Model-Driven Software Development: Technology, Engineering, Management

Chapter 7

MDSD-Capable Target Architectures

7.1 Software Architecture in the Context of MDSD

As important as the term software architecture is, unfortunately it is also just as vaguely defined. We neither wish nor have to make the attempt to deliver a universally-valid and detailed definition – to this end, we recommend the appropriate literature, such as [BCK98], [POSA1], [JB00], [PBG04]). For further discussion, it is sufficient to carve out the relevant points of view and specifics. The following, simple ‘definition’ of the term software architecture will serve as a basis:

Software architecture describes to a certain level of detail the structure (layering, modularization etc.) and the systematics (patterns, conventions etc.) of a software system.

The topic of software architecture plays a role in various subcontexts of MDSD:

• First, a software architecture serves to structure the software systems to be generated or created at large. Here the reference implementation plays a central role: the software architecture of applications to be generated is already visible in its entirety – if only as an example. Yet each complete member of the software system family possesses the same software architecture. This view of the topic is therefore the classic and common one: How do you structure applications or, respectively, software systems? The answer to this question is independent of whether development is model-driven or not, which is why you can draw on the whole toolbox of software ...