Engineer Architecture study plan

Explain the difference between architecture and design, and classify five real systems by their architectural style (layered, event-driven, microservices, pipeline, service-oriented).

Compare at least six design principles (separation of concerns, single responsibility, information hiding, coupling/cohesion, abstraction, dependency inversion) and state the trade-off each makes.

Draw a context and component diagram for a familiar system and label where each principle is applied or violated.

Identify three architectural drivers (constraints, quality goals, stakeholder concerns) for a sample system and rank them by influence.

Create UML-compliant structural views (class, component, deployment) for a case study and justify element choices.

Model behavioral views (sequence, activity, state machine) that trace a primary use case end to end.

Apply a modeling viewpoint framework (e.g., logical, process, development, physical) and explain which stakeholder each view serves.

Review a peer-style model for ambiguity and correct at least three notation or consistency errors.

Elicit and write at least eight functional requirements and four non-functional requirements in testable form (given/when/then or measurable criteria).

Build a stakeholder map identifying power, interest, and concerns for at least six stakeholder groups.

Trace each requirement to a design element and flag two requirements that conflict.

Prioritize requirements using MoSCoW or a value/effort matrix and defend the ordering.

Define measurable scenarios for at least five quality attributes (performance, availability, security, modifiability, usability) using stimulus-response format.

Convert three vague NFRs into quantified targets with acceptance thresholds.

Analyze how two tactics (e.g., redundancy vs. caching) affect multiple quality attributes and state the trade-off.

Map quality attributes to architectural patterns that support or hinder them.

Compare REST, messaging, and RPC integration styles on coupling, latency, and failure behavior.

Design interface contracts for two services, including versioning, error handling, and idempotency rules.

Identify three interoperability risks (data format, protocol mismatch, semantic drift) and propose mitigations.

Diagram an integration flow showing synchronous and asynchronous boundaries.

Run a lightweight architecture evaluation (ATAM-style or scenario-based) on your week 2 model and record at least four risks and three sensitivity points.

Construct a trade-off matrix comparing two candidate architectures against weighted quality attributes.

Identify architectural debt and rank items by impact and remediation cost.

Write a recommendation memo defending one architecture choice against alternatives.

Produce an architecture decision record (ADR) set with at least four decisions, context, alternatives, and consequences.

Draft a documentation outline following a recognized view-based structure (e.g., views-and-beyond) and justify section choices.

Define two governance checkpoints (design review, compliance gate) with entry and exit criteria.

Audit your week 1–6 artifacts for consistency and correct at least two documentation gaps.

Map architecture decisions to deployment and operational concerns (CI/CD, observability, rollback, capacity) for one system.

Explain how architecture supports incident response and at least three operational runbook items.

Analyze two ethical scenarios (conflict of interest, data privacy, accessibility) using a professional code of ethics and state a defensible course of action.

Deliver a 10-minute architecture briefing to a non-technical stakeholder and handle three anticipated objections.