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
Compliance Perimeter Scope, In-Scope Estate	concept	PCI-DSS Scoping	The set of systems subject to a compliance regime - whose size is the dominant cost of that regime, and which is determined by architectural decisions rather than by the assessment.
Compliance Scope Boundary Scope Reduction, Cardholder Data Environment	practice	PCI-DSS Scoping	The set of systems subject to a compliance regime - determined by where regulated data flows, and reducible by architecture rather than by adding controls.
PCI DSS Scope Reduction	practice	PCI-DSS Scoping	Deliberately limiting which systems handle cardholder data so that the audited estate is small, since every in-scope system carries the full control burden.
Scope Reduction	practice	PCI-DSS Scoping	Shrinking the set of systems that store, process or transmit cardholder data, because the cost of the standard is proportional to the number of systems in scope.