Software Architect's Handbook

Step 1 – Reviewing inputs

The first step in the ADD process is to review the inputs into the attribute-driven design. Before the design starts, we want to ensure that we are clear on the overall design problem we are solving.

The inputs are the architectural drivers that we reviewed earlier:

• Design objectives
• Primary functional requirements
• Quality attribute scenarios
• Constraints
• Architectural concerns

If the software system is either a brownfield system or it is not the initial iteration for the architecture design of a greenfield system, there is at least some part of an architecture already in place. This existing architecture must be considered as part of the input into the iteration.