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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Fault Tree AnalysisBarrier AnalysisFailure Mode and Effects Analysis
| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Operations Fault Tree Analysis |  Operations Barrier Analysis |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects 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. | For a critical top event with several possible triggers, the method logically models failure paths. It makes visible which combinations of conditions can lead to damage. | For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 2-6 h | 2-4 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-8 | 2-6 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | 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 | Fault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control Actions | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | RiskRoot causeSafety | Root causeSafetyIncident | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |