Terminology

2240 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 areas2240 Architecture Fundamentals77 Distributed Systems107 Data Architecture110 Cloud Architecture94 Networking88 API & Integration Architecture82 Reliability & Resilience80 Observability75 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 Architecture71 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 concept806 practice738 pattern379 metric133 case-study77 tool62 protocol45

4 terms shown.

Term	Kind	Topic	What it is
Backhaul Cost per Device-Day Bytes per Device-Day, Per-Device Data Budget	metric	Constrained Protocols	The bytes a single device sends and receives in a day multiplied by the price of the link - the figure that converts a sampling decision into a line in the connectivity contract.
Constrained Protocol MQTT, CoAP, LwM2M	protocol	Constrained Protocols	Messaging protocols designed for devices and networks where power, bandwidth and packet size are hard limits rather than considerations.
Message Overhead Budget	concept	Constrained Protocols	The proportion of each transmission spent on protocol rather than payload, which on a metered or battery-powered link determines the running cost.
Radio Wake Budget Transactions Per Day Budget, Wake Count Budget	metric	Constrained Protocols	The number of radio wakes a device can afford per day at its target battery life - the planning number that decides protocol and batching choices, because energy is spent per transmission rather than per byte.