CPSA Views and Documentation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Kruchten 4+1 view captures the concurrency and process communication aspects of a system?
- Logical view
- Development view
- Process view (Correct answer)
- Scenarios view
Correct answer: Process view
The Process view in the 4+1 model addresses runtime concurrency, threads, and inter-process communication.
Question 2: In arc42, the 'Building Block View' corresponds most closely to which Kruchten 4+1 view?
- Process view
- Physical view
- Logical view (Correct answer)
- Scenarios view
Correct answer: Logical view
Arc42's Building Block View decomposes the system into logical components, mapping to the Logical view of Kruchten's 4+1 model.
Question 3: What is the main risk of documenting architecture decisions only in meeting notes rather than ADRs?
- ADRs are required by law
- Meeting notes are not structured enough to capture context and rationale long-term (Correct answer)
- Meeting notes cannot be stored digitally
- ADRs are mandatory for ISO 25010 compliance
Correct answer: Meeting notes are not structured enough to capture context and rationale long-term
Meeting notes lack the structured context, options considered, and rationale that ADRs provide, making future understanding difficult.
Question 4: Which diagram notation is most commonly recommended by CPSA for showing component dependencies in architecture documentation?
- Entity-relationship diagrams
- UML component diagrams or informal box-and-line diagrams (Correct answer)
- Gantt charts
- BPMN process flows
Correct answer: UML component diagrams or informal box-and-line diagrams
CPSA recommends UML component diagrams or informal notations as long as they clearly convey component dependencies.
Question 5: An architect creates a view showing data flows between processing stages in a pipeline system. Which view type is this?
- Deployment view
- Data flow view (Correct answer)
- Development view
- Logical class view
Correct answer: Data flow view
A data flow view illustrates how data moves through processing stages and transformations within a system.
Question 6: Why is it important to explicitly state the intended audience in architecture documentation?
- Regulatory compliance requires audience labeling
- Different stakeholders need different levels of detail and different vocabulary (Correct answer)
- Architects must obtain audience signatures
- It determines the font size to use in diagrams
Correct answer: Different stakeholders need different levels of detail and different vocabulary
Tailoring documentation to its audience ensures that developers, managers, and operators each receive the detail and terminology appropriate for their concerns.
Question 7: In the C4 model, which level would you use to show a high-level overview suitable for non-technical executive stakeholders?
- Level 4 – Code
- Level 3 – Component
- Level 2 – Container
- Level 1 – System Context (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Level 1 – System Context
Level 1 System Context diagrams show how the system fits into the broader environment with minimal technical detail, making them ideal for executives.
CPSA Views and Documentation 3
Which Kruchten 4+1 view captures the concurrency and process communication aspects of a system?