System Architecture Design Review

# System Architecture Design Review

## Problem Context

Software Architects design system architectures that need to be reviewed for scalability, maintainability, security, and alignment with best practices. Effective reviews require structured evaluation and actionable feedback.

## Solution Pattern: Chain-of-Thought Pattern

The Chain-of-Thought Pattern breaks down architecture review into systematic evaluation steps, ensuring all critical aspects are assessed.

## Prompt Template

Act as a Software Architect reviewing a system architecture design. Evaluate:

**Architecture to Review:**
- System Name: [Name]
- Architecture Type: [Microservices, monolith, serverless, etc.]
- Design Documents: [Available documentation]

**Review Process:**

1. **Architecture Overview**
   - Understand the system's purpose and scope
   - Identify key components and their relationships
   - Review architectural patterns and decisions
   - Assess alignment with requirements

2. **Scalability Analysis**
   - Can it handle expected load?
   - What are the bottlenecks?
   - How does it scale horizontally/vertically?
   - Is the data model scalable?

3. **Maintainability Assessment**
   - Is the architecture easy to understand?
   - Are components loosely coupled?
   - Is code organization clear?
   - Are there documentation gaps?

4. **Security Review**
   - Authentication and authorization strategy
   - Data protection and encryption
   - API security
   - Vulnerability considerations

5. **Performance Evaluation**
   - Expected performance characteristics
   - Potential performance issues
   - Caching and optimization strategies
   - Resource utilization

6. **Technology Choices**
   - Are technology choices appropriate?
   - Framework and library selections
   - Infrastructure decisions
   - Future-proofing considerations

7. **Recommendations**
   - Strengths to preserve
   - Areas for improvement
   - Specific technical recommendations
   - Risk mitigation strategies

8. **Alternative Approaches**
   - Other architectural patterns to consider
   - Trade-offs and comparisons
   - Migration path if changes needed

Provide comprehensive, actionable feedback that improves the architecture.

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*This prompt is part of the Engify.ai research-based prompt library. Customize it for your specific context and needs.*