Review your Architecture

Last week I bumped in to a book "Enterprise Application Arch 2ed". I read abot reviewing S/W arch by some proven methodlogies..thot would blog for starters.. good read...

Scenario-based evaluations are a powerful method for reviewing an architecture design. In a scenario-based evaluation, the focus is on the scenarios that are most important from the business perspective, and which have the greatest impact on the architecture. Consider using one of the following common review methodologies:

Software Architecture Analysis Method (SAAM). SAAM was originally designed for assessing modifiability, but later was extended for reviewing architecture with respect to quality attributes such as modifiability, portability, extensibility, integratability, and functional coverage.

Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method (ATAM). ATAM is a refined and improved version of SAAM that helps you review architectural decisions with respect to the quality attributes requirements, and how well they satisfy particular quality goals.

Active Design Review (ADR). ADR is best suited for incomplete or in-progress architectures. The main difference is that the review is more focused on a set of issues or individual sections of the architecture at a time, rather than performing a general review.

Active Reviews of Intermediate Designs (ARID). ARID combines the ADR aspect of reviewing in-progress architecture with a focus on a set of issues, and the ATAM and SAAM approach of scenario-based review focused on quality attributes.

Cost Benefit Analysis Method (CBAM). This CBAM focuses on analyzing the costs, benefits, and schedule implications of architectural decisions.

Architecture Level Modifiability Analysis (ALMA). ALMA evaluates the modifiability of architecture for business information systems (BIS).

Family Architecture Assessment Method (FAAM). FAAM evaluates information system family architectures for interoperability and extensibility.

Refer this URL
http://enggtech.wordpress.com/2010/05/13/software-architecture-qaw-add-atam-cbam-arid-and-sdlc/