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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Request for CommentsSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Architecture Decision Record
| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Architecture Request for Comments |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-20 Reviewer | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async | 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 | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | 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 | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tags1 shared | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |