Architecture Analysis
Leverage Claude Code’s analytical capabilities to understand, evaluate, and improve software architecture across different scales and domains.
System Architecture Understanding
High-Level Architecture Analysis
Claude Code can help you comprehend complex system architectures:
Analyze this system architecture diagram and explain:
1. Component relationships and dependencies
2. Data flow patterns
3. Potential bottlenecks
4. Scalability considerations
5. Security implications
[Attach architecture diagram]
Microservices Architecture
Service Decomposition:
Analyze this monolithic application for microservices extraction:
1. Identify bounded contexts
2. Suggest service boundaries
3. Evaluate data consistency requirements
4. Recommend communication patterns
5. Assess migration complexity
Service Mesh Analysis:
Evaluate service mesh implementation:
- Traffic management patterns
- Security policy enforcement
- Observability requirements
- Performance impact assessment
- Operational complexity
Event-Driven Architecture
Event Flow Analysis:
Analyze event-driven system design:
1. Event sourcing patterns
2. CQRS implementation
3. Saga pattern usage
4. Event ordering guarantees
5. Failure handling strategies
Message Queue Architecture:
Evaluate messaging architecture:
- Queue vs topic selection
- Partitioning strategies
- Dead letter queue handling
- Backpressure management
- Delivery guarantees
Application Architecture Patterns
Layered Architecture
Layer Separation Analysis:
Review layered architecture implementation:
1. Presentation layer responsibilities
2. Business logic encapsulation
3. Data access layer design
4. Cross-cutting concerns handling
5. Dependency direction validation
Clean Architecture Assessment:
Evaluate Clean Architecture compliance:
- Dependency inversion adherence
- Entity and use case isolation
- Interface adapter implementation
- Framework independence
- Testability improvements
Hexagonal Architecture
Port and Adapter Analysis:
Analyze hexagonal architecture:
1. Port definition clarity
2. Adapter implementation quality
3. Domain logic isolation
4. External dependency management
5. Testing strategy effectiveness
Domain-Driven Design
Bounded Context Analysis:
Evaluate DDD implementation:
- Bounded context boundaries
- Aggregate design quality
- Domain service placement
- Repository pattern usage
- Ubiquitous language consistency
Strategic Design Assessment:
Analyze strategic DDD patterns:
1. Context mapping accuracy
2. Anti-corruption layer necessity
3. Shared kernel appropriateness
4. Customer-supplier relationships
5. Conformist pattern usage
Data Architecture Analysis
Database Design Evaluation
Relational Database Analysis:
Review database schema design:
1. Normalization level appropriateness
2. Index strategy effectiveness
3. Constraint implementation
4. Performance optimization opportunities
5. Scalability limitations
NoSQL Database Assessment:
Evaluate NoSQL database choice:
- Data model fit assessment
- Consistency requirements
- Scalability characteristics
- Query pattern optimization
- Migration complexity
Data Pipeline Architecture
ETL/ELT Process Analysis:
Analyze data processing pipeline:
1. Data ingestion strategies
2. Transformation logic efficiency
3. Error handling robustness
4. Monitoring and alerting
5. Scalability considerations
Real-time Data Architecture:
Evaluate streaming data architecture:
- Stream processing frameworks
- Windowing strategies
- State management approaches
- Fault tolerance mechanisms
- Latency optimization
Security Architecture Review
Authentication and Authorization
Identity Management Analysis:
Review identity architecture:
1. Authentication flow security
2. Authorization model effectiveness
3. Token management strategies
4. Session handling security
5. Multi-factor authentication integration
Zero Trust Architecture:
Evaluate Zero Trust implementation:
- Identity verification mechanisms
- Device trust assessment
- Network segmentation strategies
- Continuous monitoring
- Least privilege enforcement
Security Patterns Assessment
Defense in Depth:
Analyze security layer implementation:
1. Perimeter security measures
2. Network security controls
3. Application security features
4. Data protection mechanisms
5. Endpoint security coverage
Threat Modeling:
Conduct architecture threat analysis:
- Attack surface identification
- Threat vector assessment
- Vulnerability impact analysis
- Mitigation strategy evaluation
- Security control effectiveness
Performance Architecture Analysis
Scalability Assessment
Horizontal Scaling Analysis:
Evaluate horizontal scaling design:
1. Stateless component identification
2. Load balancing strategies
3. Data partitioning approaches
4. Cache distribution patterns
5. Auto-scaling mechanisms
Vertical Scaling Considerations:
Analyze vertical scaling limitations:
- Resource utilization patterns
- Bottleneck identification
- Hardware constraint assessment
- Cost-benefit analysis
- Migration planning
Caching Architecture
Multi-Level Caching:
Review caching strategy:
1. Cache hierarchy design
2. Invalidation strategies
3. Consistency guarantees
4. Performance impact measurement
5. Memory usage optimization
Distributed Caching:
Evaluate distributed cache implementation:
- Partitioning strategies
- Replication mechanisms
- Consistency models
- Failure handling
- Network overhead
Cloud Architecture Analysis
Multi-Cloud Strategy
Cloud Service Evaluation:
Analyze multi-cloud architecture:
1. Service selection rationale
2. Vendor lock-in mitigation
3. Data sovereignty compliance
4. Cost optimization strategies
5. Disaster recovery planning
Hybrid Cloud Assessment:
Review hybrid cloud implementation:
- Workload placement decisions
- Network connectivity design
- Security boundary management
- Data synchronization strategies
- Compliance requirements
Serverless Architecture
Function-as-a-Service Analysis:
Evaluate serverless architecture:
1. Function granularity appropriateness
2. Cold start impact assessment
3. State management strategies
4. Cost optimization opportunities
5. Vendor dependency risks
Event-Driven Serverless:
Analyze serverless event processing:
- Event source integration
- Function chaining patterns
- Error handling mechanisms
- Monitoring and debugging
- Performance optimization
Architecture Quality Assessment
Quality Attributes Evaluation
Maintainability Analysis:
Assess architecture maintainability:
1. Code organization clarity
2. Dependency management
3. Documentation completeness
4. Testing strategy coverage
5. Change impact assessment
Reliability Assessment:
Evaluate system reliability:
- Fault tolerance mechanisms
- Recovery procedures
- Monitoring capabilities
- SLA compliance
- Incident response planning
Technical Debt Analysis
Architecture Debt Identification:
Identify architectural technical debt:
1. Design pattern violations
2. Coupling and cohesion issues
3. Performance anti-patterns
4. Security vulnerabilities
5. Scalability limitations
Refactoring Prioritization:
Prioritize architecture improvements:
- Business impact assessment
- Technical risk evaluation
- Implementation complexity
- Resource requirement analysis
- Timeline considerations
Architecture Documentation
Architecture Decision Records
ADR Creation:
Document architecture decisions:
1. Decision context and forces
2. Considered alternatives
3. Decision rationale
4. Consequences and trade-offs
5. Implementation guidelines
Decision Review Process:
Establish ADR review workflow:
- Stakeholder involvement
- Review criteria definition
- Approval processes
- Version control integration
- Change management
Architecture Visualization
Diagram Generation:
Create architecture diagrams:
1. System context diagrams
2. Container diagrams
3. Component diagrams
4. Deployment diagrams
5. Sequence diagrams
Documentation Standards:
Establish documentation guidelines:
- Diagram notation standards
- Description templates
- Update procedures
- Tool selection criteria
- Accessibility requirements
Architecture Evolution
Migration Planning
Legacy System Analysis:
Analyze legacy system architecture:
1. Current state assessment
2. Business capability mapping
3. Technical constraint identification
4. Migration risk evaluation
5. Modernization roadmap
Incremental Migration:
Plan incremental architecture evolution:
- Strangler Fig pattern implementation
- Feature flag strategies
- Data migration approaches
- Rollback procedures
- Success metrics definition
Continuous Architecture
Architecture Fitness Functions:
Implement architecture governance:
1. Automated compliance checking
2. Performance threshold monitoring
3. Security policy enforcement
4. Dependency analysis
5. Quality gate implementation
Evolution Monitoring:
Track architecture evolution:
- Metric collection strategies
- Trend analysis approaches
- Anomaly detection methods
- Feedback loop establishment
- Continuous improvement
Tools and Techniques
Analysis Tools
- Static Analysis: SonarQube, NDepend, Structure101
- Dynamic Analysis: APM tools, profilers, load testing
- Dependency Analysis: Dependency cruiser, jdeps
- Security Analysis: OWASP ZAP, Veracode, Checkmarx
- Performance Analysis: JProfiler, dotTrace, Chrome DevTools
Modeling Tools
- Architecture Modeling: ArchiMate, Sparx EA, Lucidchart
- Diagram Creation: Draw.io, PlantUML, Mermaid
- Code Visualization: Sourcetrail, CodeScene, Understand
- Cloud Architecture: AWS Architecture Center, Azure Architecture Center
Assessment Frameworks
- ATAM: Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method
- SAAM: Software Architecture Analysis Method
- CBAM: Cost Benefit Analysis Method
- TOGAF: The Open Group Architecture Framework
- Zachman Framework: Enterprise Architecture Framework
Best Practices
Analysis Methodology
- Stakeholder Involvement: Include all relevant stakeholders
- Multiple Perspectives: Consider different viewpoints
- Iterative Approach: Refine analysis over time
- Evidence-Based: Use metrics and data
- Risk-Focused: Prioritize high-risk areas
Communication Strategies
Effective architecture communication:
1. Audience-appropriate abstractions
2. Visual representation usage
3. Concrete examples provision
4. Trade-off explanation
5. Decision rationale sharing
Continuous Improvement
Establish improvement processes:
- Regular architecture reviews
- Feedback collection mechanisms
- Lesson learned documentation
- Best practice sharing
- Knowledge transfer planning
By systematically analyzing architecture with Claude Code’s assistance, you can identify improvement opportunities, mitigate risks, and ensure your systems meet both current and future requirements effectively.