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Quality attributes describe non-functional requirements such as performance, security, or maintainability and provide qualitative criteria for architectural decisions. They enable prioritization and trade-off analysis by defining measurable expectations and target states. In design, they drive trade-offs and inform testing and monitoring objectives.
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Quality attributes are evaluable system properties such as performance, security, modifiability, or reliability that shape architectural decisions.
The term comes from software and systems architecture, where quality requirements complement functional requirements. Models such as ISO/IEC 25010 organize these properties for software-product evaluation.
State an attribute as a scenario: under which load or threat should which behavior occur, with what measure and threshold? Then choose architectural tactics and test their effect. Attributes create trade-offs—such as security versus usability or consistency versus latency—so they must be prioritized.
Stimulus, context, expected response, and a measure make a quality goal testable.
Quality goals often compete for the same resources and therefore require explicit balancing.
A prioritized quality goal influences system structure, technology, and operational mechanisms.
Quality attributes turn vague expectations such as “fast” or “secure” into architecture and acceptance criteria. They describe properties, not concrete functions or automatically achieved quality.
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