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| Criterion |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Engineering Goal Question Metric |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | Helps clarify technical problems, hypotheses, and next steps in concrete terms. It breaks a technical problem into testable parts. The result is captured as a GQM table and metric briefs. | The Architecture Inception Canvas bundles the first architecture questions into a compact decision picture. It fits when an initiative is still in motion but still needs clear guardrails. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 15-45 min | 90-180 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 1-3 | 3-6 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | GQM Table, Metric Profiles | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | MetricsMeasurementEngineeringAlignment | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |