• The structure of the system, refers to the type of architecture style (or styles)
the system is implemented in (such as microservices, layered, or microkernel).
• Architecture characteristics are another dimension of defining the success
criteria of a system, which is generally orthogonal to the functionality of the
system.
• Architecture decisions define the rules for how a system should be
constructed.
• A design principle differs from an architecture decision in that a design
principle is a guideline rather than a hard-and-fast rule.