ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD

(Department of Computer Science)

WARNING
1. PLAGIARISM OR HIRING OF GHOST WRITER(S) FOR SOLVING
THE ASSIGNMENT(S) WILL DEBAR THE STUDENT FROM AWARD OF
DEGREE/CERTIFICATE, IF FOUND AT ANY STAGE.
2. SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS BORROWED OR STOLEN FROM
OTHER(S) AS ONE’S OWN WILL BE PENALIZED AS DEFINED IN “AIOU
PLAGIARISM POLICY”.

Course: Software Architecture (3482) Semester: Spring, 2022

Level: BS (CS) Total Marks: 100
Pass Marks: 50
Assignment No. 1
(Units: 1-4)
Note: All questions are compulsory and carry equal marks.

Q. 1. What kind of business goals drive (or have driven) the creation of the
software architecture of an organization? (20)
Q. 2. What is the difference between reference architecture and an architectural
pattern? What can you do with one that you cannot do with the other in
terms of organizational planning and architectural analysis? (20)
Q. 3. Brooks argued that conceptual integrity is the key to successful systems.
Do you agree? Can you think of system that has not had this property? (20)
Q. 4. Discuss the quality attributes that need to be considered for architectural
patterns or architectural strategies. (20)
Q.5. How many architectural patterns can you recognize in the architecture for
ISSS? (20)

1
 Assignment No. 2
(Units: 1-4)
Marks: 100
Pass Marks: 50

Note: All questions carry equal marks.

Q. 1. What techniques can you think of for creating an initial version of a

software or system architecture? How do these techniques address
functional, business and quality attribute requirements? (20)
Q. 2. You are a new to hire a project. Lay out a sequence of documentation you
would like to have to acquaint you with your new position. (20)
Q.3 Discuss the architectural design features of any case study you have studied
in your course. (20)
Q. 4. How we can evaluate the architecture of a system? Discuss the steps
involved in the evaluation of architecture. (20)
Q. 5. Determination of costs and benefits is fraught with uncertainty. What
sources of uncertainty do you typically have to deal with and how would
you go about characterizing, measuring and minimizing them? (20)

2
 3482 SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE
Course Code: 3482
Course Title: Software Architecture
Credit Hours: 4 (4+ 0), 4 hours lecture per week
Session Offered: As per offering schedule
Recommended Book: Software Architecture in practice by Len Bass, Paul
Clements, Rick Kazman.
A/V / Multimedia
As defined by the Instructor / MOOCs links
Content:
Reference Book: Software Engineering by Roger Pressmen
Pre-Requisite: 3414 Software Engineering-I
Course Coordinator: Ch. Muhammad Shahbaz Anjum
Teaching Methodology: Face-to-Face/Online/Blended
Computer Usage: Student is desired to use Internet for self-learning in this course.
Course Introduction
This course discusses different software architecture styles, their properties and
the types of problems; it explores the role of software architecture throughout the
software development life cycle.
Course Objectives
At the end of the course the students are expected to be able to:
1. Describe what software processes are and how quality of software will be get
better using architecture techniques.
2. Know the concepts of software architecture design and documentation.
3. Demonstrate understanding of software reconstruction and analysis of architecture.
4. Learn the product lines and further of software architectures in the current market
scenario.
Evaluation Criteria:
i. Assignments and/or quizzes as per instructor’s choice 10%
ii. Mid Term theory/practical/ presentation/ mini projects as per instructor’s choice 20%
iii. Final Examination 70%

COURSE OUTLINES
Unit 1 Introduction to Software Architecture
Software Processes and the Architecture Business Cycle, Software Architecture
Architectural Patterns and Structures, Reference Models and Reference
Architectures, Case Study.
Unit 2 Quality Attributes
Functionality and Architectures, Quality Attributes, System Quality Attributes,
Business and Architecture Qualities

3
Unit 3 Quality Tactics
Introducing Tactics, Availability and Modifiability Tactics, Performance and
Security Tactics, Testability and Usability Tactics, Case Study
Unit 4 Architecture Design
Life Cycle Architecture, Designing the Architecture, Formatting the team
structure, Skelton System, Case Study
Unit 5 Architecture Documentation
Uses of Architecture Documentation, Views, Documenting a view, Unified
Modeling Language
Unit 6 Architecture Reconstruction
Information Extraction, Database Construction, View Fusion, Reconstruction,
Unit 7 Analyzing Architecture
Overview, Analysis Methods, Architecture Evaluation, Architecture Design
Decision making, Case Study
Unit 8 Software Product Lines
Overview, Software Product Lines, Scoping, Architecture for Product Lines,
Case Study
Unit 9 Software Architecture in future

Activities/ Practical
1. Student/group of two students should be given software as a business
completive product in the software industry. Student(s) should implement the
quality criteria learned during first five units.
2. Student(s) should be given a small software product as a sample for
reconstructions and analyzing its architecture in the light of learned
techniques.
3. A group of 2-3 students should be given a case study to describe the product
line and future of a software product of their choice in form of report IEEE
format.

Note: The instructor may assign additional activities.