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Selected:Views and BeyondChange AnalysisArchitecture Decision RecordSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)
| Criterion |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Operations Change Analysis |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | For a deviation after a change, the method isolates the influence of the altered condition. It narrows down which differences are relevant and which are just accompanying noise. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Tage | 45-120 min | 15-45 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 2-6 | 1-3 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | 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 |
Tagsno overlap | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality |