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| Criterion |  Architecture C4 Model |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. | 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 | High | High |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 2-6 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 1-5 | 3-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | 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 |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality |
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