Terminology

2225 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 areas2225 Architecture Fundamentals77 Distributed Systems107 Data Architecture110 Cloud Architecture94 Networking88 API & Integration Architecture82 Reliability & Resilience75 Observability70 Performance & Capacity Engineering72 Security Architecture86 Cost Architecture & FinOps71 Business Architecture67 Architecture Communication67 Enterprise Architecture66 Legacy Modernization71 AI-Era Architecture74 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 Architecture69 Streaming & Real-Time Data69 Data Governance & Semantics74 Frontend & Experience Architecture66 Edge, Mobile & IoT68 Regulatory & Data Protection Architecture65 Assurance, Audit & Model Risk69

Kind Any concept801 practice736 pattern377 metric127 case-study77 tool62 protocol45

4 terms shown.

Term	Kind	Topic	What it is
Audit Evidence	concept	Audit Evidence	Durable, tamper-resistant records demonstrating that a control operated as described, for every instance in the period under review.
Evidence by Construction	practice	Audit Evidence	Designing systems so that operating them produces the audit evidence automatically, rather than reconstructing it from screenshots when an assessment arrives.
Evidence By-Product Evidence Automation, Continuous Evidence	practice	Audit Evidence	Audit evidence produced automatically by the control operating, rather than assembled by engineers before each audit.
Evidence Retention Window Evidence Window, Assurance Retention Horizon	concept	Audit Evidence	The span for which control evidence has to stay reproducible - the assurance period plus report lag plus the next cycle - which is routinely far longer than the retention anyone set on the systems that hold it.