Injecting Sustainability in Software Architecture: A Rapid Review

2025-11-27

AI Summary

Sustainable software architecture remains under-integrated into industrial practice due to fragmented knowledge, absence of quantifiable sustainability metrics, and lack of systematic trade-off analysis mechanisms. Method: We employed a mixed-methods approach combining a rapid literature review with industrial focus groups to identify key barriers and enablers of sustainability at the architectural level. Contribution/Results: Grounded in empirical evidence and practitioner insights, we propose five actionable recommendations: (1) formalizing sustainability as a first-class quality attribute; (2) developing a green architectural decision framework; (3) integrating energy-aware modeling and simulation tools; (4) establishing cross-lifecycle sustainability assessment protocols; and (5) defining evolutionary pathways for sustainable architecture adaptation. These contributions bridge the gap between green software engineering research and industrial adoption, offering architects a structured methodology and enabling organizations to implement scalable, architecture-driven sustainability strategies.

Technology Category

• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Agent Architectures
• Application Domains: Software Engineering
• Multiagent Systems: Agent/AI Theories and Architectures

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Sustainability and carbon-aware systems for Web, mobile, and WoT
• Responsible Web: Sustainability and climate impact of web technologies
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Attacks and countermeasures in recommendation systems

Abstract

Sustainability has evolved from an emerging concern into a fundamental responsibility in software design, development, and operation. Research increasingly explores how sustainability can be systematically integrated into existing software engineering practices. Building on an industry-academia collaboration, we contribute to this discourse by conducting a mixed-method empirical study. We combine a rapid review of secondary studies with a focus group of practitioners. The review identifies challenges and opportunities in embedding sustainability in software architecture, while the focus group enriches and compares these findings. Based on the literature and industry synthesis, we derive five tangible takeaways to inform architects working in the field, and to guide our industry partners in the integration of sustainability concerns in architecture practices.

Problem

• Integrating sustainability systematically into software architecture practices
• Identifying challenges and opportunities in embedding sustainability in software design
• Providing actionable takeaways for architects to incorporate sustainability concerns

Innovation

• Mixed-method empirical study combining rapid review
• Focus group enriches findings from literature review
• Derives five tangible takeaways for architects