Software Systems Architecture: Working with Stakeholders Using Viewpoints and Perspectives, Second Edition

17. The Functional Viewpoint

The Functional view of a system defines the architectural elements that deliver the functions of the system being described. This view documents the system’s functional structure—including the key functional elements, their responsibilities, the interfaces they expose, and the interactions between them. Taken together, this demonstrates how the system will perform the functions required of it.

The Functional view is the cornerstone of most ADs and is often the first part of the description that stakeholders try to read. (Too often, it is also the only view of the architecture produced.) It is probably the easiest view ...