A Structured Approach for Reviewing Architecture Documentation
This technical note proposes a structured approach for reviewing architecture documentation. Given the critical importance of architecture to software project success, it follows that the architecture cannot be effective unless it is effectively captured in documentation that allows the architecture's stakeholders to understand and use the architecture in the way it was intended. The approach does not assume a particular architecture methodology or a particular architecture documentation practice, although it was conceived in the context of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Recommended Practice for Architecture Description of Software-Intensive Systems and the SEI Views and Beyond approach to documenting software architectures. Like both of them, our approach is centered on the stakeholders of the artifact, engaging them in a focused, guided way to ensure that the documentation carries sufficient quality to enable them to do their jobs and to help them point out gaps and weaknesses. Our approach is not intended as a complete framework for architecture evaluation; rather it is meant to be used within such a framework, when one is available.
This report is related to the following area(s) of work:
Software ArchitectureTechnical Note
CMU/SEI-2009-TN-030
December 2009
Cite This Report
SEI:
Nord, Robert; Clements, Paul; Emery, David; & Hilliard, Rich. A Structured Approach for Reviewing Architecture Documentation (CMU/SEI-2009-TN-030). Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, 2009. http://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/abstracts/reports/09tn030.cfm
IEEE:
R. Nord, P. Clements, D. Emery, and R. Hilliard, "A Structured Approach for Reviewing Architecture Documentation," Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Technical Note CMU/SEI-2009-TN-030, 2009. http://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/abstracts/reports/09tn030.cfm
APA:
Nord, R., Clements, P., Emery, D., & Hilliard, R. (2009). A Structured Approach for Reviewing Architecture Documentation (CMU/SEI-2009-TN-030). Retrieved May 18, 2013, from the Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University website: http://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/abstracts/reports/09tn030.cfm
CHI:
Nord, Robert, Paul Clements, David Emery, and Rich Hilliard. A Structured Approach for Reviewing Architecture Documentation (CMU/SEI-2009-TN-030). Pittsburgh, PA: Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, 2009. http://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/abstracts/reports/09tn030.cfm
MLA:
Nord, R., Clements, P., Emery, D., & Hilliard, R. 2009. A Structured Approach for Reviewing Architecture Documentation (Technical Report CMU/SEI-2009-TN-030). Pittsburgh: Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. http://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/abstracts/reports/09tn030.cfm
More Information on Architecture Documentation:
- Architecture Documentation Methods
- Software Architecture Documentation Coaching
- Architecture Documentation, Views and Beyond Approach
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