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

4 terms shown.

Term	Kind	Topic	What it is
Decision Rights Boundary Decision Scope Line, Local Versus Enterprise Decision	concept	EA Domains	The line separating choices a team may make alone from choices that bind other teams - drawn by where the consequence of a mistake lands, not by the cost, size or difficulty of the decision.
EA Domain Layers	concept	EA Domains	The four conventional layers of enterprise architecture — business, data, application and technology — each answering a different question about the estate.
EA Domains	concept	EA Domains	The four conventional views of an enterprise — business, data, application, technology — and what each is actually for.
System of Record Authoritative Source, Golden Source	concept	EA Domains	The single system authoritative for a business entity, from which all other copies derive - the absence of which is the dominant source of enterprise complexity.