Beyond Software Architecture Knowledge Management Tools

Research into architecture decision-making tools has so far been focused on validating the research concepts underlying architectural knowledge management in a practical context, rather than on delivering tools that are suitable for conditions of the real-world software development. At the same time, much research effort has been devoted to the exploration of architects' expectations with regard to architecture decision- making tools. The main idea promoted here is that instead of separate architecture knowledge management tools we need an architecture knowledge management infrastructure that connects producers and consumers of architectural knowledge and easily integrates with tools they use for software development. It should be designed so that it seamlessly integrates with the software development environment. The study of the architecture of such a system reveals important challenges facing academia and the software industry with respect to the popularisation of architecture knowledge management.