Architecture Evaluation Methods Flashcards
7 cards from real CPSA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Architecture Evaluation Methods flashcards as text
What is the primary goal of conducting an architecture evaluation 'early' in the development lifecycle?
Answer: To identify and mitigate architectural risks before they become costly to fix
Early evaluation catches high-impact architectural risks when changes are cheapest to make, rather than discovering problems after significant implementation investment.
Which of the following is NOT a typical step in the ATAM evaluation process?
Answer: Writing unit tests for each component
Writing unit tests is a development activity, not part of the ATAM evaluation process, which focuses on architectural analysis rather than implementation.
In architecture evaluation, what does 'stakeholder mapping' help achieve?
Answer: Identifying all parties with an interest in the architecture and what quality attributes concern them most
Stakeholder mapping ensures all relevant perspectives and quality attribute concerns are represented in the evaluation, preventing blind spots.
Which architecture evaluation approach examines whether an architecture can meet its quality attribute goals by tracing scenarios through architectural elements?
Answer: Scenario-based evaluation
Scenario-based evaluation traces quality attribute scenarios through the architecture to assess whether the design supports the required responses.
In CBAM, what is a 'utility curve' used to represent?
Answer: The relationship between a quality attribute response level and the business value (utility) it provides
A utility curve in CBAM maps quality attribute response levels to their corresponding business utility values, enabling cost-benefit calculations.
When an architecture evaluation reveals that a proposed design satisfies all critical quality attributes under identified assumptions, this finding is documented as a:
Answer: Non-risk
Non-risks are positive findings documenting that an architectural decision soundly supports quality attributes, providing confidence in the design.
Which of the following scenarios would most appropriately trigger an architecture re-evaluation for an existing system?
Answer: A significant change in business requirements or introduction of a new quality attribute constraint
Significant shifts in business requirements or new quality attribute constraints can invalidate original architectural assumptions, warranting a re-evaluation.