Contents.

Any requirement that constrains software architects in their freedom of design decisions or the development process.

Motivation.

Architects should know exactly where they are free in their design decisions and where they must adhere to constraints. Constraints must always be dealt with; they may be negotiable, though.

Form.

Informal lists, structured by the sub-sections of this section.

Examples.

see subsections

Background information.

In the optimal case constraints are defined by requirements. In any case, at least the architects must be aware of constraints. The influence of constraints is described by [Hofmeister et al] (Software Architecture, A Practical Guide, Addison Wesley 1999) using the term “global analysis”.

Contents.

List all technical constraints in this section. This category covers hard- and software infrastructure, applied technologies (operating systems, middleware, databases, programming languages, …).

List of Technical Constraints

Technical Constraints
Hardware Constraints
C1	insert description here
C2	insert description here
C3	insert description here
Software Constraints
C4	insert description here
C5	insert description here
C6	insert description here
Operating System Constraints
C7	insert description here
C8	insert description here
C9	insert description here
Programming Constraints
C10	insert description here
C11	insert description here
C12	insert description here

Contents.

Enter all organizational, structural, and resource-related constraints. This category also covers standards and legal constraints that you must comply with.

List of Organizational Constraints

Organizational Constraints
Organization and Structure
C1	insert description here
C2	insert description here
Resources (Budget, Time, Personnel)
C3	insert description here
C4	insert description here
Organizational Standards
C5	insert description here
C6	insert description here
Legal Factors
C7	insert description here
C8	insert description here

Contents.

List all conventions that are relevant for the development of your software architecture.

Form.

Either insert the conventions directly in this document or refer to other documents.

• Coding guidelines
• Documentation guidelines
• Guidelines for version and configuration management
• Naming conventions