Software Architecture Analysis and Evaluation

Abstract

A software architecture describes the structure of a software system on an abstract implementation independent level. In forward engineering it serves as a blueprint to prescribe the intended software structure (so-called architecture model). In reverse engineering it can provide an abstract view of the actual code structure of the existing software system (so-called code architecture). Architecture models and actual code architectures play a vital role for all comprehension and communication tasks during the development and evolution of large software systems. Therefore, architecture models and code architectures have to be explicitly represented and consistently maintained during the development, maintenance, and reengineering processes.

The need to insure compliance of the architecture model and the actual code architecture has drawn considerable attention in recent years. In order to facilitate maintainability and enhancement of a software system the compliance of the architecture model and the actual code architecture is essential. Various tools have been developed to analyse and evaluate the deviation of code architecture and architecture model. In this tutorial we present static analysis tools that may be used for architectural analyses. We demonstrate how these tools can create useful architectural views for different evaluation tasks such as identification of reconstruction scope, critical architectural elements and potential design irregularities. If possible we will analyse a software system provided by a participant of the workshop in a life demonstration.