A Checking Method of Architecture Engineering Kernel States for Large-scale and Complex Information System

To facilitate architecture development of largescale and complex systems, we have proposed an architecture engineering methodology and defined seven kernels of architecture engineering (i.e., opportunity, Stakeholder, Need, Architecture, Team, Work and Way-of-Working) which must be considered during the process of developing an architecture. Each kernel has five or six different states that can indicate the progress and health of architecture development. To further improve practicability of the defined seven kernels and their 36 states in architecture development, a reference guide is suggested based on our engineering experience in practice, which contains more than 100 items helping to check kernel states and move them forward. Using the reference guide, we conducted an application of architecture development of a complex business information system. Results show that the proposed guide can be effectively used to help architecture engineers to determine and push on the state of architecture development. Architecture development can be proceeded clearly, timely and smoothly. Moreover, all the team members can work well together.