CPSA-FL Sample Questions Answers

Iterative and incremental design methods are fundamental in software development, allowing for flexibility, better risk management, and focused delivery of functional components.

• A: Iterations involve repeated cycles of design, development, and testing, which help manage and resolve uncertainties as more knowledge is gained throughout the project lifecycle.
• B: The iterative process facilitates early detection of design and integration issues, as feedback can be incorporated promptly to refine the system progressively.
• F: Incremental design focuses on delivering functional increments of the product, ensuring that key functionalities are developed and delivered in priority order, allowing for early testing and refinement.

Quality requirements specify the conditions under which a system must operate to meet the needs of its users and stakeholders, focusing on performance, usability, reliability, etc.

• C: Automatic spelling correction is a feature related to the system's usability and accuracy, improving the overall quality of user interaction.
• D: Stating a failure rate of less than 0.1% specifies a reliability target that the system must achieve, making it a quantifiable and critical quality requirement.

A) FalseB) FalseC) TrueD) TrueE) TrueF) True

A) Agile approaches make written documentation unnecessary. In such cases, verbal communication can substitute for documentation.

• False. Even in agile approaches, written documentation is important for maintaining a clear and consistent understanding of the architecture among team members and stakeholders1.

B) Written documentation makes verbal reiteration unnecessary.

• False. Verbal communication is essential for clarifying and reinforcing the content of written documentation, especially when addressing complex or nuanced architectural issues2.

C) Despite written documentation, verbal communication of architectural interrelationships is important.

• True. Verbal communication plays a crucial role in explaining the rationale behind architectural decisions and interrelationships that may not be fully captured in documentation2.

D) Documentation and communication should use identical terms and rationale.

• True. Consistency in terminology and rationale between documentation and verbal communication helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures that all parties have a common understanding of the architecture2.

E) Documentation should be created primarily for project participants who either cannot or do not want to read the system’s source code.

• True. Documentation serves as a guide for those who may not be directly involved in coding but need to understand the architecture, such as managers, new team members, or external stakeholders2.

F) Communication and documentation complement each other: verbal communication helps architects determine what must be recorded in writing.

• True. Verbal communication often reveals what aspects of the architecture are most important or confusing to team members, guiding what should be emphasized in written documentation

The term 'coupling' in software architecture refers to the degree of direct knowledge that one component has about another. This can be reflected in:A. A building block uses an interface of another building block. - This represents a form of coupling where components interact through well-defined interfaces, influencing the level of dependency between them.D. A building block uses internal data structures of another building block. - This indicates a higher degree of coupling, as it involves direct knowledge of another component’s internal workings, which is generally discouraged to maintain modularity and ease of maintenance.

These answers are based on fundamental software architecture and design principles widely recognized in the field.

The purpose of defining the system context includes:

• To illustrate the system’s interfaces with external systems (B) - True
• To clarify the area of responsibility of the software architect C - True
• To represent the external systems (D) - True
• To distinguish between infrastructure and application (E) - True
• To distinguish between the hardware and software of a solution (F) - True

Defining the system context is a crucial step in software architecture as it helps to establish the boundaries and interactions of a system within its environment. Here’s a detailed explanation of the purposes:

• To Illustrate the System’s Interfaces with External Systems (B): It is essential to understand how the system interacts with other systems, which can influence requirements and design1.
• To Clarify the Area of Responsibility of the Software Architect ©: By defining the system context, the architect’s responsibilities regarding the system’s interactions and boundaries are made clear1.
• To Represent the External Systems (D): The system context helps identify and represent all external entities that interact with the system, which is important for comprehensive design and analysis1.
• To Distinguish Between Infrastructure and Application (E): Understanding the system context allows for a clear distinction between the infrastructure (the environment in which the application operates) and the application itself1.
• To Distinguish Between the Hardware and Software of a Solution (F): The system context helps to differentiate between the hardware components and the software components of a system, which is vital for system integration and deployment1.

These aspects of the system context are fundamental for ensuring that the system is designed and developed to meet its intended goals and operate effectively within its designated environment.

References:

• Smartpedia article on System Context1.
• Visual Paradigm Blog on System Context Diagrams2.
• microTOOL article on System Context3.

A) BeneficialB) BeneficialC) Not BeneficialD) Not BeneficialE) Beneficial

In the context of documenting the software architecture for a large development project with multiple teams, the following measures can be considered beneficial:

A) Dividing the whole architecture documentation into sub-documents for each of the three sub-projects can be beneficial as it allows each team to focus on their specific area while maintaining a modular approach to documentation1.

B) Predefining the structure of the entire architecture documentation ensures consistency and coherence across all sub-projects. It helps in maintaining a uniform standard and facilitates easier integration of the sub-documents into the overall project documentation1.

C) Leaving the decision regarding the documentation structure to the team that first begins the documentation of its sub-project is not beneficial. This approach can lead to inconsistencies and may result in a lack of uniformity across the project’s documentation1.

D) Rejecting word processing for the documentation because it is not connected with the source code is not beneficial. While it is important to link documentation with the source code, word processing tools can still be used effectively for creating comprehensive documentation. Tools like version control can be used to maintain a connection between the documentation and the source code1.

E) Having developers document their parts of the architecture documentation using source code can be beneficial. This approach ensures that the documentation is close to the implementation and can be more easily kept up-to-date1.

These measures align with the best practices for software architecture documentation as per the iSAQB® SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE – FOUNDATION LEVEL documents, which emphasize the importance of clear, consistent, and coherent documentation in software architecture1.

A) FalseB) FalseC) FalseD) TrueE) TrueF) False

Postel’s law, also known as the robustness principle, is a guideline in software engineering that advises to "be conservative in what you do, be liberal in what you accept from others"1. This principle has implications for system design and interaction with external interfaces:

A) Response time of the system is reduced: This is false. Postel’s law does not directly relate to the response time of a system1.

B) Implementation effort increases: This is false. Being liberal in what is accepted can actually simplify implementation because the system is designed to handle a wider range of inputs without failure1.

C) Usability of the system is reduced: This is false. Postel’s law aims to increase robustness and interoperability, which can enhance usability by making the system more resilient and accommodating1.

D) Robustness of the system is increased: This is true. By being conservative in outputs and liberal in inputs, the system becomes more robust, handling a variety of inputs without error1.

E) The integrity of the data transferred via interfaces is increased: This is true. Accepting a wide range of inputs and adhering strictly to output specifications helps maintain data integrity across different systems1.

F) Availability of the system is reduced due to potentially bad quality of input data: This is false. Postel’s law suggests that the system should be designed to handle poor quality input data gracefully, thus maintaining availability1.

Applying Postel’s law helps create systems that are more tolerant of input variations and strict in their outputs, contributing to overall system robustness and reliability1.

A) FalseB) TrueC) True

In a system with a multitude of class dependencies, the following measures can be considered:

A) The dependencies between classes are the responsibility of the developers. No measures are required within the architecture: This is false. While developers do manage day-to-day class dependencies, architectural measures are necessary to address systemic issues in a mature system1.

B) Loosening of direct dependencies between classes through the introduction of interfaces: This is true. Introducing interfaces can decouple classes and allow for more flexible and maintainable code1.

C) Loosening of direct dependencies between classes through the introduction of factories: This is also true. Factories can provide a way to create instances of classes without specifying the exact class, thus reducing dependencies1.

These measures align with the iSAQB® SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE – FOUNDATION LEVEL guidelines, which suggest that managing dependencies is crucial for maintaining and extending systems effectively1.

Understandability in architecture documentation is crucial as it directly impacts the ease with which the architecture can be reviewed, maintained, and extended. Here’s why the chosen answers are relevant:

• It is an important quality characteristic (C): Understandability ensures that the architecture is accessible not only to the creators but also to other stakeholders like new team members, management, and maintenance personnel. This aids in the effective communication of the architecture’s intent, usage, and functionalities.
• It is a quality characteristic together with simplicity and brevity (E): Simplicity and brevity contribute to making complex systems easier to understand. Concise and straightforward documentation helps in quicker comprehension and reduces ambiguities.
• It is a quality characteristic together with scope and completeness (F): While it is important for the documentation to be comprehensive, it should also clearly define the scope of the system. This helps in setting the right expectations and ensures that the documentation covers all necessary aspects thoroughly, thus enhancing understandability.

References:

• “Documenting Software Architectures: Views and Beyond” by Paul Clements et al. emphasizes the importance of these aspects in effective architecture documentation.
• ISO/IEC 42010 also highlights understandability as a fundamental quality characteristic of architectural descriptions.