Software Architecture & Design for Students & Professionals

Course details

The software architecture of a program or computing systemis a depiction of the system that aids in the understanding of how thesystem will behave.

Software architecture serves as the blueprint for both thesystem and the project developing it, defining the work assignments thatmust be carried out by design and implementation teams. Thearchitecture is the primary carrier of system qualities such asperformance, modifiability, and security, none of which can be achievedwithout a unifying architectural vision. Architecture is an artifact forearly analysis to make sure that a design approach will yield anacceptable system. By building effective architecture, you can identifydesign risks and mitigate them early in the development process.

The architecture definition process seems fairly straightforward. All you have to do is figure out what the requirements are and design a system that satisfies them. But in reality it's not that simple and the
software architecture role can vary wildly depending on how engaged you are and how seriously you view your role.

Regardless of whether you view the line between software development and architecture as mythical or a gaping chasm, the elements above highlight that people's level of experience across the software
architecture role varies considerably depending on how engaged they are and how seriously they view their role. Most developers don't wake up on a Monday morning and declare themselves to be a software architect.

There's a big difference between contributing to the architecture of a software system and being responsible for defining it yourself; with a continuum of skills, knowledge and experience needed across the different areas that make up the software architecture role. Crossing the line between software developer and software architect is up to you, but understanding your own level of experience is the first part of the journey.