DIGEST: Additional Info on SW Design / Architecture - Further Reading

About SW Design / Architecture (and security as well as performance, quality attributes of architectures):

• The VAP info can be found online here (PDF). 

Security topic and the embedded link to the Check List repository:

1. http://silvaonsoftware.blogspot.pt/2016/05/sw-design-security-as-design-quality.html
2. http://silvaonsoftware.blogspot.pt/2016/07/resource-security-is-process.html
3. http://silvaonsoftware.blogspot.pt/2016/08/security-magic-quadrants-for-mss-remote.html
4. Slightly off-topic but equally interesting: http://silvaonsoftware.blogspot.pt/2016/11/security-industrial-control-systems.html

Additional info on Design Patterns, Code Smells, Refactoring (already shown but repeated here for reinforcement or whatever you would like me to call it): 

1. Design patterns: "The index" in Wikipedia is here. 
2. Several books to read, also called "bibles": The GOF book as well as Code Complete 2. 
3. Another interesting resource is sourcemaking.com (Design Patterns, Anti-Patterns and Refactoring / Code Smells).

Performance (but not only) topic:  

• Performance (and architecture that drives/enables this performance): http://www.javaperformancetuning.com/

Software Design: Architecture Specification

Architecture Specification (activity) consists of mainly 3 sub-activities:

1. Define Meta-Architecture Options: Principles, Style, Key Mechanisms; also: select key technologies; specify architectural guidebooks and standards (or identify the external ones to be reused); key mechanisms: coupling control strategy (layers), OOP approach, n-tier approach, layer comm., authentication, authorization, data editing strat., data id. strat., error handling, etc.) 
2. Define Conceptual Architecture: Partition of the system, allocate responsibilities; On some guidance on how to perform the partition of the system (into subsystems / modules) read more at: http://silvaonsoftware.blogspot.com/2016/05/software-design-design-principles-and.html 
3. Define Logical Architecture: Model collaborations, design interfaces

Additional Info on the SW Design Process

The SW Design Process has these 3 main tasks:

1. Architectural Requirements Sub-Activity: Establish architectural relevant requirements - org./functional/non-functional - and this implies: Establish org. goals and constraints, review functional requirements (complement with use cases), review non-functional requirements (associate measurable qualities with use cases) 
2. Architecture Specification Sub-Activity: (this topic)
3. Architecture Validation Sub-Activity: Includes Architecture Peer Reviews, Brainstorming Key Decisions, Reuse, Traceability Matrices.

Further information can be found on your "favorite QMS" and here:
Visual Architecting Process (Web version and PDF).