Software Architecture: Principles & Practices - eLearning

Although the term software architecture is used frequently in today's software industry, its meaning is not universally understood.

• What is software architecture?
• How do you use software architectures in practice?
• What does a software architect do for an organization?
• What value does software architecture provide?

This course introduces the essential concepts of software architecture. A software architecture is an abstract view of a software system distinct from the details of implementation, algorithms, and data representation. Architecture is, increasingly, a crucial part of a software organization's business strategy. Software architectures can

• provide flexibility and adaptability in changing markets
• allow for interoperability with other players in the marketplace
• provide leverage of control in a marketplace
• help developers focus on a niche in the marketplace
• be used as a sales and marketing tool
• help reduce maintenance costs and amortize development costs
• assist in workforce organization and with project oversight and control
• establish a common corporate vocabulary
• shorten learning time

This online course emphasizes the importance of the business (or mission) context in which systems are designed and introduces participants to software architectures in a real-world setting. "Industrial-strength" case studies illuminate the key technical and organizational issues regarding software architectures. This course is based on the book Software Architecture in Practice, 2nd Edition.

Learners will have three months to complete the course. Upon completing all course elements, the learner is awarded an electronic certificate of course completion and 1.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Who should attend?

This course is targeted at those professionals who design, develop, or manage the construction of software-reliant systems. This online course is designed for independent learners to quickly gain insight, at their convenience, into the latest concepts of what software architecture is and how to use it successfully.

Topics

• definition and overview of software architecture
• the architecture business cycle: what influences software architects and software architecture
• understanding and achieving quality attributes
• attribute-driven design
• documenting software architecture
• evaluating software architecture
• architecture reuse

Software Architecture: Principles and Practices -eLearning will require a minimum of 12 hours of study time. Once registered, learners will be granted 24-hour-a-day access to the course material for three months.

Learners can proceed through the course at their convenience and can review and repeat individual sections as often as needed.

Objectives

This online course provides attendees with a thorough overview of software architectures. After completing this course in entirety, learners will have a better understanding of

• the relationships between system qualities and software architectures
• software architectural patterns and their relationship to system qualities
• software architecture evaluation
• attribute-driven design
• software architecture documentation
• architectural reuse

This course is the most fundamental of the six courses in the SEI Software Architecture Curriculum. At the conclusion of the course, attendees will be eligible to take the SEI's Software Architecture Design and Analysis and Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method (ATAM) Evaluator Training courses. Attendees will also be better prepared for the SEI's Documenting Software Architectures and Software Product Lines courses.

It is also the first course required in the SEI's Software Architecture Professional, SOA Architect Professional and ATAM Evaluator certificate programs.

Prerequisites

Before registering for this course, participants should have

• experience in the development of software-reliant systems
• some familiarity with modern software engineering concepts

Before beginning this course, the learner must acquire a copy of the text book: Software Architecture in Practice, 2nd Edition. The textbook can be purchased in both printed and electronic forms through the following links: printed version and eBook version.

To access the SEI Learning Portal, your computer must have the following:

• Operating Systems: Windows 98 / NT 4.0 / Windows 2000 / Windows XP / Windows Vista / Windows 7 / Mac OS X
• Browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or above / Mozilla Firefox
• Configure your browser to allow pop-ups from this site
• Explorer: Tools/Internet Options/Privacy
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Materials

• Recorded instruction presented by SEI instructors
• 11 hours of video training sessions with transcripts
• Exercises with solution guidance
• Case studies for analysis and recommendation
• Self-assessments following each module

This course is presented in the form of video-recorded training sessions that were presented by SEI instructors to a classroom of students representing a variety of industries. Learn more about the instructors here.

Exercises and case studies included with the course explore and reinforce the concepts taught and how they can be successfully applied. Exercise solution guidance supports this independent learning experience.

Self-assessments following each module assist in the learner's thorough comprehension of specific subject matter.