scope:

This recommended practice addresses the architectural description of software-intensive systems. A software-intensive system is any system where software contributes essential influences to the design, construction, deployment, and evolution of the system as a whole. The scope of this recommended practice encompasses those products of system development that capture architectural information. This includes architectural descriptions that are used for the following: a) Expression of the system and its evolution b) Communication among the system stakeholders c) Evaluation and comparison of architectures in a consistent manner d) Planning, managing, and executing the activities of system development e) Expression of the persistent characteristics and supporting principles of a system to guide acceptable change f) Verification of a system implementation's compliance with an architectural description g) Recording contributions to the body of knowledge of software-intensive systems architecture.