Component: a software package that can be independently replaced. It both provides and requires and services based on specified interfaces.
Abstract component-conceptual representation of a component.
Concrete component-actual component file.
Connectors model: communication among components; rules that govern those communications
Configurations: connected graph of components and connectors that describes architectural structure
Why is reuse important? reduced development time and cost; improved reliability and quality; potential for a reusable component marketplace
Interfaces in Java: a list of methods with input/output types; classes implement interfaces using implements; used to define what a class is to do
UML2 provides two kinds of connectors: delegation connectors; assembly connectors
Assembly connectors: connection between two components