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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Views and BeyondArchitecture Decision Recordarc42
| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Views and Beyond organizes architecture into several views so no single diagram has to do everything at once. This makes it possible to choose the representation that fits the stakeholder's question. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-3 Tage | 15-45 min | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-4 | 1-3 | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | 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 | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tags1 shared | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |