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| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Architecture C4 Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-2 Tage | 1-3 Tage | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 1-4 | 1-4 | 1-5 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | 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 | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram |
Tags1 shared | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |