Software ArchitectureAtlas

Software Architecture Atlas

Gain an overview. Understand the connections.

Chapter III · Area 12 of 12

Documentation & communication

The Question for Our ShopHow does the team record why the shop remains a modular monolith?

Here you will find formats for comprehensible architectural images and comprehensible decisions.

6 Building blocks

Starting hereArchitecture Decision Record

Three questions for every architectural description

  1. Why was this decided, and what remains open?

    Justify

    An ADR records why the shop remains a modular monolith; an open restore risk gets an owner and a check.

  2. What does the system look like?

    Show

    The container view shows the shop application and database; a sequence diagram shows reservation, payment P-731 and confirmation of B-1042.

  3. Where is everything documented together?

    Organise

    arc42 ties the goal for order confirmations to the payment flow, rollout, the ADR on module structure and the open restore risk.

Known names – and where they are

How does the team record why the shop remains a modular monolith? An ADR states the context, reasons and consequences of the decision. arc42 refers to it, and the container view shows the shop application and database.Architecture Decision Record

This is how the building blocks hang together

ADRs document decisions, C4 explains the static structure, sequence diagrams show flows and deployment views show the mapping to runtime environments. arc42 organises this content; a risk log records open uncertainties and next checks.

Templatearc42arc42 organizes requirements, views, decisions and risks in an architecture description.ArtifactArchitecture Decision Recordrecords the context, reasons and consequences of an architectural decisionModelC4 modelprovides structure views at graduated levels of abstractionArtifactSequence diagramshows the order and branches of a runtime interactionArtifactDeployment viewmaps building blocks to the nodes and connections of their runtime environmentActivityCommunicate riskslinks open uncertainties to consequences, owners and checks
Relations: Architecture Decision Record records the context, reasons and consequences of an architectural decision; C4 model provides structure views at graduated levels of abstraction; Sequence diagram shows the order and branches of a runtime interaction; Deployment view maps building blocks to the nodes and connections of their runtime environment; Communicate risks links open uncertainties to consequences, owners and checks.

Your learning path through the area

Here you clarify how the team records why the shop remains a modular monolith. From this you derive decision notes, structure diagrams and a shared description. Each building block shows its theme at our shop.

  1. Architecture Decision Record

    Why

    This is what you learnYou can complete an ADR with context, compared architecture variants, reasons for choice and technical consequences.

    In the shopThe shop must develop and operate order, payment and shipping logic. The team decides between modular application and independently provided services.

    Architecture Decision Record Open

  2. C4 model

    Diagrams

    This is what you learnYou can select the C4 level to match the question and display the system boundary, containers and responsibilities in a readable manner.

    In the shopThe shop is a system with browsers, an external payment provider and a shop application. A container view shows the shop application and database; only the component level breaks the application into modules.

    C4 model Open

  3. Sequence diagram

    Diagrams

    This is what you learnYou can display messages in time order and add an error path with its visible system state.

    In the shopThe shop reserves an order, authorizes the payment and then confirms the order. If the answer is lost, he asks for the existing payment status.

    Sequence diagram Open

  4. Deployment view

    Diagrams

    This is what you learnYou can assign application, runtime nodes, data storage, and external dependencies to a distribution view.

    In the shopThe modular shop runs as an application on two instances and uses a managed database. The payment connection leads to an external provider.

    Deployment view Open

  5. arc42

    Structure

    This is what you learnYou can connect arc42 sections so that quality goals, views, decisions, and risks point to each other.

    In the shopThe shop documentation links the destination for order confirmations with payment expiration, rollout, ADR to the module structure and an open restore risk.

    arc42 Open

  6. Communicate risks

    Why

    This is what you learnYou can document a risk with cause, event, effect, responsible and next step of the test.

    In the shopThe team knows that order backups exist, but has not yet tested the restore with payment reconciliation in practice.

    Communicate risks Open

Thinking ahead

These areas are technically directly related to Documentation & communication together.

Chapter I · Area 01Fundamentals & orientationThe architecture views and roles from the fundamentals determine the audience and purpose of the documentation.Open area Chapter II · Area 05Styles & patternsArchitectural styles supply the terms used to describe structure and relationships.Open area From practiceOne order, two systemsHow a business change connects data, messages and error handling.Opening up the scenario