Terminology

2205 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 areas2205 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 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 concept794 practice734 pattern368 metric125 case-study77 tool62 protocol45

3 terms shown.

Term	Kind	Topic	What it is
Multi-Factor Authentication MFA, 2FA	practice	Authentication	Requiring evidence from more than one category — something you know, have, or are — so a single stolen credential is insufficient.
Phishing-Resistant Authentication Origin-Bound Authentication, Unphishable MFA	pattern	Authentication	Authentication whose response cannot be replayed at a site other than the one it was produced for, because the authenticator signs the requesting origin rather than releasing a secret the user could pass on.
Step-Up Authentication	pattern	Authentication	Requiring stronger proof of identity at the moment a consequential action is attempted, rather than applying maximum friction to every session.