Software Engineering

10.2.8 
Data Store
A data store is a repository that retains digital data and supports data preservation 
or persistence. Data stores support data storage and retrieval functions that involve 
transactions to search and manipulate data records. Issues surrounding data store 
transactions that affect software performance include data store availability, trans-
action processing and rollback, data model definition, data security and access con-
trol, and database query optimization.
10.3 
Conceiving the functional architecture
The functional architecture involves answering the question, “What functions 
(data processing tasks) must the software product perform to satisfy the specified 
software requirements?” This is a process of exploring the solution space from 
available information without addressing the structural arrangement of modules, 
subroutines, objects, or other physical forms of software delineation. This should 
be achieved by establishing successive layers of refinement or decomposition of 
functional, data, and control flows, which results in two necessary perspectives: the 
functional hierarchy and the behavioral models.
The behavioral model provides a more precise description of the software func-
tionality than the functional hierarchy. Complex functions identified in the behav-
ioral model should be decomposed into individual models that describe how each 
function should be performed. The decomposition of functions from a behavioral 
perspective can be used to generate the functional hierarchy. However, it is not nec-
essary to begin functional analysis activity with the behavioral modeling practice. 
Functions derived from the software requirements can be methodically decom-
posed to create the functional hierarchy before analyzing functional behaviors. The 
two practices—decomposition and behavioral modeling—are complementary and 
should be applied to explicitly describe the functional solution.
The approach to preparing the functional architecture involves five steps:
1. 
Derive the primary functions.
 The software requirements must be analyzed to 
identify the primary functions the software product must perform. Since the 

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