CPSA Architecture Evaluation Methods 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which ATAM phase involves presenting the architecture to stakeholders and collecting utility tree inputs?
- Phase 0 - Partnership and Preparation
- Phase 1 - Evaluation (Correct answer)
- Phase 2 - Evaluation
- Phase 3 - Follow-up
Correct answer: Phase 1 - Evaluation
Phase 1 of ATAM involves presenting the business drivers, architecture, and generating the utility tree with stakeholders.
Question 2: In the context of architecture evaluation, what does 'sensitivity point' mean?
- A system component that is particularly vulnerable to security threats
- A parameter of one or more components whose variation affects a quality attribute response (Correct answer)
- A requirement that is sensitive to schedule changes
- A design decision that affects only a single stakeholder
Correct answer: A parameter of one or more components whose variation affects a quality attribute response
A sensitivity point is an architectural parameter whose variation produces measurable changes in a quality attribute response measure.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of conducting a Software Architecture Review (SAR)?
- To rewrite outdated parts of the architecture
- To identify risks, non-risks, sensitivity points, and tradeoff points early (Correct answer)
- To assign blame for poor architectural decisions
- To create new design patterns for the system
Correct answer: To identify risks, non-risks, sensitivity points, and tradeoff points early
A SAR aims to surface architectural risks, non-risks, sensitivity points, and tradeoffs before costly implementation begins.
Question 4: In CBAM (Cost Benefit Analysis Method), what are 'response levels' used for?
- Measuring server response times in production
- Expressing different degrees to which a quality attribute scenario is satisfied (Correct answer)
- Defining how quickly architecture decisions must be made
- Categorizing stakeholder feedback by priority
Correct answer: Expressing different degrees to which a quality attribute scenario is satisfied
Response levels in CBAM define the spectrum of possible quality attribute values so stakeholders can assign utility and cost to each level.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes a 'non-risk' in ATAM?
- An assumption about the architecture that has been proven incorrect
- A good architectural decision that promotes quality attributes even under reasonable changes (Correct answer)
- A risk that has been mitigated through testing
- A stakeholder concern that is outside the evaluation scope
Correct answer: A good architectural decision that promotes quality attributes even under reasonable changes
Non-risks are good decisions that will likely not lead to problems even if underlying assumptions change.
Question 6: What technique does ATAM use to systematically capture and prioritize quality attribute requirements?
- Use Case Modeling
- Utility Tree (Correct answer)
- Risk Register
- Fishbone Diagram
Correct answer: Utility Tree
The Utility Tree organizes quality attributes into a hierarchy and prioritizes scenarios by importance and difficulty.
Question 7: When evaluating architecture for modifiability, which scenario characteristic is most important to examine?
- The number of stakeholders involved
- The cost and ripple effect of making a specific change to a component (Correct answer)
- The frequency of deployment cycles
- The number of lines of code in the module
Correct answer: The cost and ripple effect of making a specific change to a component
Modifiability evaluation focuses on the effort (cost) and the extent of change propagation (ripple effect) when modifying a component.
CPSA Architecture Evaluation Methods 2
Which ATAM phase involves presenting the architecture to stakeholders and collecting utility tree inputs?