1. Performance

Checklist:

• Are performance requirements (e.g., response time, throughput) clearly defined?
• Are there any performance benchmarks or metrics currently in place?
• Is the system designed to handle peak loads?
• Are there mechanisms for load balancing and resource optimization?
• Is caching implemented effectively?
• Are database queries optimized for performance?
• Are there monitoring tools in place for real-time performance analysis?

Questionnaire:

• How does the system perform under peak load conditions?
• What are the current performance bottlenecks, if any?
• How is performance tested and validated?
• How does the system scale under increased load?
• What strategies are used for optimizing resource utilization?
• What are the performance monitoring metrics being monitored and alerted on ?

2. Scalability

Checklist:

• Is the architecture designed to scale horizontally (e.g., adding more servers) and/or vertically (e.g., upgrading existing servers)?
• Are there any limitations to scaling the system?
• Does the system leverage cloud-native features for auto-scaling?
• Are there provisions for scaling the database?
• Can the system scale independently for different components?

Questionnaire:

• What strategies are in place for scaling the system?
• How does the system handle increasing numbers of users or data volume?
• What are the potential bottlenecks when scaling the system?
• How is the performance affected as the system scales?
• How does the architecture support the distribution of workloads across multiple nodes or regions?

3. Security

Checklist:

• Are security requirements (e.g., data protection, access control) clearly defined?
• Is there a robust authentication and authorization mechanism in place?
• Are data encryption protocols implemented for data in transit and at rest?
• Are security practices like regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing performed?
• Is there an incident response plan in place for security breaches?
• Are APIs secured against common vulnerabilities (e.g., OWASP Top 10)?

Questionnaire:

• How is sensitive data protected throughout the system?
• What measures are taken to prevent unauthorized access to the system?
• How are security patches and updates managed?
• What is the process for monitoring and responding to security incidents?
• How does the architecture accommodate security compliance (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA)?

4. Reliability and Availability

Checklist:

• Is the system designed for high availability (e.g., using failover mechanisms, redundancy)?
• Are there SLAs in place defining the required uptime and reliability?
• Are there backup and disaster recovery plans?
• Is there a monitoring system in place to track uptime and reliability?
• Are there automated failover and recovery mechanisms?

Questionnaire:

• What are the main factors that could lead to system downtime?
• How does the system recover from failures?
• What is the expected downtime in case of a failure, and how is it minimized?
• How are backup and recovery processes managed?
• How is system reliability measured and reported?

Failover Mechanisms:

• How are failures detected and handled?
• What is the recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO)?
• is automatic failover implemented?

5. Maintainability

Checklist:

• Is the system modular, with well-defined interfaces between components?
• Is the codebase well-documented and follows coding standards?
• Is there a version control system in place?
• Are there automated tests and CI/CD pipelines?
• Is technical debt tracked and managed?
• Are dependencies well-documented and managed?

Questionnaire:

• How easy is it to make changes to the system without affecting other components?
• How is the system documented, and is it up to date?
• What practices are in place to manage technical debt?
• How are dependencies tracked and updated?

Change Impact Analysis:

• Can the impact of changes be easily assessed?
• Are there mechanisms for automated testing and regression testing?
• How is the system tested after changes are made?

6. Usability

Checklist:

• Is the user interface intuitive and easy to navigate?
• Are there accessibility features in place (e.g., for users with disabilities)?
• Are user feedback and testing incorporated into the design?
• Is there documentation or help resources for end-users?
• Are error messages and system feedback clear and helpful?

Questionnaire:

• How do users interact with the system, and what challenges do they face?
• How is user feedback collected and incorporated?
• What usability testing methods are employed?
• How does the system support different user roles and permissions?
• What measures are taken to ensure accessibility?

7. Compliance and Governance

Checklist:

• Are compliance requirements (e.g., data protection regulations) clearly defined and followed?
• Is there an audit trail for system changes and access?
• Are data retention and disposal policies in place and followed?
• Are there governance processes for managing architectural decisions?
• Is there documentation of all compliance-related activities?

Questionnaire:

• How does the system ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards?
• What processes are in place for auditing and reporting compliance?
• How is data governance managed within the system?
• What measures are in place to handle compliance violations?
• How are changes in regulations managed and implemented?

8. Integration

Checklist:

• Are APIs well-documented and follow industry standards?
• Are there well-defined interfaces for external system integration?
• Is there an integration testing process in place?
• Are data formats and protocols standardized for interoperability?
• Is there a strategy for managing dependencies on third-party services?

Questionnaire:

• How does the system integrate with external systems or services?
• What challenges have been encountered during integration, and how were they resolved?
• How are integration points tested and validated?
• What measures are taken to ensure compatibility with other systems?
• How is data consistency maintained across integrated systems?

9. Modularity and Coupling

Checklist:

• Are components loosely coupled and highly cohesive?
• Is there a clear separation of concerns between different modules?
• Is the system designed to allow independent deployment of modules?
• Are dependencies between modules well-managed and minimized?
• Is the impact of changes in one module isolated from others?

Questionnaire:

• How are modules structured within the system, and what principles guide their design?
• What challenges arise from the coupling between components?
• How does the architecture support independent deployment of modules?
• How are dependencies between modules managed?
• How does the architecture facilitate changes without widespread impact?