architecture-impact-reviewer

Review architectural impact across boundaries, dependencies, and ownership.

4|Updated May 16, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/machenjie/rd-skills --skill architecture-impact-reviewer
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: architecture-impact-reviewer
Source: https://github.com/machenjie/rd-skills/tree/main/src/professional-skills/architecture-impact-reviewer
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/machenjie/rd-skills --skill architecture-impact-reviewer

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Architecture impact review prevents costly, hard-to-reverse complexity by forcing clear decisions about boundaries, ownership, dependencies, data authority, scalability, operability, and failure handling before a design is endorsed.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Boundary and dependency direction review: Ensures new modules/services respect stable dependency flow and avoids cycles or boundary leaks that erode maintainability.
  • Ownership, data authority, and contract enforcement: Requires explicit owners for shared abstractions and guarantees singular data ownership mediated through contracts rather than direct cross-service access.
  • Operational risk and decision rigor: Quantifies availability and performance implications of new dependencies, defines failure blast radius expectations, and mandates tradeoffs and alternatives (with ADR guidance).

Quick Start

Ask the architecture-impact-reviewer to evaluate your proposed change by checking boundary impact, dependency direction, ownership and data authority, scalability and failure modes, and whether simpler alternatives should be used.

Frequently Asked Questions about architecture-impact-reviewer

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I review architecture impact before adding new service boundaries or abstractions?

Architecture impact review evaluates boundary changes by checking dependency direction, service ownership, data authority, and scalability. It requires explicit ownership, documented tradeoffs, and quantified availability implications before endorsing additional complexity.

What is architecture impact review and when do I need it for dependency changes?

Architecture impact review is a validation process for synchronous dependency or topology migration decisions. You need it when proposing new integrations, data ownership changes, or contract modifications to ensure failure blast radius and operability expectations are defined.

How do I enforce data ownership and contract mediation across microservices?

Enforce data ownership by requiring explicit owners for shared abstractions and guaranteeing singular data authority mediated through contracts. The review prevents direct cross-service access and validates that boundary changes respect stable dependency flow.

What's the best way to document design tradeoffs and simpler alternatives for new integrations?

Document design tradeoffs by mandating alternatives and ADR guidance during the architecture review. You must quantify availability and performance implications of new dependencies and define a reversible, rollback-aware plan with observability expectations.

Can I use architecture review to check if my module changes avoid dependency cycles and boundary leaks?

Yes, architecture review validates that new modules and services respect stable dependency flow and actively avoids cycles or boundary leaks that erode maintainability. It checks dependency direction and ensures topology migrations maintain boundary integrity.

Why does my architecture review require quantified availability implications for new dependencies?

Architecture review requires quantified availability implications to define the failure blast radius of new dependencies. This operational risk assessment ensures tradeoffs are explicit and a rollback-aware plan with observability expectations is established before endorsement.