Software Architect / Tech Lead · Projects
Capstone: RasoiRoute, decided, moved and standardised
Marking guide version 1 · Lessons: AR7 lessons 1–5, AR9 lessons 1–5, AR10 lessons 1 and 5
The problem and who it's for
RasoiRoute is planning its next quarter and wants to hand the architecture work to a new lead. They need to see that the decision, the extraction and the standards all work together, how to set up and run every check, an honest view of the technical debt that remains, a realistic estimate for the next quarter, and a plan for leading the team.
Scope
- The three projects together in one kit, with all 28 tests passing in the same run.
- Design notes: a technical debt register, one stack choice, an estimate for the next quarter, and leading the team.
- A recorded demo that includes the service stopped, an order still succeeding and the outbox drained.
- Three short case studies and a self-review against this guide.
Not included
- Deploying to a real cloud, or connecting a real message or payment provider (the design notes can plan them; mark them not verified).
- Real company or customer data of any kind.
Before you start
- Projects 1, 2 and 3 complete, each with its self-check saved.
Starter files
capstone/demo-script.md: a suggested 10 to 15 minute demo.capstone/case-study-template.md: headings for each case study.capstone/design-notes-template.md: headings for the four design notes.
Download everything at once: starter/architect-starter.zip.
Milestones
- Run
npm testonce. - Fix anything that broke when the projects came together, and run them all again.
- Write the design notes from the template, marking anything you didn't try as "not verified".
- Write the README section "How to set up and check RasoiRoute" for the next lead.
- Record the demo following the script.
- Write the three case studies, labelling every figure as practice-kit data or illustrative.
Expected outputs
- In one run:
npm testwith 28 of 28 passing (8 decision, 10 extraction, 10 standards). - A demo recording of 10 to 15 minutes.
- Design notes, three case studies and a self-review.
Acceptance tests
| # | Input | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | npm test |
28 of 28 pass in the same run |
| 2 | Your README, given to a friend with Node.js installed | They can set up the kit, start the monolith and the notify service, and run every check without your help |
| 3 | Design notes | A debt register of at least five items with interest, cost and priority, and the two you'd pay down; one stack choice as a short ADR; three-point estimates with a total range and assumptions; a plain-language summary for the owners, a mentoring plan for one engineer by ID, and how the team will own the standards; anything untried marked "not verified" |
| 4 | Case studies | Each has a problem, a before and after, results and at least one honest limit, with every figure labelled as practice-kit data or illustrative |
Failure and recovery exercises
- In the demo, stop the notify service with the flag at 100%, place an order, start the service and drain the outbox, showing one message per order. Then explain how you'd tell the kitchens what happened.
Evidence to submit
- The deliverable link to the repository or folder with the finished kit, README, design notes and case studies.
- The output of
npm testfrom one run. - The demo recording link.
- Your self-review against this guide, with "not verified" for anything you couldn't try (for example a real message provider, a cloud deployment, real traffic, Windows or macOS).
Marking guide and self-check
Pass rule: every Safety-critical (S) and Mandatory (M) item must be met. A single unmet safety item means the capstone is not complete. Quality items are for your own improvement.
Your answers are saved in this browser on this device. Self-checked means you checked your own work against this guide; it is not a reviewer's approval. Never paste passwords, keys, tokens or real customer data here.