Course Overview
What actually makes a good software architecture? What challenges does the software architect have to face every day? Are they more of a technician, organiser or mediator? These are some of the questions addressed in this training course.
You will be introduced to the basic skills of the software architect. Using a case study, you will analyse and evaluate the requirements of the stakeholders and learn methods and techniques for designing high-quality software. We will also teach you how to assess the quality of IT systems and document them efficiently.
Learning Objectives
The tools of the trade of a software architect are explained using concrete practical examples and use cases. This includes methodological, technical and communication skills. After the course, you will be able to describe the requirements of your stakeholders in a comprehensible way in a realisable software architecture and communicate them convincingly and clearly.
Target Audience
Software architects and experienced software developers who have already gained experience in designing small and medium-sized software systems.
Prerequisites
- More than 18 months practical experience in software development working with a team
- Knowledge and practical experience in at least one high-level programming language
- Experience in architecture design of small software projects
Detailed Curriculum
A. Foundations & Terms
- Definitions & responsibilities of software architecture
- Purpose & positioning of software architecture
- Architecture & requirements
- Factors influencing architecture
- Categorization of software
B. Architecture Design
- Maxims in architecture design
- Heuristics
- Architecture principles
- Architecture styles
- Design pattern
- Architecture pattern
- Supporting Tools & Techniques
C. Describing & Documenting
- Architecture and organization
- Essential architecture views
- Complementary representation & notations
- Crosscutting concepts
- Interfaces
- Decomposing strategies
- Architecture documentation
D. Communicating & Deciding
- Challenges in communication and decisions making
- Iterative Design Process
- Last Responsible Moment
- Compromise versus consensus
- The Harvard negotiation project
E. Software Quality
- The concept of quality
- Quantitative evaluation
- Architecture Trade-off Analysis Method
- Technical debt
- The quality tree
F. Exam Preparation
- General information about the exam
- Question types & tips
Included Teaching Materials
- Curriculum with learning objectives iSAQB CPSA-F 2023.1
- Effective Software Architectures by Gernot Starke (9th ed.)
- Comprehensive Slide Deck (German & English)
- Exam Simulation & Mock Exam
- Kahoot Quizzes for Interactive Learning
- Exercise Sheets with Case Study