Core Concepts
A handful of ideas underpin everything in ArchForge. Learn these and the rest of the product follows naturally.
Artifacts
An artifact is a single document of record: a decision, an RFC, a standard, a reference architecture, an application, and so on. Every artifact has a title, a type, a status, an author, optional co-authors, and a body or set of fields.
Types
Each artifact has a type, which decides its fields, its starting template, its lifecycle, and where it appears in the sidebar.
| Type | Prefix | Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Decisions (ADRs) | ADR | Free, Pro, Enterprise |
| RFCs | RFC | Free, Pro, Enterprise |
| Reference Architectures | REF | Free, Pro, Enterprise |
| Principles | PRN | Pro, Enterprise |
| Standards | STD | Pro, Enterprise |
| Solution Designs | SOL | Pro, Enterprise |
| Diagrams | DIA | Pro, Enterprise |
| Technology Components | TC | Pro, Enterprise |
| Playbooks | PLB | Pro, Enterprise |
| Composite RefArchs | CRA | Enterprise |
| Application Catalog | APP | Enterprise |
Administrators can switch types on or off for the workspace and tailor each type's template. See Artifact types and templates.
Reference IDs
Every artifact gets a stable reference ID made of the type prefix and a
four-digit number, for example ADR-0042. Numbers are assigned in order per
type.
If your administrator sets an organization prefix, it's added to the front of
every reference ID, for example ACME-ADR-0042. Changing the prefix updates
every existing reference ID to match. See
Workspace settings.
Reference IDs also form each artifact's address, for example
/app/decisions/acme-adr-0042, so you can share links to them.
Lifecycles
Each type moves through a set of statuses. There are three patterns.
Reviewed types
Decisions, principles, standards, reference architectures, composites, solution designs, technology components, and playbooks share one review flow:
The approved status is called Accepted for decisions and Published for
every other type. Draft and Changes Requested are work in progress,
Proposed is waiting on a reviewer, Accepted/Published is authoritative,
and Superseded, Deprecated, and Rejected are kept for the record. See
Reviewing and approving.
RFCs
RFCs have their own time-boxed flow: Draft, then Open while people comment, then Closed. See Running an RFC.
Applications
Applications in the application catalog don't go through review. You set their status directly: Active, Deprecated, or Retired.
Versions
Every time you save an artifact, ArchForge stores a snapshot of it and bumps
its version number. The current version is shown next to the reference ID at
the top of the page, for example ADR-0042 · v3. Status changes during review
don't create a new version; only edits do.
Links
Some workflows link artifacts to each other automatically:
- Build Decision on a closed RFC creates a decision that links back to the RFC.
- Revise on a closed RFC creates a new RFC that supersedes the original.
- A composite reference architecture is linked to each reference architecture it's composed of, and each reference architecture lists the composites that use it under Used in composites.
Linked artifacts appear in a Linked panel on the artifact page, and every link shows up in the knowledge graph.
Roles
Every member of a workspace has one role. Each role includes everything the role before it can do.
| Role | Can |
|---|---|
| Viewer | Read every artifact in the workspace. |
| Member | Create artifacts, edit and submit their own, and comment on RFCs. |
| Reviewer | Everything a Member can, plus be chosen as the reviewer for an artifact. |
| Admin | Everything a Reviewer can, plus edit or review any artifact and manage the workspace. |
Authors (the creator and any co-authors) manage their own artifacts. Admins can step in on any artifact. See Members and roles.