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Selected:Request for CommentsRoot Cause AnalysisRoot Cause Tree AnalysisArchitecture Decision Record
| Criterion |  Architecture Request for Comments |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | 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. | 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 | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | 1-4 h | 1-3 h | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-20 Reviewer | 3-8 | 2-8 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async |
Outputdifferent | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |