پرش به مطلب اصلی

Architecture Documentation

In This Document​

Architecture Documentation Purpose​

Architecture documentation serves several critical purposes for our team:

  1. Shared Understanding: Create a common mental model of the system
  2. Onboarding: Help new team members understand the system quickly
  3. Decision Making: Provide context for future architectural decisions
  4. Impact Analysis: Help assess the impact of proposed changes
  5. Knowledge Preservation: Capture design decisions and rationale

Required Architecture Documentation​

System Overview​

Every project must have a system overview document that includes:

  • High-level description of the system purpose
  • Key architectural patterns used
  • Major components and their responsibilities
  • External dependencies and integrations
  • Deployment architecture

Component Documentation​

For each major component:

  • Purpose and responsibilities
  • Internal structure
  • Interfaces with other components
  • Key algorithms and data structures
  • Performance characteristics
  • Security considerations

Data Architecture​

Documentation of the data architecture must include:

  • Entity-relationship diagrams
  • Data flow diagrams
  • Database schema documentation
  • Data migration strategies
  • Data retention policies
  • Backup and recovery procedures

Architecture Diagrams​

Context Diagrams​

Context diagrams show the system in its environment, including:

  • System boundaries
  • External entities
  • Key interfaces

Create context diagrams using Mermaid.js or a similar tool.

Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)​

We use Architecture Decision Records to document significant architectural decisions:

ADR Format​

Each ADR should include:

  1. Title: A descriptive title
  2. Status: Proposed, Accepted, Deprecated, or Superseded
  3. Context: The problem being addressed and relevant constraints
  4. Decision: The decision that was made
  5. Consequences: The resulting context after applying the decision
  6. Alternatives: Options that were considered but not chosen
  7. References: Related documents or resources

When to Create an ADR​

Create an ADR for decisions that:

  • Have a significant impact on the system architecture
  • Introduce new architectural patterns or technologies
  • Change existing architectural patterns
  • Affect multiple components or teams
  • Have long-term implications for the system

Documentation Tools and Standards​

  • Mermaid.js: For diagrams embedded in Markdown
  • Docusaurus: For hosting architecture documentation
  • Draw.io/diagrams.net: For more complex diagrams
  • Lucidchart: For collaborative diagramming

Naming Conventions​

  • Use consistent naming across diagrams and documents
  • Match component names in diagrams to code when possible
  • Use PascalCase for component names
  • Use descriptive, action-oriented names for interactions

Version Control​

  • Store architecture documentation in the same repository as code
  • Version documentation alongside code changes
  • Review documentation changes as part of code reviews
  • Tag documentation versions with software releases

Maintaining Architecture Documentation​

Review Cycle​

  • Review architecture documentation quarterly
  • Update when significant changes are made
  • Archive outdated documentation
  • Validate diagrams against the current implementation

Ownership​

  • Assign an owner for each architecture document
  • Include documentation updates in feature planning
  • Make documentation review part of the release process
  • Train team members on documentation standards

Integration with Development Process​

Architecture documentation is integrated with our development process:

  • Reference architecture documentation in technical designs
  • Update documentation as part of feature implementation
  • Include documentation review in architectural reviews
  • Use architecture diagrams in technical discussions
آخرین به روز رسانی در تاریخ توسط Behnam Moradi