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Last Update:
September 2006
by Gemma Grau
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Generating Architectures
The generation of alternatives is done by using the
Architectures Wizard. This wizard guides the generation of alternatives and consist
of three different steps. The actors that are considered for generating the architecture
are the ones in the current page.
- Step 1: Maximum coverage and anchoring.
In the first step, the user can set the maximum coverage per actor and the actor anchoring.
By setting the maximum coverage per actor, the user constraints the number of COTS that will
cover that actor in the architecture. By anchoring an actor, the user sets that the actor
is already covered by some software (usually a legacy system or a contractual system, which
cannot be modified) and thus kept out of the process.
- Step 2: Selection of the properties to be evaluated.
In the second step, it is possible to choose the properties that are suitable to be taken
into account for the evaluation of the current properties.
- Step 3: Display of the Results.
The architecture evaluation are displayed. With this results, the different architectures
can be analysed with respect to the values for the properties that are interesting for the
system.
- The wizard generates several architectures according some suggested candidate
architectures to be evaluated. The architectures are represented as i* models that are
added at the end of the pages list. The name of the pages containing generated
architectures generated by the wizard is of the form ‘Arch-#’, where # is the page number.
- A triangular shape with the name of the architecture is also dropped to the pages,
and contains the characteristics of the architectures and the corresponding evaluation.
As it can be seen the form has two tabs, on the first one (left) it is possible to see
that Comp3 covers both the Mail Server and the Mail Client actor. On the second one (right)
it is possible to see the evaluation for the choosing properties.
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