Model-centered customizable architectural design decisions management

Abstract

Architectural Design Decisions (ADD) form a key element of Architectural Knowledge (AK), which plays a vital role in the software architecture process. To help manage ADDs, several tools have been proposed. However, most of them have prescribed fixed data models to be followed and do not provide sufficient customizability. Mismatches between a tool's data model and users' specific needs make the tool less usable, or even unusable. We propose a highly customizable solution that enables users to define specialized ADD models according to the specific needs of their individual preferences and working situations to achieve perfect fitness between the required model by users and the provided model by the tool. The results of the initial evaluation of the proposed solution are encouraging. © 2010 IEEE.