Quality-Attribute-Based Economic Valuation of Architectural Patterns

Abstract

Quality attribute requirements are a driving force for software and system architecture design. Architectural patterns can be used to achieve quality attribute requirements. Consequently, architectural patterns generate value based on the present and future utility of the quality attributes they achieve. This report makes the case that architectural patterns carry economic value, in part in the form of real options, providing software architects the right, but not the obligation, to take subsequent design actions. The report shows, via a simple example, how an analysis of the options embodied within architectural patterns allows an architect or manager to make reasoned choices about the future value of design decisions, considering this value along multiple quality attribute dimensions.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 2007
Accession Number
ADA468620

Entities

People

  • Ipek Ozkaya
  • Mark Klein
  • Rick Kazman

Organizations

  • Carnegie Mellon University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Engineered Resilient Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agile Software Development
  • Client Server Systems
  • Commerce
  • Computer Programming
  • Computer Science
  • Computers
  • Economic Analysis
  • Economics
  • Engineering
  • Extreme Programming
  • Information Systems
  • Investments
  • Maintenance Costs
  • Monte Carlo Method
  • New York
  • Software Design
  • Software Development

Fields of Study

  • Computer science
  • Engineering

Readers

  • Life Cycle Cost Analysis
  • Software Engineering.