5 Views of software architecture

Methods such as road signs.

5 of the software architecture consists of the logical architecture, development architecture, Operation architecture, physical architecture, and data architecture.

Logical architecture: Focus on functions. It includes not only user-visible functions, but also basic modules and auxiliary modules.

Development Architecture: Focus on packages, including not only programs to be compiled, it also includes third-party sdks that can be directly used, ready-made frameworks, class libraries, and developed systems that will run on system software or middleware.

Running architecture: focuses on the concept of processes, threads, objects, and other runtime issues, as well as related concurrency, synchronization, and communication issues.

Physical architecture: Focus on 'how to install or deploy the target program and its dependent runtime libraries and system softwars' to physical machines, and how to deploy machines and networks to meet the reliability and scalability requirements of software systems.

Data Architecture: A storage solution that focuses on persistent data, including not only data storage formats of entities and their relationships, but also data transmission, data replication, and data synchronization policies.

The relationship between the running architecture and the development architecture: the development architecture is generally focused on the static dependency of the package during the compilation period, and these programs run on objects, threads, and processes, the running architecture is more concerned with the interaction of these runtime units.

Relationship between the physical structure and the operating architecture: the operating architecture pays special attention to the dynamic execution of the target program, while the physical architecture focuses on the static location of the target program; the physical architecture also needs to consider how the software system and the entire IT system, including hardware, interact with each other.

Relationship between data architecture and physical architecture: For many integrated systems, data needs to be transferred, copied, and saved between different systems, which usually involves different physical machines.

The focus of the five architecture views is different. The logical architecture focuses on functional requirements; the development architecture focuses on quality attributes during development; the running architecture focuses on runtime quality attributes; the physical architecture focuses on installation and deployment requirements; and the data architecture focuses on data requirements.

Two problems:

1.
Synchronization between multiple architecture views

Different software architecture views are not independent. They reflect the characteristics of a software system from different perspectives. Therefore, when they are combined, they are a complete software system, therefore, it is necessary to maintain mutual interpretation between views, rather than conflict with each other.

2.
Number of architecture views

Not all types of software systems require five views for architecture purposes. For example, for systems that do not involve data storage, there is no need for data architecture. For Single-host systems that do not involve distributed requirements, the physical architecture is relatively simple.

References
Software Architecture Design