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Selected:Fault IsolationATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Assumption MappingLASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)
| Criterion |  Engineering Fault Isolation |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |  Architecture LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | When assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. | LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-180 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 45-60 min | 3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 2-8 | 1 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Fault Isolation Map, Test Log, Excluded Hypotheses, Narrowed Fault Area | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking | Lean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checks |
Tagsno overlap | TroubleshootingDiagnosisEngineering | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation | ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean |