Task 19 : software architecture

This document will cover the software architecture of the current WebPA system in use at Loughborough University. Within the document, the definition of the term software architecture is covered, as it has various meanings dependant on which angle is taken. The architecture description language is also identified. This will be used in the rest of the document to aid in the understanding of the different software architectures described. In order for the reader to understand this document they will need to have some familiarity with the concept of software architecture. Time has been taken to explain the concept and the main areas of software architecture that will be covered within this document. In order to read and understand the diagrams used to describe the software architecture it is useful for the reader to understand the main elements of UML. The constructs of UML will not be examined and are beyond the scope of this document. However, all efforts have been made to explain the diagrams to the user.