ACCA: An Architecture-Centric Concern Analysis Method

The architecture of a software system is a key asset for a software business. While there are several architecting and evaluation methods, literature and practice are devoid of architecture-centric concernanalysis (ACCA) methods analogous to causal analysis methods for software defects. A concern is any aspect of an architecture considered undesirable. This paper describes an ACCA method which uses at its core a Concern Traceability map (CT-map) that captures architectural design decisions starting from software requirements and links them to identified architectural concerns. The CT-map essentially forms a net of design decisions, sandwiched between requirements and architectural concerns. Analysis of the root causes of a concern is then conducted on the CT-map. The ACCA method is empirically validated through a case study on a sizeable architecture of a banking application.