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| Criterion |  Engineering Golden Path |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Tage Setup, laufend | 1-3 h | 1-2 Tage | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | 1-4 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Golden Path Guide, Templates, Quality Checks | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | EngineeringProductivityGovernance | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |