Terminology

2185 terms, tools, patterns and metrics an architect is expected to use precisely. Each one gets a short explanation of what it is, and — where it matters — what it is commonly confused with. Search filters as you type; the column headers sort.

All areas2185 Architecture Fundamentals77 Distributed Systems107 Data Architecture110 Cloud Architecture89 Networking88 API & Integration Architecture82 Reliability & Resilience75 Observability70 Performance & Capacity Engineering72 Security Architecture81 Cost Architecture & FinOps66 Business Architecture67 Architecture Communication67 Enterprise Architecture66 Legacy Modernization66 AI-Era Architecture69 Software Architecture & Engineering71 Architecture Patterns71 Architecture Decision-Making63 The Architect's Meta-Skills61 Delivery & Release Engineering66 Platform Engineering & Developer Experience70 Testing & Quality Architecture66 Data Platform Architecture64 Streaming & Real-Time Data69 Data Governance & Semantics69 Frontend & Experience Architecture66 Edge, Mobile & IoT68 Regulatory & Data Protection Architecture65 Assurance, Audit & Model Risk64

Kind Any concept785 practice729 pattern362 metric125 case-study77 tool62 protocol45

5 terms shown.

Term	Kind	Topic	What it is
Boundary-Crossing Count Teams Per Feature, Coordination Metric	metric	EA Metrics	The number of teams that must change to deliver a median feature - the most revealing and least used architecture metric, because it measures whether boundaries match the way work arrives.
EA Metrics	metric	EA Metrics	Measuring whether an architecture practice is producing value — where output metrics mislead and outcome metrics are harder but real.
EA Value Metrics	metric	EA Metrics	Measures that demonstrate what an enterprise architecture function has changed, chosen to avoid rewarding documentation volume.
Golden Path Adoption	metric	Paved Roads	The proportion of teams voluntarily using the supported path, which is the honest measure of whether a platform is solving real problems.
Integration Change Amplification Counterparty Fan-Out, Schema Change Blast Radius	metric	Enterprise Integration	The number of independently owned systems that must change when one system revises its interface - the measure that decides whether an integration estate is expensive to change, and the one that a hub is meant…