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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Engineering Fault Isolation |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. | In technical failures, the visible symptom often gets mixed up with the actual cause. Fault Isolation narrows the fault space and progressively reduces which part of the system is truly affected. | For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 30-180 min | 1-3 h | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 1-6 | 2-8 | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Fault Isolation Map, Test Log, Excluded Hypotheses, Narrowed Fault Area | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | TroubleshootingDiagnosisEngineering | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |