A Rationale-based Model for Architecture Design Reasoning

8.4. Summary
8.4 Summary
In this chapter, we have presented the ARM method for architecture decision making.
ARM complements other design methodologies by addressing the process to carry out
design reasoning. This is a fundamental area that has often been omitted in architecture
design. ARM requires architects to use qualitative and quantitative rationale to justify
their decisions. Qualitative design rationale explores issues, arguments and options of
a decision. Quantitative rationale quantifies the costs, benefits and risks of options. It
enables architects to delineate architecture design from detailed design by way of obtaining
acceptable risk levels in the architecture design. A number of advantages can be derived
using ARM:
• Quantifies the choice of architecture decisions by explicitly compare the costs, benefits
and risks of alternative design options.
• Define the scope of architecture design using risks as a guide.
• provide a means to support architecture verification.
As well as being useful to architecture development and verification, ARM facilitates
the documentation of design rationale to support the maintenance process. Other uses of
the AREL model are discussed in later chapters.
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