Reviewing Aerospace Proposals with respect to Software Architecture

One of the most difficult aspects of evaluating competing software architectures is the lack of a basis of comparison. More often than not, software architecture document formats, modeling techniques, and descriptions are so different from one supplier to the next that a direct comparison is virtually impossible. Furthermore, these architecture descriptions may have varying degrees of completeness, making it even more difficult to select the best alternative. However, reviewers are given insight into the stage of development and maturity of the software architecture based on the specificity of the documentation as well as the level of abstraction of the design artifacts that comprise each supplier's architecture. By organizing the information contained within the architecture documentation into a standard form, reviewers are enabled to compare seemingly disparate architectures. This paper outlines a method for organizing and then evaluating the information contained within competing software architecture descriptions that helps alleviate some of these difficulties. The information organization technique and subsequent analysis are demonstrated on the 4D/RCS reference architecture for intelligent control systems.