Architectural Decision Records (ADRs)

This directory contains Architectural Decision Records (ADRs) documenting significant architectural decisions made in Implementation Studio.

What are ADRs?

Architectural Decision Records (ADRs) are documents that capture important architectural decisions made in a project, along with their context and consequences. They help:

• Document decisions - Why we chose a particular approach
• Preserve context - What alternatives were considered
• Enable learning - Future team members understand the reasoning
• Support reviews - Show thoughtful decision-making process

ADR Format

Each ADR follows this structure:

# ADR-XXX: [Title]

## Status
[Proposed | Accepted | Deprecated | Superseded]

## Context
[What is the issue we're addressing?]

## Decision
[What decision are we making?]

## Consequences
[What are the implications of this decision?]

## Alternatives Considered
[What other options did we evaluate?]

ADR Index

ADR	Title	Status	Date
001	Reference Application Selection	✅ Accepted	January 2026
002	Terraform Selection	✅ Accepted	January 2026
003	Multi-Cloud Strategy	✅ Accepted	January 2026
004	Lab Environment Choices	✅ Accepted	January 2026

When to Create an ADR

Create an ADR when making decisions that:

• Affect system structure - Architecture, technology choices
• Have long-term impact - Will affect future development
• Involve tradeoffs - Multiple valid options exist
• Need justification - Decision might be questioned later
• Set patterns - Will be used as precedent

ADR Template

Use the ADR Template file for creating new ADRs. It includes:

• Complete structure with all sections
• Detailed guidance and examples
• Placeholders for all required information
• Formatting examples

Quick Start:

1. Copy TEMPLATE.md to XXX-[title].md (where XXX is the next ADR number)
2. Fill in all sections following the guidance
3. Update the ADR index in this README
4. Commit with a descriptive message

Template Sections:

• Status (Proposed/Accepted/Deprecated/Superseded)
• Context (background, requirements, constraints)
• Decision (clear statement of the decision)
• Consequences (Positive/Negative/Neutral)
• Alternatives Considered (detailed analysis of options)
• Decision Rationale (why this option was chosen)
• Implementation (how it will be implemented)
• References (related docs and resources)

ADR Lifecycle

1. Proposed - Decision is being considered
2. Accepted - Decision has been made and implemented
3. Deprecated - Decision is no longer recommended
4. Superseded - Decision has been replaced by a new ADR

Creating a New ADR

1. Copy the template:

   cp docs/adr/TEMPLATE.md docs/adr/XXX-[title].md

2. Number the ADR:

   • Use the next sequential number (e.g., 004, 005)
   • Update the filename: 004-[descriptive-title].md

3. Fill in all sections:

   • Follow the guidance in the template
   • Be thorough in alternatives analysis
   • Document consequences clearly

4. Update the index:

   • Add the new ADR to the table in this README
   • Set status to "Proposed" initially

5. Review and accept:

   • Get feedback from reviewers
   • Update status to "Accepted" when decision is final
   • Commit with descriptive message

Additional Resources

• ADR Template - Reusable template for new ADRs
• ADR GitHub - ADR format and examples
• Documenting Architecture Decisions - Original ADR concept

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Last Updated: January 2026