Using Patterns to Capture Architectural Decisions

Abstract

Throughout the software design process, developers must make decisions and reify them in code. The decisions made during software architecting are particularly significant in that they have system-wide implications, especially on the quality attributes. However, architects often fail to adequately document their decisions because they don't appreciate the benefits, don't know how to document decisions, or don't recognize that they're making decisions. This lack of thorough documentation. This paper provides information about a decision's rationale and consequences, architecture patterns can help architects better understand and more easily record their decisions.