# Architecture Review

> Design or review software architecture using system context, container, component, runtime, deployment, data, API, integration, crosscutting concepts, and ADR artifacts. Use before large implementation, service-boundary changes, infrastructure changes, API or data contract changes, migrations, reliability work, security-sensitive design, or architecture artifacts `14-system-context.md` through `22-adr-index.md`.

- Skill: `ashermahonin/architecture-review` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add ashermahonin/architecture-review`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/ashermahonin/architecture-review/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Web & Frontend
- Author: ashermahonin (https://skillmd.com/u/ashermahonin)
- Updated: 2026-09-21
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/ashermahonin/architecture-review

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# Architecture Review

## Purpose

Turn requirements and current-state evidence into a system shape that can be implemented, tested, operated, and changed. Prefer clarity and tradeoffs over ornamental diagrams.

## Inputs

- Gather requirements, quality scenarios, current-state evidence, and constraints.
- Name the architecture decision that matters most.
- Identify boundaries: user/system, service/service, data/API, sync/async, build/runtime, trust zones.
- Decide what must be documented as an ADR.

## Decision process

1. Draft the system context first, then containers, then components only where detail changes decisions.
2. Map runtime scenarios for critical user and failure paths.
3. Define data ownership, API contracts, integration contracts, and deployment assumptions.
4. Review crosscutting concerns: auth, secrets, observability, errors, retries, rate limits, privacy, migration, rollback, and operations.
5. Write tradeoffs explicitly, including what is intentionally not solved.
6. Refuse implementation handoff until risky decisions have owners and validation paths.

## Decision boundaries

- Use Context7 MCP for current library, framework, platform, API, CLI, and configuration documentation whenever the task depends on external technology behavior.

## Decision record

- System context
- Container and component views
- Runtime scenarios
- Deployment view
- Data model and API contracts
- ADR candidates or decisions

## Ready when

- Architecture must answer how the system changes safely, not only how it works when happy.
- Do not draw a component unless it affects ownership, contract, or risk.
- Call out irreversible or expensive decisions.
- Tie architecture back to requirements and quality scenarios.

## Handoff

Hand off boundaries, contracts, ADRs, validation expectations, and unresolved risks to decomposition.

## References

- `references/architecture-artifacts.md`: Use this to decide which architecture artifacts are required.