Chapter Summary

• Software architecture is focused on the big picture.

• The structure of the team and the structure of the system are inevitably intertwined.

• Architecture concerns both technical and nontechnical issues.

• Key reasons why architecture determines success include:

  - Longevity: The typical architecture will outlast the team that created it.

  - Stability: Stable architectures provide the foundation for features and profits.

  - Competitive advantage: Great architectures create sustainable competitive advantage.

  - Architectural patterns provide excellent places to begin when creating a new architecture.

• Architecture evolves through features and capabilities. A feature defines something that a product does or should do. A capability refers to the underlying architecture's ability to support a related set of features.

• Architectures, like gardens, require care and feeding.

• Be wary of anyone who claims they are an architect after just one release.