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| Criterion |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | 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. | 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 | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-4 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |
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