Architectural longevity is a frequently desired and rarely achieved goal of many simulation and training systems. Requiring attention to detail with respect to openness, modularity, reliability, performance, scalability, interoperability, and maintainability, addressing architectural longevity from the onset of a project offers potential for significant tangible and intangible benefits. The inevitability of requirements changes, technology evolution, emerging standards, and funding changes further complicates architecture longevity. Investing a relatively small effort to establish an architectural assessment framework from project start can yield a significant savings while also providing an environment for informed decision-making by the collective development team.

The Software Engineering Institute offers several general techniques for assessing software and system architectures. Tailoring these techniques to the unique aspects of the military simulation and training community opens the potential for improving training, enhancing analysis, and reducing support costs for delivered systems. This paper offers a summary of methods for architectural assessment, lessons learned applying the methods, and a recommended best practice for a new standard methodology for integrating architectural assessment into the military simulation and training community.