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| Criterion |  Architecture LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews) |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture C4 Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | Views and Beyond organizes architecture into several views so no single diagram has to do everything at once. This makes it possible to choose the representation that fits the stakeholder's question. | 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. | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional | 1-3 Tage | 1-2 Tage | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people | 1-4 | 1-4 | 1-5 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | 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 | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram |
Tags1 shared | ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |