ITT has pioneered a procedure for adapting the SEI Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method (ATAM) reviews into incremental peer reviews. The ATAM-Peer Review leverages the discipline and benefits of the standard ATAM Review in a lite review that is performed earlier in the process yet still reaps the major benefits of a full-up ATAM. The ATAM-Peer Review has identified architecture weaknesses very early in the life cycle when fixing them was trivial. This review includes a mini stakeholder analysis and an SEI Quality Attribute Workshop. By incorporating these into our project launch and performing ATAM-Peer Review training as just-in-time training, ITT has reduced the impact of this review to four hours. In piloting this method, ITT succeeded in finding over eight weaknesses that had been overlooked by the software architect and designers. These weaknesses were fixed, and the resultant architecture was successfully deployed. Specifically, a missed modifiability requirement would have limited the system’s success had it not been fixed.

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PRESENTATION