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ADR-XXX: [Decision Title]

Status: [Proposed | Accepted | Deprecated | Superseded]
Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Author(s): [Name(s)]
Reviewers: [Name(s)]
Decision ID: ADR-XXX

Summary​

[Brief 2-3 sentence summary of the decision and its impact]

Context​

Problem Statement​

[Describe the architectural problem or challenge that needs to be addressed]

Background​

[Provide relevant background information, including:]

  • Current state of the system
  • Business requirements driving the decision
  • Technical constraints
  • Timeline considerations
  • Stakeholder concerns

Success Criteria​

[Define what success looks like for this decision:]

  • Performance metrics
  • Quality attributes
  • Business outcomes
  • Technical outcomes

Decision​

Chosen Solution​

[Clearly state the architectural decision that was made]

Key Principles​

[List the guiding principles that influenced this decision:]

  • Principle 1: Description
  • Principle 2: Description
  • Principle 3: Description

Architecture Overview​

[Include a high-level architecture diagram using Mermaid]

Options Considered​

Option 1: [Name]​

Description: [Brief description] Pros:

  • Advantage 1
  • Advantage 2

Cons:

  • Disadvantage 1
  • Disadvantage 2

Risk Level: [Low | Medium | High]

Option 2: [Name]​

Description: [Brief description] Pros:

  • Advantage 1
  • Advantage 2

Cons:

  • Disadvantage 1
  • Disadvantage 2

Risk Level: [Low | Medium | High]

Option 3: [Name]​

Description: [Brief description] Pros:

  • Advantage 1
  • Advantage 2

Cons:

  • Disadvantage 1
  • Disadvantage 2

Risk Level: [Low | Medium | High]

Decision Rationale​

Why This Option?​

[Explain why the chosen option was selected over alternatives]

Trade-offs Accepted​

[Document the trade-offs that were consciously accepted:]

  • Trade-off 1: Description and mitigation strategy
  • Trade-off 2: Description and mitigation strategy

Assumptions​

[List key assumptions underlying this decision:]

  • Assumption 1: Description
  • Assumption 2: Description

Implementation​

Implementation Plan​

[Outline the implementation approach]

Phase 1: [Name] (Timeline: [X weeks])​

  • Task 1: Description
  • Task 2: Description
  • Deliverables: List of deliverables
  • Success Criteria: How to measure success

Phase 2: [Name] (Timeline: [X weeks])​

  • Task 1: Description
  • Task 2: Description
  • Deliverables: List of deliverables
  • Success Criteria: How to measure success

Phase 3: [Name] (Timeline: [X weeks])​

  • Task 1: Description
  • Task 2: Description
  • Deliverables: List of deliverables
  • Success Criteria: How to measure success

Technical Requirements​

[Specify technical requirements:]

  • Infrastructure changes needed
  • New dependencies
  • Configuration changes
  • Data migration requirements

Resource Requirements​

[Specify resource needs:]

  • Development effort: X person-weeks
  • Infrastructure costs: $X/month
  • Training requirements
  • External dependencies

Consequences​

Positive Consequences​

  • Benefit 1: Description and measurable impact
  • Benefit 2: Description and measurable impact
  • Benefit 3: Description and measurable impact

Negative Consequences​

  • Risk 1: Description and mitigation strategy
  • Risk 2: Description and mitigation strategy
  • Risk 3: Description and mitigation strategy

Risk Mitigation​

[For each identified risk, provide mitigation strategies:]

Risk: [Description]​

  • Probability: [Low | Medium | High]
  • Impact: [Low | Medium | High]
  • Mitigation: Specific actions to reduce risk
  • Contingency: What to do if risk materializes

Validation & Testing​

Testing Strategy​

[Describe how the decision will be validated:]

  • Unit testing approach
  • Integration testing requirements
  • Performance testing criteria
  • Security testing considerations

Success Metrics​

[Define measurable success criteria:]

  • Performance metrics (latency, throughput, etc.)
  • Quality metrics (error rates, availability, etc.)
  • Business metrics (cost savings, user satisfaction, etc.)

Monitoring & Observability​

[Specify monitoring requirements:]

  • Key metrics to track
  • Alerting thresholds
  • Dashboard requirements
  • Log aggregation needs

Migration Strategy​

Rollout Plan​

[Describe how the change will be rolled out:]

  • Pilot phase: scope and timeline
  • Gradual rollout: phases and criteria
  • Full deployment: timeline and validation

Rollback Plan​

[Document how to rollback if issues arise:]

  • Rollback triggers
  • Rollback procedure
  • Data recovery approach
  • Communication plan

Communication Plan​

[Outline stakeholder communication:]

  • Internal teams to notify
  • Documentation updates needed
  • Training requirements
  • External communication (if applicable)

Compliance & Security​

Security Implications​

[Document security considerations:]

  • New attack vectors introduced
  • Security controls required
  • Compliance requirements affected
  • Security testing needed

Regulatory Compliance​

[If applicable, document compliance considerations:]

  • Regulations affected (GDPR, SOX, etc.)
  • Compliance controls required
  • Audit trail requirements
  • Documentation needs

Dependencies​

[List ADRs that this decision depends on:]

  • ADR-001: Previous Decision (Coming Soon)
  • ADR-002: Related Decision (Coming Soon)

[List related architectural decisions:]

  • ADR-003: Future Decision (Coming Soon)
  • ADR-004: Alternative Approach (Coming Soon)

Superseded ADRs​

[If this ADR supersedes previous decisions:]

  • ADR-000: Old Decision (Coming Soon) - Reason for superseding

References​

Documentation​

Research & Analysis​

Standards & Guidelines​

Approval:

  • Technical Lead: [Name] - [Date]
  • Architecture Review Board: [Date]
  • Security Team: [Name] - [Date]
  • Product Owner: [Name] - [Date]

Last Updated: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Next Review Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Document Owner: [Name/Team]

Template Usage Notes​

How to Use This Template​

  1. Copy this template to create a new ADR
  2. Replace all bracketed placeholders with actual content
  3. Remove sections that don't apply to your decision
  4. Ensure all required approvals are obtained
  5. Link from the main ADR index page

Required Sections​

  • Summary, Context, Decision, Options Considered, Consequences

Optional Sections​

  • Remove if not applicable: Compliance & Security, Migration Strategy

Tips for Success​

  • Be specific and concrete in your descriptions
  • Include diagrams for complex architectural changes
  • Document assumptions and trade-offs clearly
  • Plan for both success and failure scenarios