Architecture assurance
On this page 9 topics
Overview
Topics
- Design reviews
- testing evidence
- operational acceptance
Learn first
3 h of practice (estimate)
Learning outcomes
- Run design reviews during delivery to catch drift from the approved architecture.
- Define the testing evidence needed for non-functional requirements (performance, security, resilience).
- Specify and verify operational acceptance before go-live.
- Decide go-live readiness from evidence.
Lessons
Lab and exercises
Lab
ARC-042-LAB1 · Larkspur assurance plan
Outcomes: 1–4 · Time: ~3 h
- Define assurance checkpoints across Larkspur delivery with focus, participants, and outputs.
- Create a drift log template and complete it for a provided design-versus-build comparison.
- For each Larkspur NFR, specify the test, the target, and the required evidence.
- Write an operational acceptance checklist (monitoring, alerting, runbooks, backup and restore, support, vendor escalation) with how each item is verified.
- Assess the provided set of test results and write a go, conditional go, or no-go recommendation.
Acceptance: go/no-go recommendation traceable to evidence.
Exercises (case-based; five exercises)
| ID | Outcome | Task |
|---|---|---|
| ARC-042-EX01 | 1 | Phase one runs for five months. Propose four assurance checkpoints and what each reviews. |
| ARC-042-EX02 | 1 | A team has added a cache of customer addresses that is not in the HLD. Classify it, state the options, and write the drift log entry. |
| ARC-042-EX03 | 2 | NFR: "checkout p95 under 2 s at peak". The team provides a load test run at 20% of peak volume with synthetic data. Is the evidence sufficient? State what you would require. |
| ARC-042-EX04 | 3 | Write five operational acceptance checks for the Larkspur platform and how each is verified in practice. |
| ARC-042-EX05 | 4 | Test results: functional pass, performance met, penetration test has one open high finding, restore test not done, rollback not rehearsed. Make a recommendation. |
Show solutions
- EX01 After the first slice (structure and integration style), before ERP and payment integration go live (contracts and failure handling), before pilot (NFR evidence, security findings), before go-live (readiness).
- EX02 Drift, not necessarily bad; options: remove it, or accept via ADR with controls (data classification, retention, access, deletion); log entry with impact on privacy, owner, decision date.
- EX03 Not sufficient: 20% of peak with synthetic data does not show peak behaviour; require peak (or above) volume, realistic data and mix, ERP latency included, p95 reported, tied to the requirement ID.
- EX04 Examples: restore a backup and time it against RTO; trigger an alert and confirm the on-call receives it; run an incident drill with the vendor contact; confirm runbooks followed by someone who did not write them; verify access and permissions for support staff.
- EX05 No-go for now or conditional go only if the high finding is fixed and retested, restore test completed, and rollback rehearsed by named dates; list each against evidence; residual risk accepted by the business owner.
All four outcomes are also covered by the lab acceptance and the quiz.
Workplace evidence: an assurance review or go-live decision you led.
Quiz
Outcomes: O1 design reviews and drift · O2 NFR testing evidence · O3 operational acceptance · O4 go-live decision.
A self-check for you: nothing is graded, saved or sent anywhere. Choose an answer, then check it. You can try again as often as you like.
Practical part
Go/no-go decision review on the Larkspur lab: assurance checkpoints, NFR evidence per requirement, operational acceptance checklist, and a recommendation traceable to the provided test results. Pass: quiz at least 8/10, at least four of five exercises correct, and a lab with a justified recommendation.
Common mistakes
Assurance that ends at design approval; go-live without NFR evidence.
Assessment
Go/no-go decision review.
Workplace evidence
An assurance review or go-live decision you led.
Career relevance
Assurance protects the business after the design is approved.