IT Infrastructure Architecture

Infrastructure Building Blocks

and Concepts

Introduction to Non-functional attributes

(chapter 3)
 Introduction
• Non-functional attributes describe the qualitative behavior of a system, rather than
specific functionalities.
• Security, performance, and availability are the most important non-functional
attributes.
 NFRs
• The name “Non-functional attributes” suggests they have no function, but they are very
important for the successful implementation and use of an IT infrastructure.
• In projects, they rarely get the same attention as the functional services.
• The term non-functional requirements or NFRs is frequently used and widely known.
• The acceptance of a system is largely dependent on the implemented non-functional
requirements. For instance:
– A website can be very beautiful and functional, but if loading the site (performance, a non-
functional requirement) takes 30 seconds, most customers are gone!
 Conflicting NFRs
• Many of the non-functional attributes of an application are delivered by the
infrastructure.
• It is not unusual to have conflicting non-functional requirements in a system:
– Security versus user friendliness
– Performance versus cost
• The infrastructure architect should present stakeholders with these conflicting
requirements and their consequences, so they can make well informed decisions.