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2024 (English)In: IEEE Open Journal of Systems Engineering, ISSN 2771-9987, Vol. 2Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
This article describes the architecture life cycle effect analysis (ALCEA) method, a structured method for evaluating proposed new architectures for software-intensive systems. The method evaluates a proposed architecture by quantifying its effect on the performance of system life-cycle phases. The method is instantiated by identifying the relevant life-cycle phases of the system under investigation and a set of evaluation functions that capture, in terms of basic factors, the effect of different architectural decisions on key life-cycle PAs, such as revenue, operating resources, and investments. The method results in a transparent cost and revenue structure, documented in a tabular form, based on quantifiable factors from the developing organization. The results of the method can be used directly as part of a business case, and their robustness can be estimated by sensitivity analysis. The ALCEA method is designed for system-level architectural analysis, covering both software and hardware aspects. In this article, we introduce the ALCEA method and provide a detailed example of how to apply it in the evolution of embedded systems. Moreover, we share early experiences of using the method in large-scale industrial settings.
Keywords
Computer architecture, Costs, Investment, Embedded systems, Unified modeling language, Systems architecture, Companies, Architecture analysis, full life-cycle support, systems engineering
National Category
Computer and Information Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:ri:diva-76359 (URN)10.1109/OJSE.2024.3357243 (DOI)
2025-01-132025-01-132025-01-13Bibliographically approved