| Structural complexity of a system architecture has been linked to efficiency, cost, redesign, testing and maintenance efforts. Current research into structural complexity only identifies and/or measures individual characteristics of the overall architecture structural complexity. Through an extensive literature review the commonly identified factors of structural complexity are exposed and defined. Then a measure is assigned to each structural complexity factor to construct a holistic index for system architecture structural complexity. The research then proposes that the structural complexity factor composed of the identified factors provides a holistic assessment of architecture structural complexity that is not currently achieved from one lone factor. The research also proposes that the structural complexity index can quantitatively compare the structural complexity of two similar architectures which is investigated through an eight architecture case study of single board computers. |
