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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 1-2 Tage | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 1-4 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | 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 |
Tags1 shared | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality |
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