Software Architect's Handbook

Managing change

Changes to a software system are inevitable. The catalyst for change can come from the market, new requirements, changes to business processes, technology advances, and bug fixes, among other things.

Some view software architecture as inhibiting agility and would prefer to just let it emerge without up-front design. However, a good software architecture helps with both implementing and managing changes. Changes fall into one of the following categories:

• Limited to a single element
• Involve a combination of elements, but do not require any architectural changes
• Require an architectural change

Software architecture allows you to manage and understand what it would take to make a particular change. Furthermore, a good architecture ...