Choosing/ Evaluating a Software Architecture - ATAM

In software engineering, ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) is a risk-mitigation process used early in the software development life cycle.

Its purpose is to help choose a suitable architecture for a software system by discovering trade-offs and sensitivity points.

ATAM is most beneficial when done early in the software development life-cycle, when the cost of changing architectures is minimal.

Useful Links: -
http://www.sei.cmu.edu/architecture/ata_method.html
http://www.softwarearchitectures.com/go/Discipline/EvaluatingArchitecture/ATAM/tabid/67/Default.aspx