Tradeoff-based architecting of the software system for autonomous robotized open pit mining

Abstract

This paper presents the architectural solution for a mission-critical, software intensive, large-scale software product intended for autonomous robotized open pit mining. The idea is to establish a stable architecture as early as possible. Therewith, the core concern is providing resilient communication between the client and the developer parties. The key issue is aligning functional requirements with the constraints of both technical and business nature. Although software engineering provides a number of frameworks, a few are really suitable for such an alignment and resilience. For this reason, we suggest a carefully selected blend of tradeoff-centered analysis and optimization methods, including ATAM and ACDM from CMU/SEI and our own enterprise architecture matrix-based approach. Based on the approach suggested, we identify and prioritize the mission-critical quality attributes required for the software product to be built, and describe the architecture in terms of components and connectors as prescribed by the SWEBOK software engineering standard. In addition, based on the product scale and scope, we recommend the high-level architecture patterns for the future system, such as layers, pipelines, and microservices.