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Selected:Architecture Decision RecordViews and BeyondSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Change Analysis
| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Operations Change Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Views and Beyond organizes architecture into several views so no single diagram has to do everything at once. This makes it possible to choose the representation that fits the stakeholder's question. | SAAM helps teams judge an architecture’s suitability for selected tasks and changes. It is particularly useful for examining modifiability and comparing architecture alternatives with clear reasoning. | For a deviation after a change, the method isolates the influence of the altered condition. It narrows down which differences are relevant and which are just accompanying noise. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 1-3 Tage | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 45-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 1-4 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Domain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternatives | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison |