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| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Architecture C4 Model |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-4 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 1-5 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
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 | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality |
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