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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Causal Factor AnalysisIncident Timeline AnalysisRoot Cause Analysis
| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  DevOps Incident Timeline Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | For an incident with an unclear sequence, the method makes the timeline precisely visible. It separates perception, reaction, and delay so cause and effect become more clearly readable. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 2-6 h | 60-180 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-10 | 3-10 | 3-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Incident Timeline, Evidence Log, Delay Analysis, Improvement Actions | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | IncidentTimelineSite Reliability Engineering | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |