Some thoughts on the quality of a computer-based system's architecture

This paper suggests quality criteria for a computer based system (CBS) architecture. Using a combination of these criteria, the quality areas of flexibility and interoperability are examined using the IEEE reference model for application portability and systems interoperability. The purpose is to show how to identify, and assess if a CBS architecture meets specific quality criteria. The goal of this work is to understand how the quality of a CBS architecture affects behavior and risk over the CBS life cycle. The paper closes with suggestions for further work.