Ace the iSQI CPSA-FL Exam: Ultimate Preparation Guide

As an architect, you can specify the following characteristics of a black-box building block:

• Compliance with functional requirements (A)
• Compliance with non-functional requirements (B)
• Purpose and/or responsibility (D)
• Method signature of public interfaces (E)
• Data formats of public interfaces (F)

In software architecture, a black-box building block is a component whose internal structure is not exposed to or understood by other components. It is defined only by its provided functionality and the services it offers. Here’s a detailed explanation of each characteristic:

• Compliance with Functional Requirements (A): This refers to the ability of the building block to perform the functions it was designed to do, which are often captured in a functional specification document.
• Compliance with Non-functional Requirements (B): These are criteria that can be used to judge the operation of a system, rather than specific behaviors. This includes requirements related to scalability, performance, security, and reliability.
• Purpose and/or Responsibility (D): This defines the role the building block plays in the overall system architecture, including its responsibilities and the services it provides.
• Method Signature of Public Interfaces (E): The method signature defines the interface that other components can use to interact with the building block. It includes the method name, parameters, and return type.
• Data Formats of Public Interfaces (F): This specifies the format and structure of the data that is accepted or returned by the building block’s public interfaces.

These characteristics are essential for ensuring that the building block can be effectively integrated into a larger system and interact with other components as expected.

References:

• Bass, L., Clements, P., & Kazman, R. (2012). Software Architecture in Practice (3rd ed.). Addison-Wesley Professional.
• Martin, R. C. (2003). Agile Software Development: Principles, Patterns, and Practices. Prentice Hall.
• Fowler, M. (2002). Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture. Addison-Wesley.

The techniques best suited to illustrate the interaction of runtime building blocks are:A. Activity diagrams - Useful for showing the flow of control among various activities and decisions in the system.B. Sequence diagrams - Ideal for depicting the order of messages exchanged between components or objects in a specific scenario.C. State diagram - Shows how a component or an object changes its state in response to events, highlighting dynamic behavior.G. Depiction of screen flows (sequence of user interactions) - Useful for visualizing the sequence of user interactions with the system, which is critical for user-centric design and runtime behavior analysis.

The performance of a system often competes with its:

• Flexibility (A) - True1
• Memory usage (B) - True1
• On-time completion of the project C - False
• Adaptability (D) - True1
• Usability (E) - True1
• Security (F) - True1
• Testability (G) - True

In system design, performance trade-offs are a critical consideration. Here’s an explanation of how each listed aspect competes with system performance:

• Flexibility (A): Systems designed for high performance may be less flexible because they are optimized for specific tasks or conditions1.
• Memory Usage (B): High-performance systems may require more memory to store data and instructions for rapid access, which can be at odds with limited memory resources1.
• On-time Completion of the Project ©: While performance considerations can impact project timelines, they do not inherently compete with the on-time completion of a project.
• Adaptability (D): Systems that need to perform well under varying conditions may sacrifice adaptability, as they are tightly coupled with their performance optimizations1.
• Usability (E): Sometimes, the pursuit of performance can lead to complex user interfaces or workflows, affecting usability negatively1.
• Security (F): Security measures can introduce additional processing and checks, potentially slowing down system performance1.
• Testability (G): High-performance systems may be harder to test due to their complexity and the need for specialized testing environments or tools1.

These trade-offs highlight the importance of balancing different system attributes to meet the overall goals and constraints of a project.

References:

• CodingDrills article on Trade-Offs in System Design1

The interpretations of Conway’s law that are true and false are as follows:

• True:
• False:

Conway’s law suggests that the structure of systems designed by an organization will mimic the communication structures of that organization1. This means that the way teams are organized and communicate will influence the design of the software they are developing. Here’s an explanation of each interpretation:

• True Statements:
• False Statements:

Conway’s law is a valuable consideration in software engineering, reminding us that organizational decisions can have a significant impact on the design and functionality of the software.

References:

• Wikipedia article on Conway’s law1.
• ThinkingLabs article on Shades of Conway’s Law2.
• Dovetail article on What Is Conway’s Law

A) FalseB) TrueC) TrueD) False

A) Architectural objectives and project objectives need to be identical.

• This is false. Architectural objectives are concerned with the technical goals and quality attributes of the system, while project objectives are broader and include timelines, budgets, and overall project deliverables12.

B) Most of the time, architectural objectives are of a more long-term nature than project objectives.

• This is true. Architectural objectives often focus on the sustainability and maintainability of the system, which are long-term considerations, whereas project objectives may be more immediate and focused on the project’s completion12.

C) Architectural objectives and project objectives need to be negotiated between the concerned parties.

• True. Both sets of objectives should align with the stakeholders’ needs and the project’s overall goals, and thus require negotiation to ensure that all parties’ interests are addressed3.

D) Architectural objectives are a subset of project objectives.

• This is false. Architectural objectives are not necessarily a subset but are related and should support the project objectives. They deal specifically with the architecture of the system, which is one aspect of the project

Documenting the right views in software architecture is crucial for addressing different stakeholder concerns and ensuring the architecture is comprehensible and manageable.

• A: Deployment view illustrates the physical deployment of software on hardware and is essential for understanding how different parts of the system are distributed across platforms and environments.
• C: Runtime view shows how various components of the system interact at runtime, which is vital for understanding system behavior and performance under different operational conditions.
• H: Building-block view (also known as the module view) describes the static organization of the software in modules or components, including their responsibilities and relationships. This view is foundational for developers and maintainers.

References:

A) TrueB) TrueC) TrueD) TrueE) TrueF) TrueG) True

When choosing a software-architecture modeling tool, several factors can play a role:

A) Multi-user capability is important for collaborative environments where multiple architects work on the same model simultaneously1.

B) Support of UML 2.x and SysML ensures that the tool can handle widely-used modeling languages for software and systems engineering1.

C) Document generation is a key feature that allows for the automatic creation of documentation from the model1.

D) Support of model transformations in preparation of the code generation indicates the tool’s ability to convert models into other forms or even into executable code1.

E) Support of code generation can significantly speed up the development process by generating code from the models1.

F) Compliance with standards ensures that the tool adheres to industry standards, which can be crucial for interoperability and future-proofing1.

G) Purchase and licensing costs are practical considerations that affect the total cost of ownership of the tool1.

These criteria are aligned with the iSAQB® SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE – FOUNDATION LEVEL documents, which emphasize the importance of these factors in the selection of a software-architecture modeling tool1.

The white-box view of a software building block provides an in-depth perspective on the internal structure and behavior of the building block.

• A: The dependencies of the internal building blocks of 'foo' are crucial for understanding how changes in one part affect others and for managing future modifications.
• C: The algorithms of the internal building blocks of 'foo' give insight into the logic and operations performed within the block, which is essential for performance analysis and optimization.
• D: The internal building blocks of 'foo' describe the finer-grained components or modules within 'foo', detailing their responsibilities and interactions, fundamental for detailed design and implementation.

A) IncorrectB) CorrectC) IncorrectD) IncorrectE) Incorrect

In the context of building a tool chain for continuous architecture evaluation and analysis, the following statements can be assessed:

A) Tools for static code analysis do not find all dependencies in the source code. They can find many, but not necessarily all, especially if dynamic programming techniques are used1.

B) Several tools for static code analysis can be used to verify compliance with architectural rules. This is one of the primary uses of static code analysis tools1.

C) Tools for static code analysis cannot reliably measure cohesion because cohesion is a qualitative aspect of modules that depends on the context and design intent, which static analysis alone cannot fully capture1.

D) Tools for static code analysis are not typically used to optimize runtime efficiency. They are more focused on code quality, security, and compliance with coding standards1.

E) Tools for dynamic analysis, such as profilers, can be used to optimize static structures. They provide runtime information that can inform decisions about the static structure of the code1.

These assessments are based on the iSAQB® SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE – FOUNDATION LEVEL documents, which provide guidelines on the selection and use of tools for software architecture evaluation and analysis1.

A) TrueB) FalseC) TrueD) FalseE) True

The building-block view, as per the iSAQB® SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE – FOUNDATION LEVEL, typically includes the following information:

A) Which building blocks the software is composed of: This is true. The building-block view shows the composition of software building blocks1.

B) How the building blocks interact during run time: This is false. The interaction during runtime is typically shown in the runtime view, not the building-block view1.

C) How the building blocks are hierarchically decomposed: This is true. The building-block view includes hierarchical decomposition of the software building blocks1.

D) How the building blocks are distributed in a distributed system: This is false. The distribution of building blocks in a distributed system is part of the deployment view1.

E) The dependencies between the building blocks: This is true. The building-block view should show the dependencies between the different building blocks1.

These aspects are essential for understanding the structure and organization of the software architecture and are aligned with the iSAQB® SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE – FOUNDATION LEVEL documents1.