SOFTENG 325 : Software Architecture

Engineering

2024 Semester Two (1245) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Taxonomy of software architecture patterns, including client/server and multi-tier. Understanding quality attributes. Methodologies for design of software architectures. Technologies for architecture level development, including middleware.

Course Overview

This course is concerned with supporting the development of complex software systems. Complex software tends to exhibit a combination of characteristics that may include largeness, concurrency, and physical distribution. Furthermore, non-trivial software systems are typically subject to a set of non-functional requirements. It is not sufficient for these systems to be functionally correct, but they must also satisfy non-functional requirements (constraints) governing security, scalability, availability, evolvability, etc.

Developing modern applications necessitates use of application frameworks and middleware, which simplify development and integration of distributed information systems. The course draws on contemporary frameworks to explore key issues in service orientation and data access.

Different system structures can have different effects on many aspects of quality of the system, especially performance. The architecture of a system represents the structure of the system, showing its major aspects that need to be understood in order to understand how the system is put together. Determining the software architecture is the first step in the design process.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: COMPSYS 302 or SOFTENG 254 or 283 Restriction: COMPSCI 331

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Describe what is meant by software architecture and describe its reason for existence in the software life-cycle (Capability 3.1 and 3.2)
  2. Describe the role of contemporary middleware and application frameworks in developing modern distributed information systems (Capability 3.1 and 3.2)
  3. Describe key challenges in developing distributed information systems and explain established techniques to address these (Capability 3.1 and 3.2)
  4. Develop a simple Web application using appropriate tools, including Web service and ORM frameworks (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2 and 5.1)
  5. Explain what quality attributes are and how they can be specified through both general and concrete scenarios (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 6.1)
  6. Describe the relationship between quality attributes of a system, software architecture patterns, and tactics for developing software architectures, and give common examples of patterns and tactics (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 and 6.1)
  7. Describe properties of well-designed subsystems in an architecture (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1)
  8. Critique software architectures on their ability to meet various non-functional requirements (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2 and 6.1)
  9. Design software architectures which prioritize the non-functional requirements most important to the client (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1 and 6.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignments 30% Individual Coursework
Test 15% Individual Test
Final Exam 55% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Assignments
Test
Final Exam

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For each week in this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 2 hour tutorial, 3 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 3 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including labs & tutorials to complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Health & Safety

Students are expected to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Health and Safety section of the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

This year (2023), the course was much more well-received than in 2022. Students enjoyed the more interactive lecture sessions, and felt more engaged with the course due to the first-half lab activities contributing towards the assignment grade.

We had some comments surrounding the difficulty of the first-half material. Next year, we will continue to improve the available resources and streamline the transition from lecture ➡️ lab ➡️ assignment as much as possible. We will also investigate whether we change the framework which is used in teaching, to something a little less complex to set up (depending on staff availability to make this significant change during S1).

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.