CPSA Architecture Decision Making Questions and Answers Flashcards

Which stakeholder concern is most critical to capture before making a major architectural decision?

Answer: Conflicting quality attribute priorities among different stakeholder groups

Understanding conflicting quality attribute priorities between stakeholders is essential so that trade-offs can be consciously negotiated.

What does 'fitness for purpose' mean when evaluating an architectural decision?

Answer: The decision adequately addresses the architecturally significant requirements and stakeholder needs

Fitness for purpose means the architecture appropriately satisfies the specific goals and constraints of the system being built.

Why is reversibility an important consideration when making architectural decisions?

Answer: Irreversible decisions carry higher risk and should be deferred or validated more carefully

High-reversibility decisions can be changed cheaply, so irreversible ones warrant more analysis and stakeholder alignment before commitment.

What is the role of 'assumptions' in documenting architectural decisions?

Answer: They identify conditions that are believed to be true but have not been verified, which could invalidate the decision if wrong

Documenting assumptions makes decision dependencies explicit, so if an assumption is later invalidated, the affected decision can be revisited.

Which of the following is a sign of a well-documented architectural decision?

Answer: It includes the problem statement, alternatives considered, rationale, and known trade-offs

A well-documented decision captures the problem, considered alternatives, chosen option, rationale, and the trade-offs accepted.

What is 'decision paralysis' in the context of software architecture?

Answer: The inability to commit to an architectural decision due to over-analysis or fear of making the wrong choice

Decision paralysis occurs when architects over-analyze options without converging on a choice, often delaying projects and increasing costs.