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| Criterion |  Engineering Golden Path |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When teams need a reliable default path for frequent use, sprawl quickly emerges without any guiding logic. Golden Path bundles the preferred path so good practice becomes easy and deviation becomes deliberate. | 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. | 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. | 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 | Medium | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Tage Setup, laufend | 15-45 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1-3 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Golden Path Guide, Templates, Quality Checks | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | 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 | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | EngineeringProductivityGovernance | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |