Software architecture evaluation panel

Software architectural evaluation, while still in its infancy as a discipline, promises large dividends. It is important to be able to determine the quality characteristics of a system-properties like modifiability, reliability and performance-before the system is built. This kind of analysis can help to evaluate a design or to choose among competing designs. The objective is to discuss what can be evaluated, and to identify the current state of the art in architectural evaluation. For example, the authors would like to identify quality attributes that can be quantitatively characterized, measured, or only intuitively reviewed and evaluated. They also attempt to identify a number of pressing research goals motivated by the needs of industry.