Architecture as Decision Management¶

Architecture is the set of decisions that are hard to change; the architect's job is to identify, make, and record these decisions while deferring those that need not be made yet

Tension Addressed¶

Anticipation vs. YAGNI

Recognizable As¶

Architecture Decision Records (ADRs); technology choices with rationale; documented trade-offs; reversible vs. irreversible decision classification; "the decisions that keep you up at night"

Canonical Sources¶

Tyree & Akerman, "Architecture Decisions: Demystifying Architecture" (2005); Nygard, "Documenting Architecture Decisions" (2011)

Transfers To¶

Project Management (decision logs), Strategic Planning (strategic choices), Legal Contracts (binding commitments), Personal Finance (irreversible investments)

Sub-concepts: - Technical Debt: Deferred decisions or shortcuts that accrue interest - Reversibility: The cost to undo a decision determines how carefully to make it - Last Responsible Moment: Defer decisions until cost of deferral exceeds cost of decision