Software System Architecture

A Software System Architecture is a system architecture for a software-based system / Computing System.

• AKA: Computing System Design.
• Context:
  • It can (typically) describe the overall system structure, system components, and component relationships within the target system.
  • It can be associated to a Software-based System Architectural Pattern.
  • It can define core components through architectural patterns and design principles.
  • It can establish component organization through structural patterns and layering strategies.
  • It can manage system resources through resource allocation and optimization mechanisms.
  • It can enforce architectural rules through design constraints and governance policy.
  • It can coordinate hardware components through infrastructure design and deployment patterns.
  • ...
  • It can often implement communication patterns through interaction protocols and data flows.
  • It can often facilitate data exchange through messaging systems and integration patterns.
  • It can often enable system integration through interface definitions and connector types.
  • It can often provide performance optimization through resource management and scaling strategis.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Monolithic Software System Architecture to being a Distributed Software System Architecture, depending on its system scale.
  • It can range from being a Simple Software System Architecture to being a Complex Software System Architecture, depending on its system requirements.
  • It can range from being a Traditional Software System Architecture to being a Modern Software System Architecture, depending on its architectural style.
  • It can range from being a Tightly Coupled Software System Architecture to being a Loosely Coupled Software System Architecture, depending on its component interactions.
  • It can range from being a Centralized Software System Architecture to being a Decentralized Software System Architecture, depending on its control structure.
  • It can range from being a Static Software System Architecture to being a Dynamic Software System Architecture, depending on its runtime behavior.
  • It can range from being a Domain-Specific Software System Architecture to being a General-Purpose Software System Architecture, depending on its application scope.
  • It can range from being a Local Software System Architecture to being a Cloud-Based Software System Architecture, depending on its deployment model.
  • ...
  • It can have layer organization through architectural layers and responsibility separation.
  • It can perform system operations through runtime components and process flows.
  • It can maintain quality attributes through architectural decisions and design choices.
  • It can provide development roadmaps through architectural documentation and design guidelines.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • Software System Architectural Pattern Implementations, such as:
    • Core Software System Pattern Types, such as:
      • a Blackboard Software System Architecture for blackboard systems
      • a Client-Server Software System Architecture for distributed applications
      • a Component-based Software System Architecture for modular systems
    • Data-Centric Software System Pattern Types, such as:
      • a Database-Centric Software System Architecture for data-intensive applications
      • a Shared Nothing Software System Architecture for distributed databases
      • a Space-based Software System Architecture for in-memory datas
  • Software System Architectural Style Implementations, such as:
    • Integration Software System Style Types, such as:
      • an Event-driven Software System Architecture for event processing
      • a Service-Oriented Software System Architecture for enterprise integration
      • a Representational State Transfer Software System Architecture for web services
    • Structural Software System Style Types, such as:
      • a Layered Software System Architecture for n-tier applications
      • a Microservices Software System Architecture for cloud-native applications
      • a Monolithic Application Software System Architecture for single-unit applications
  • Software System Deployment Pattern Implementations, such as:
    • Network-Based Software System Pattern Types, such as:
      • a Peer-to-Peer Software System Architecture for distributed networks
      • a Serverless Software System Architecture for cloud functions
    • Processing Software System Pattern Types, such as:
      • a Reactive Software System Architecture for event-driven systems
      • a Rule-based Software System Architecture for decision systems
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • a Programming Language, which focuses on code syntax rather than system structure.
  • an Architecture Description Language, which is a notation tool rather than an actual architecture.
  • a User Interface Design, which addresses interface aspects rather than complete system organization.
• See: Computing System Component, Multi-Tenant System Architecture, Apache Spark Driver-Worker Architecture, Software Engineering, System Integration, Software Development, Systems Architecture.

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References

2024a

• (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_architecture Retrieved:2024-2-11.
  • Software architecture is the set of structures needed to reason about a software system and the discipline of creating such structures and systems. Each structure comprises software elements, relations among them, and properties of both elements and relations.

    The architecture of a software system is a metaphor, analogous to the architecture of a building. It functions as the blueprints for the system and the development project, which project management can later use to extrapolate the tasks necessary to be executed by the teams and people involved.

    Software architecture design is commonly juxtaposed with software application design. Whilst application design focuses on the design of the processes and data supporting the required functionality (the services offered by the system), software architecture design focuses on designing the infrastructure within which application functionality can be realized and executed such that the functionality is provided in a way which meets the system's non-functional requirements.

    Software architecture is about making fundamental structural choices that are costly to change once implemented. Software architecture choices include specific structural options from possibilities in the design of the software.

    For example, the systems that controlled the Space Shuttle launch vehicle had the requirement of being very fast and very reliable. Therefore, an appropriate real-time computing language would need to be chosen. Additionally, to satisfy the need for reliability the choice could be made to have multiple redundant and independently produced copies of the program, and to run these copies on independent hardware while cross-checking results.

    Documenting software architecture facilitates communication between stakeholders, captures early decisions about the high-level design, and allows reuse of design components between projects.

2024b

• (ChatGPT-OpenAI, 2024) ⇒ Prompt: Summarize the concept Software System Architecture in 1- 2 paragraphs. ChatGPT (model:gpt-4-turbo-preview). Retrieved: 2024-02-11.
  • QUOTE: Software system architecture refers to the fundamental structures within a software system, encompassing the components, their relationships, and how they interact with each other to fulfill the system's requirements. This architecture is a high-level blueprint that provides a structured explanation of the system, guiding its construction and evolution. It encompasses several elements, including architectural patterns, design principles, and decisions that have significant impacts on the system's performance, scalability, maintainability, and security. The architecture is not only about the software components and their interactions but also about making strategic choices that align with the system’s goals, stakeholder needs, and technological environment.

    Developing a software system architecture involves understanding the system's requirements deeply and choosing a suitable architectural style (e.g., client-server, microservices, monolithic) that meets those requirements. This process is critical because the chosen architectural framework will influence virtually every aspect of development and operation, including how the system is developed, deployed, scaled, and maintained. Effective software architecture provides a clear path for system development and ensures that the system can adapt to changing requirements and technologies over its lifespan, while also optimizing for performance and resource utilization.

2023

• chat
  • A Software-based System Architecture is a high-level blueprint for a software-based system, which describes the overall structure, components, and relationships among those components within the system. It serves as a guide for developers in designing, implementing, and maintaining the system. Software-based System Architecture defines the organization of the system, its functional elements, their interactions, and the non-functional requirements such as performance, scalability, and security.

    In contrast, a Software-based System Architectural Pattern refers to a recurring solution to a common problem in software architecture. These patterns are proven design solutions that can be used to tackle specific architectural challenges within the context of a software-based system. They provide best practices and guidelines for designing software architectures and can be adapted or customized according to the specific needs of a project.

2009

• (Jin et al., 2009) ⇒ Wei Jin, Hung Hay Ho, Rohini K Srihari. (2009). “OpinionMiner: A Novel Machine Learning System for Web Opinion Mining and Extraction.” In: Proceedings of ACM SIGKDD Conference (KDD-2009). doi:10.1145/1557019.1557148.
  • QUOTE: In this paper, we describe the architecture and main components of the system.

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