture is a design approach where security controls are concentrated in a single point or component.
It is based on the principle of "defense in depth", where multiple layers of security controls are used to protect the system.

Note: The Star Wars example is not a relevant concept in software architecture, so it's excluded from the study notes.

Key Aspects of Architectural Design

Performance: the ability of a system to respond quickly and efficiently.
Scalability: the ability of a system to handle increased load and usage.
Security: the ability of a system to protect itself from unauthorized access and malicious attacks.

Impact of Software Architecture on Performance

The architecture of a software product affects its performance by influencing the system's response time, throughput, and resource utilization.

IEEE Definition of Software Architecture

Software architecture encompasses the organization of a system's components, their relationships, and the principles governing their design and evolution.

Component Definition in Software Architecture

A component is a self-contained, modular unit of a system that provides a specific function or service.

Composition of a Software Component

A software component consists of a set of executable code, data, and interfaces that provide a specific function or service.