architecture-decisionlisted

# Architecture Decision ## Purpose Make consequential technical choices explicit, evidence-based, traceable, and reversible where possible through an ADR. ## Trigger Run for major architecture/technology choices, meaningful deviations from existing architecture, or when an old decision must be superseded. ## Inputs - Decision question, scope, owner, and urgency. - Validated Requirements, quality attributes, Project Constraints, risks, existing architecture, and target. - Candidate options with operational, security, data, cost, compatibility, and maintenance implications. ## Prerequisites - Confirm the issue is architectural rather than an implementation detail. - Identify who has authority when the decision embodies product preference, budget, organizational policy, or risk acceptance. ## Procedure 1. Define the ADR Context, forces, constraints, affected scope, and decision deadline. 2. Establish evaluation criteria tied to Requirements and quality attributes. 3. Identify viable Options, including retaining the current design when legitimate. 4. Compare options using evidence, tradeoffs, risks, reversibility, migration, and total lifecycle cost. 5. Reject options only with recorded rationale. 6. If authority belongs to the user, invoke Clarification Gate with bounded options before selecting. 7. Record the Decision and why it best satisfies the criteria. 8. Record positive/negative Consequences, constraints, follow-up work, and rollback/supersession conditions. 9.