The following are notes from the book "The Art of Systems Architecting"
| By Mark W.Maier and Eberhardt Rechtin
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Heuristics
- Do not assume that the original statement of the problem is necessarily the best, or even the right one.
- In partitioning choose the elements so that they are independant as
possible; that is, choose elements with low external complexity and
high internal complexity. - The eye is the finest architect. Believe it. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.
- Build in and maintain options as long as possible in the design and implementation of complex systems. You will need them.
For a heuristic to be selected, the following must be true.
- The heuristic must make sense in the original problem domain, and shoud
show a direct effect between cause and effect; it should reflect the
success or failure of a system. - The heuristic should be useful in solving more than the original problem.
- The heuristic should be easily rationalized in less than 5 minutes.
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Architecture process:-
- Orientation (More Business , less technical).
- Orientation is purpose analysis , problem structuring , solution structuring, harmonizing and selection-abstraction.
- Purpose analysis is a broad based study of why the capability or system of interest has value?
- Value Model - an explicit model of the most important stakeholder's preferences.
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Also discover new heuristics from technical journals, books, project reports, management treatises and conversations.
| Generating heuristics:-
- Humor in heuristic.
- Use words that transmit the :thrill of insight" to the eye of the holder.
- For maximum effect try descriptive and prescriptive messages.
- Do not create a heuristic where it only has meaning to its creator.
- Rather than creating conditional heuristic, rather create one, where it analyzes the conditional statement.
Applying Heuristic:-
- If it works, then it is useful.
- Knowing when and how is as important as what and why.
- When applied early to the solution space it is best.
- Too much of a good thing make make it worse, strive for a balance.
- Practice. Practice. Practice.
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