General
The following general approach is used to do the review:
-
Entities and Locations - review the architectural representation of the system and question its
structure, components and definitions. It may also be compared to similar and existing structures and
architectures. Peers also bring their knowledge and experience to the review, which is often invaluable. Step
through two of the four aspects to start: Entity Models and Location Models;
-
Scenarios - walk through busy scenarios (Process Models and Roles Models) to ensure that the
architecture addresses the business needs, and to also identify possible non-functional problem areas.
Previous steps produced a representation of the architecture (i.e. the Business or Logical Perspectives), therefore
question and reason based on this representation
Entities and Locations
Starting with these aspects will ease participants into the architecture definition. A basic understanding of these
elements helps in bringing all participants onto the same level in terms of definitions, and also in terms of the scope
of the IT architecture. Relatively simple models and definitions are reviewed, to ensure accuracy and
conformance.
Scenarios
This is the systematic review of process scenarios described by the architecture (at any of the three levels: Business,
Logical or Technical). The models must support all required business activity. Non-functional aspects (e.g. the loading
on a server) may arise and be discussed. These should be noted and explored with peers and stakeholders, and solutions
agreed, or the issued noted for further action.
The advantage of such an approach is that it puts the task in a very concrete perspective, understandable by all
parties. It also allows for probing into omissions or flaws into the requirements, especially when the
requirements are informal or unwritten or very general and terse. In other words, important scenarios are used to
test the defined architecture, keeping in mind all the important aspects to be reviewed (i.e. completeness,
consistency, etc.). Also part of this review are the how Entities are involved and how Actors and Roles
participate in the processes.
Identifying Issues
Uncovering potential issues is mostly done by human judgment based upon knowledge and experience. This knowledge and
experience includes such things as:
-
Common failure patterns repeated from project to project;
-
Heuristics used to uncover problem areas;
-
Business or technical knowledge;
-
Check-lists can be useful;
-
Results from previous reviews.
Capture potential issues as they appear, describing them in a neutral tone. Ensure these descriptions are agreed by all
and recorded in the Review Record, and if needed prioritize them. After the meetings, refine the definitions of
their scope and impact. If there are many, tackle them in priority order.
It may be possible to identify possible solutions to issues at the review meetings. If so record these results in the
Artifact: Architecture Review Record as well.
|
