1. Assignment Aims

ATLAS is a general-purpose particle physics experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. The ATLAS@CERN detector consists of six different detecting subsystems wrapped concentrically in layers around the collision point to record the trajectory, momentum, and energy of particles, allowing them to be individually identified and measured. Beams of particles travelling at energies up to thirteen trillion electron-volts (TeV) from the LHC collide at the centre of the ATLAS detector producing collision debris in the form of new particles which fly out in all directions. Over a billion particle interactions take place in the ATLAS detector every second.

ATLAS records over 10,000 TB of data per year which is filtered according to the needs of individual physics analyses. The ATLAS computing infrastructure uses custom software that converts the raw signals from the detector into information that physicists can study. By piecing together individual detector signals, the software is  able to reconstruct the paths of particles, identify their particle type (e.g. electrons or muons) and much more.

Acts Common Tracking Software (ACTS) is an experiment-independent toolkit for [charged] particle track reconstruction in high-energy physics experiments implemented in modern C++ that can be used for any tracking detector. The aim of this assignment is to model the software architecture, i.e. functional, nonfunctional, and constraints of ACTS. This assignment will allow students:

.    To  demonstrate their knowledge and skills in applying software architecture methods and techniques to a problem domain.

.    To  understand the significant role that requirements and models play in the design of software systems.

.    To  compare different approaches to software architecture modelling using a variety of modelling techniques

.    To encourage students to demonstrate and explain their work to others.

2.  Models:

.    Model 1: C4 (Context, Container, Component, Code)

.    Model 2: 4+1 Use case diagram plus the most appropriate view and diagram(s) to represent the software architecture.

.    Model 3: Architectural style (Select the most appropriate style and provide a rationale and justification for your choice)

i.      All models must conform to strict notation.

ii.      Draw the models using a standard modelling package of your choice i.e. Visual Paradigm, MS Visio, MS Visual Studio, OmniGraffle etc.

a.  NB: MS Word and MS PowerPoint are ‘not’ modelling tools.

3.  A [critical] comparative analysis of the [general] architectural modelling

approaches, i.e. UML, SysML etc. Presentation:

.     In addition to the report, you will be required to give a [ 10-minute presentation] linking   the   core  theory    introduced   through    the   sessions   and    reading assignments  to  the   practice  and  application  of  software   architecture  and modelling.

.     In  addition,  students  are  required  to  [reflect]  on  the  legal,  ethical,  social, professional, equality, diversity, and inclusivity issues.

.    Without exception, all  presentations will be  [live] and presented to the whole class during timetabled sessions.

.    Presentations will  begin in week  10 of the term and will  be completed by the last session.