Software architectural analysis: an experience report

As the software marketplace becomes more competitive, customers and developers demand more from their products. Software quality is now seldom measured solely in terms of executable features. Non-functional qualities, such as portability, modifiability and extendibility are becoming increasingly important in the success of a software product.Software architecture analysis is based upon the assumption that the product's architecture is responsible for a substantial amount of its non-functional qualities. Making such analyses is important because they represent a relatively low-cost means of improving a product early in the software development life cycle or in determining directions for product evolution later in it. Moreover, if architectural analysis is done at the design stage and maintained at every stage of the development of the product, then it also constitutes a very effective tool for communication within the development team.This paper presents the experience of applying SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) to the analysis and evaluation of a commercial revision control system. The methodology is described, concentrating on (1) the usage scenarios of interest to the various users, developers, and administrators of the system; (2) a technique for characterizing the system at an architectural level; and (3) the evaluation and recommendations made, and their impact on the software development company.