This paper introduces a conceptual, yet quantifiable, architecture frameworkby extending the notion of system modularity in its broadest sense.Acknowledging that modularity is not a binary feature and comes in varioustypes and levels, the proposed framework introduces higher levels of modularitythat naturally incorporate decentralized architecture on the one hand andautonomy in agents and subsystems on the other. This makes the frameworksuitable for modularity decisions in Systems of Systems and for analyzing theimpact of modularity on broader surrounding ecosystems. The stages ofmodularity in the proposed framework are naturally aligned with the level ofvariations and uncertainty in the system and its environment, a relationshipthat is central to the benefits of modularity. The conceptual framework iscomplemented with a decision layer that makes it suitable to be used as acomputational architecture decision tool to determine the appropriate stage andlevel of modularity of a system, for a given profile of variations anduncertainties in its environment. We further argue that the fundamentalsystemic driving forces and trade-offs of moving from monolithic to distributedarchitecture are essentially similar to those for moving from integral tomodular architectures. The spectrum, in conjunction with the decision layer,could guide system architects when selecting appropriate parameters andbuilding a system-specific computational tool from a combination of existingtools and techniques. To demonstrate the applicability of the framework, a casefor fractionated satellite systems based on a simplified demo of the DARPA F6program is presented.
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