Introduction
An Architecture Review is a structured evaluation process used to ensure that a system's architecture aligns with business goals, technical requirements, and industry best practices. It helps identify risks, validate design choices, and ensure compliance with performance, security, and scalability standards.
For example, in a large-scale e-commerce platform, an architecture review would assess how the system handles high-traffic scenarios, integrates with payment gateways, and ensures data security.
1. Inputs to Architecture Review
Inputs are the foundational elements needed for conducting an architecture review. These include:
Architecturally Significant Requirements
Strategy & Planning – Defines the roadmap and objectives.
Quality Policy – Standards that ensure compliance with quality benchmarks.
Risk Assessment Document – Identifies potential threats and mitigation plans.
Requirements – Functional and non-functional requirements of the system.
Rules & Constraints – Regulatory and compliance constraints that affect the architecture.
Drivers – Business or technical reasons that necessitate the review.
Scope of the Review – Defines the boundaries of the review process.
Architecture Documents – Existing architecture blueprints and technical specifications.
Example:
For a cloud-based banking system, key inputs would include security policies (e.g., PCI-DSS compliance), performance benchmarks, and scalability requirements to handle concurrent transactions.
2. Review Framework
The review framework provides a structured approach to evaluating the architecture. It includes:
Context
System – The software or IT infrastructure under review.
Environment – The deployment and operational landscape.
Stakeholders – Business owners, architects, developers, and end-users.
Concerns – Key issues such as performance, security, and maintainability.
Conceptual Model
Requirements, Scope & Concerns – Aligns business needs with technical capabilities.
Component Domains – Defines the system's logical structure.
Views – Architectural perspectives such as logical, physical, and deployment views.
Texture – Consistency in design patterns and architecture styles.
Structure – The composition and interaction of components.
Concepts – High-level principles governing the architecture.
Architecturally Significant Requirements
Performance
Scalability – Can the system handle increased load? (e.g., auto-scaling in AWS)
Response Time – How quickly does the system respond? (e.g., API response time should be <200ms)
Robustness
Failover Support – Does the system continue operating if a component fails? (e.g., database replication)
Availability – Uptime guarantees (e.g., 99.99% SLA)
Security – Authentication, encryption, and access control mechanisms.
Changeability – Ease of adapting to new requirements.
Maintainability – Can the system be updated with minimal effort?
Interoperability & Portability – Integration with third-party services and adaptability across environments.
Example:
For a healthcare application, security (e.g., HIPAA compliance) and high availability (e.g., zero downtime for critical services) are key architectural concerns.
3. Process of Architecture Review
The review process is divided into three main phases:
Pre-Review Activities
Identify objectives and scope.
Gather relevant documentation and stakeholders.
Define success criteria for the review.
Review Activities
Conduct meetings with stakeholders.
Analyze architecture against defined requirements.
Identify gaps, risks, and improvement opportunities.
Document findings and recommendations.
Post-Review Activities
Share review findings with stakeholders.
Prioritize action items based on impact.
Implement recommended changes.
Schedule follow-up reviews if necessary.
Example:
In a microservices-based architecture, the review team might analyze the inter-service communication, database sharding strategy, and API rate-limiting policies to ensure efficiency and scalability.
4. Outputs of Architecture Review
The primary deliverables of an architecture review are:
Feedback
Strengths of the existing architecture.
Identified weaknesses and risks.
Potential improvements.
Review Report
Executive Summary – High-level findings and recommendations.
Detailed Assessment – Analysis of architecture components.
Risk Mitigation Plan – Suggested measures for resolving issues.
Actionable Recommendations – Steps to improve architecture.
Example:
For a retail POS system, the review report might suggest adopting event-driven architecture to improve real-time stock updates and customer transaction processing.
Conclusion
Architecture Reviews are crucial for ensuring that a system meets business and technical requirements effectively. By following a structured approach—defining inputs, using a review framework, executing the process methodically, and documenting actionable outputs—organizations can build resilient, scalable, and maintainable software systems.
A well-conducted architecture review not only prevents costly design mistakes but also aligns IT strategy with business goals, ensuring long-term sustainability and success.
Interesting resources
1. https://mozilla.github.io/firefox-browser-architecture/text/0006-architecture-review-process.html
2. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/bb896741(v=msdn.10)
3. https://resources.infosecinstitute.com/application-architecture-review/#gref
4. https://resources.sei.cmu.edu/library/asset-view.cfm?assetid=513908
5. https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pmerson/docs/ArchitectureAssessment-PauloMerson.pdf
6. https://www.infoq.com/articles/ieee-pattern-based-architecture-reviews
7. https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/20467/Software-Architecture-Review-Guidelines
8. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/msp-n-p/ff647464(v=pandp.10)
9. https://it.toolbox.com/blogs/craigborysowich/conceptual-architecture-checklist-020808
10. https://dzone.com/articles/architecture-review-process
11. https://publications.computer.org/software-magazine/2018/08/03/definition-microservice-bad-smells-poor-design/
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