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Criterion
Paper illustration of a Concept Map with concepts and labelled links
Knowledge Modeling
Concept Mapping
Paper illustration for Fault Isolation.
Engineering
Fault Isolation
Paper illustration with architecture components and concrete change tasks for comparison.
Architecture
SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)
Paper illustration for Hypothesis-Driven Troubleshooting.
Engineering
Hypothesis-Driven Troubleshooting
Purposedifferent
Concept Mapping arranges terms and relationships in a network that makes subject-matter connections tangible. It fits when a topic needs to be understood structurally rather than linearly.In technical failures, the visible symptom often gets mixed up with the actual cause. Fault Isolation narrows the fault space and progressively reduces which part of the system is truly affected.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.When systems fail unexpectedly, spontaneous attempts often produce more noise than insight. Hypothesis-driven Troubleshooting translates symptoms into testable assumptions and makes troubleshooting learnable.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumHighMedium
Timedifferent
1-2 h30-180 minPreparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope30-240 min
Participantsdifferent
1-81-6Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting1-6
Formatsame
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Concept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge GapsFault Isolation Map, Test Log, Excluded Hypotheses, Narrowed Fault AreaDomain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternativesHypothesis Log, Test Plan, Evidence Notes, Diagnosis Summary
Tagsno overlap
KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking
TroubleshootingDiagnosisEngineering
ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality
TroubleshootingProblem solvingDiagnosis
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