Sorting Hat

Abstract

Developing large software systems is not trivial, as these systems must satisfy quality attributes such as scalability and maintainability. Therefore, it is important that they have an architecture that favors the fulfillment of these attributes. Understanding the architecture of a software, knowing its structural aspects and patterns, is essential to be able to satisfy the desirable quality requirements. However, there is little support for characterizing and evaluating systems architecture, especially those with service-based architecture. The Sorting Hat is a tool under development that assists in the process of characterizing the architecture of service-based systems.

Since the beginning of 2021, the student has been working on the development of this tool. The development of the Sorting Hat goes in two complementary directions: the visualization and the data collection. During the year of 2021, the student developed a MVP (Minimum Viable Prototype) for the visualization. However, the visualization had some issues related to its usability and user experience, with many context switching due to the large number of viewpoints and deep navigation flow. Also, the metrics the tool had implemented were not up-to-date with the current state of the supporting model, CharM. This final monograph details the implementation of the new version of the Sorting Hat’s visualization and the automated data collection.

Keywords: Software Architecture; Service-Based Systems; Microservices; Characterization of Systems.