Your team is to select a significant software system and perform a case study of the system's architecture. Obviously it behooves you to choose a system where the architecture and its rationale are either directly available or reconstructable from documents, code, etc.
The case study itself will be the focus of presentations during the next-to-last class session [10 team points]. It will be also the focus of the case study reports each student will prepare independently to hand in as part of the team's presentation [5 individual points].
A strong suggestion: Look at the case studies in the book. You will note - especially if you peruse the table of contents - that each study has common initial components followed, in some instances, by case-specific discussions. You should use this common format in both preparing your presentation and in doing your individual writeups..
Listed below are several systems which have enough information available on-line or in publication to provide the basis for a case study. You may select one of these or propose your own system - in the latter case you must provide sufficient information and links for the instructor to determine whether or not the system is appropriate for a case study. In any event, your lab instructor will tell you how he or she will handle the assignment of systems to teams.
Linux (www.linux.org)
Apache server (httpd.apache.org)
Java2 Enterprise Edition (java.sun.com/j2ee)
Microsoft .NET (www.gotdotnet.com & www.microsoft.com/net/)
Eclipse (www.eclipse.org)
ZOPE (www.zope.org)