Software Engineering

10.4 
Documenting the functional architecture
The functional architecture involves a set of software engineering artifacts 
(diagrams, models, and specifications) that must be prepared to document the func-
tional architecture. While many software methodologies prescribe a wide variety 
of diagrams, the number of fragmented representations fails to provide a complete, 
cohesive view of the software architecture. This challenges the ability of stakehold-
ers and members of the software development effort to perceive the “wholeness” of 
the solution.
Two principle representations of the functional architecture are necessary to 
express the entirety of the solution: functional hierarchy and behavioral model. 
In addition, there are four additional representations that support the analysis and 
specification of the functional solution: functional timeline, resource utilization 
profile, functional specifications, and requirement allocation sheets. The following 
subsections describe each of these engineering artifacts in terms of its purpose and 
features.