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| Criterion |  Architecture Request for Comments |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Architecture C4 Model |  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. | 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. | 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. | 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 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | 1-3 Tage | 1-4 h | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-20 Reviewer | 1-4 | 1-5 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tags1 shared | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |