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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Fault Tree AnalysisFamily Tree AnalysisBarrier Analysis
| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Operations Fault Tree Analysis |  Operations Family Tree Analysis |  Operations Barrier 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 a critical top event with several possible triggers, the method logically models failure paths. It makes visible which combinations of conditions can lead to damage. | For a series of incidents with a similar pattern, the method arranges individual events as branches of a common origin. It makes visible which conditions keep recurring. | For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 2-6 h | 2-4 h | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-8 | 2-6 | 2-6 |
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 | Fault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control Actions | Family Tree Diagram, Pattern Notes, Systemic Measures | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | RiskRoot causeSafety | Root causePatternsIncidentSystemic | Root causeSafetyIncident |