Use these materials when reviewing an architecture, recording a possible debt item or discussing EA debt with a team.
A worked debt register example
Observation
Two services read the same customer data tables directly. The architecture objective is to allow each service to evolve independently.
Evidence
The application model and a review with service owners confirm that both services depend on the same table structure. Two recent changes required coordinated releases.
Consequence and decision
Each table change can trigger additional coordination and regression testing. The service owners will review whether one service can own access to the data. They will estimate the work to introduce that boundary and review the decision before the next schema change.
Fields to record
Architectural objective · observation · supporting evidence · source and affected elements · consequences · estimated effort to address · recurring or future burden · decision · owner · review date.
Further material
EA Smell Catalog · Research publications · Research on discovering and assessing EA debt.