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System design and the cost of architectural complexity

Author(s)

Sturtevant, Daniel Joseph
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division.

Advisor

Alan D. MacCormack.

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M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from
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format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for
inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

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Abstract

Many modern systems are so large that no one truly understands how
they work. It is well known in the engineering community that
architectural patterns (including hierarchies, modules, and
abstraction layers) should be used in design because they play an
important role in controlling complexity. These patterns make a
system easier to evolve and keep its separate portions within the
bounds of human understanding so that distributed teams can operate
independently while jointly fashioning a coherent whole. This study
set out to measure the link between architectural complexity (the
complexity that arises within a system due to a lack or breakdown of
hierarchy or modularity) and a variety of costs incurred by a
development organization. A study was conducted within a successful
software firm. Measures of architectural complexity were taken from
eight versions of their product using techniques recently developed
by MacCormack, Baldwin, and Rusnak. Significant cost drivers
including defect density, developer productivity, and staff turnover
were measured as well. The link between cost and complexity was
explored using a variety of statistical techniques. Within this
research setting, we found that differences in architectural
complexity could account for 50% drops in productivity, three-fold
increases in defect density, and order-of-magnitude increases in
staff turnover. Using the techniques developed in this thesis, it
should be possible for firms to estimate the financial cost of their
complexity by assigning a monetary value to the decreased
productivity, increased defect density, and increased turnover it
causes. As a result, it should be possible for firms to more
accurately estimate the potential dollar-value of refactoring efforts
aimed at improving architecture.

Description

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering
Systems Division, 2013.
 
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
 
Includes bibliographical references (p. 159-166).
 

Date issued

2013

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/79551

Department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division

Publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Keywords

Engineering Systems Division.
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