Incremental Software Architecture

Chapter 13Introduction to End-State Architecture Stress Testing

Akin to stress tests performed on financial institutions to prevent monetary collapse during economic crises, examinations are required to ensure the firmness and solidity of an end-state architecture. Ironically, these instances seem identical: A failing production environment may lead to a financial disaster and the demise of an organization.

Stress testing should then be pursued to verify if an end-state architecture environment could indeed sustain intense message exchange load over an abnormally long time. The result of such scrutiny should indicate if an environment is stable under extreme transaction circumstances. It should also demonstrate business and technical capabilities to provide solutions without reaching breaking points. If any of the pressure points buckle under the extreme conditions of the stress testing, the environment obviously fails to prove industrial-strength that is required to withstand treacherous business and technological conditions.

It is not surprising that now we are no longer discussing the endurance and solidity of an end-state architecture segment. This is discussed in detail in Chapter 12. Now the environment's firmness and performance is our chief concern. But end-state architecture stress testing is not only about performance. The investigation in this chapter is centered on the capability of an architecture landscape to respond to changes in commerce trends, to modifications ...