Layered Architectures. A layered architecture is made up of stacked software element levels that
are akin to floors in a building. Each of these layers presents a component that offers distinguishable
functionality and partakes in the overall execution of a system. Thus, a layered architecture is
a hierarchical structure that encapsulates different levels of system abstractions.1 This formation
method also enables efficient partitioning of a system into components, and subtasks to attain
greater reusability of each individual layer. Allen Newell??™s 1987 publication Unified Theories
of Cognition argues that layers, which are hierarchical collections of components, must interact
and thus collaborate to produce behaviors at a system level.2 Newell also shares Herb Simons??™
180 Ch. 9 Business Architecture Contextual Perspectives
Core Products Perspective
Layered Architectures
Distributed Architectures
Infrastructure and Middleware Architectures
EXHIBIT 9.3 CORE PRODUCT PERSPECTIVE WITH TYPICAL ENABLING TECHNICAL ARCHITECTURES
claims??”published in 1962, in a research paper called ???Analysis of Hierarchies Studies?????”that
stability dictates that systems must be hierarchical.3 Therefore, a layered architecture is composed
of various interacting levels that permit system solidity and continuity, enable flexible decomposition
of components, and facilitate agile computing environments.
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