Example: archstandard.org

About This Example

This is a meta-example: the Architecture Description Standard documenting its own website. It demonstrates that even the simplest projects — a static documentation site with no backend, no database, and no user accounts — can use ADS at Minimum depth without unnecessary overhead.

Documentation depth: Minimum

Sections above Minimum depth have been omitted entirely, as recommended by the standard. Where a Minimum-depth section is genuinely not applicable (e.g., no internal component connectivity exists), it is noted briefly and moved on from.

0. Document Control

0.1 Document Metadata

Field	Value
Document Title	Solution Architecture Document — archstandard.org
Application / Solution Name	archstandard.org
Application ID	N/A (independent project)
Author(s)	Andi Chandler
Owner	Andi Chandler
Version	1.0
Status	Approved
Created Date	2025-05-01
Last Updated	2025-06-15
Classification	Public

0.2 Change History

Version	Date	Author / Editor	Description of Change
0.1	2025-05-01	Andi Chandler	Initial draft
1.0	2025-06-15	Andi Chandler	First approved version

0.3 Contributors and Approvals

Name	Role	Contribution Type
Andi Chandler	Solution Architect / Owner	Author

0.4 Document Purpose and Scope

This SAD describes the architecture of archstandard.org, the website that publishes the Architecture Description Standard (ADS). It serves as both reference documentation and a meta-example of ADS applied at Minimum depth for a simple static site.

1. Executive Summary

1.1 Solution Overview

archstandard.org is a static documentation website that publishes the Architecture Description Standard. It provides the full standard text, downloadable templates (Markdown, YAML, JSON, DOCX), a JSON Schema for validation, and worked examples — all as a searchable, accessible website.

The site is built with Astro and the Starlight documentation theme, compiled to static HTML at build time, and served globally via Cloudflare Pages. There is no backend, no database, and no user authentication.

1.2 Business Context and Drivers

Driver	Description	Priority
Publish the standard	Make the ADS freely accessible as a modern, searchable website	High
Provide templates	Offer downloadable SAD templates in multiple formats	Medium
Multi-language support	Serve the standard in English, French, and German	Medium

1.3 Strategic Alignment

Not applicable. This is an independent open project, not part of a corporate strategy or capability model.

1.4 Scope

In scope:

Standard pages (all ADS sections as MDX content)
Downloadable templates (Markdown, YAML, JSON, DOCX)
JSON Schema hosting and documentation
Worked examples (this document is one of them)
Multi-language support (EN, FR, DE)
Template generator script (Node.js build-time tool)

Out of scope:

User accounts or authentication (beyond pre-launch Basic Auth)
SAD authoring tool or online editor
Discussion forum or comments
Analytics or tracking (no cookies, no PII collection)

1.6 Key Decisions and Constraints

Decision / Constraint	Rationale	Impact
Must be free or very low cost	Independent project with no budget	Drives choice of free-tier hosting
Static site only	No runtime complexity needed for read-only content	Eliminates backend, database, and server management
Chose Astro/Starlight	Purpose-built for documentation; fast, accessible, good i18n support	See ADR-001
Chose Cloudflare Pages	Free tier with global CDN, automatic SSL, and git-based deploys	See ADR-002

1.8 Business Criticality

Selected criticality: Tier 5 — Minimal

Service failure has negligible business impact. The standard content exists in the git repository and can be rebuilt or served from an alternative host at any time. No business processes depend on the site’s availability.

2. Stakeholders and Concerns

2.1 Stakeholder Register

Stakeholder	Role / Group	Key Concerns	Relevant Views
Andi Chandler	Author / Owner	Content accuracy, site reliability, cost	All
Solution Architects	Primary readers	Standard clarity, template usability, searchability	Logical View, Scenarios
Enterprise Architects	Readers / Adopters	Framework alignment, governance applicability	Executive Summary, Scenarios
Governance Teams	Readers	Compliance scoring, template completeness	Scenarios, Appendices

3. Architectural Views

3.1 Logical View

3.1.1 Application Architecture

The solution is a static site with no runtime application logic. All processing occurs at build time.

graph TD
  subgraph Build[Build Time]
      MDX[MDX Content EN/FR/DE] --> SSG[Astro + Starlight SSG]
      Schema[JSON Schema] --> SSG
      TemplateGen[Template Generator] --> SSG
      SSG --> Output[Static HTML/CSS/JS]
  end
  Output --> CF[Cloudflare Pages CDN]
  CF --> Users[End Users]

Components:

Component	Type	Description	Technology
MDX Content	Static files	Standard pages, examples, guides	MDX (Markdown + JSX)
Astro + Starlight	Static site generator	Builds HTML from MDX content	Astro 5.x, Starlight
JSON Schema	Static file	Machine-readable SAD schema	JSON Schema Draft 2020-12
Template Generator	Build script	Generates templates from JSON Schema	Node.js
Static output	HTML / CSS / JS	Compiled site served to users	HTML, CSS, JavaScript

3.2 Integration and Data Flow

External Integration Architecture

Source	Destination	Protocol / Encryption	Authentication	Purpose
Developer (git push)	GitHub	HTTPS / TLS 1.3	SSH key or PAT	Source control
GitHub (webhook)	Cloudflare Pages	HTTPS / TLS 1.3	Webhook secret	Trigger build and deploy

There are no runtime integrations. The site serves only static files; no APIs are called at request time.

End User Access

User Type	Access Method	Authentication	Protocol
All users (public)	Web browser	None required	HTTPS
Pre-launch reviewers	Web browser	Basic Auth (Cloudflare middleware)	HTTPS

3.3 Physical View

3.3.1 Deployment Architecture

graph LR
  GitHub[GitHub Repository] -- webhook --> CF[Cloudflare Pages]
  CF --> Build[Build Environment - npm run build]
  Build --> CDN[Global CDN Edge - 300+ locations]
  CDN -- HTTPS --> Users[archstandard.org]

3.3.2 Hosting and Infrastructure

Attribute	Selection
Hosting Venue Type	Cloud (SaaS — Cloudflare Pages)
Hosting Region(s)	Global (Cloudflare edge network)
Service Model	SaaS
Cloud Provider	Cloudflare
Account Type	Free tier

There are no servers, no containers, and no compute instances. The site is fully static and served from Cloudflare’s CDN edge.

3.3.3 Network Topology and Connectivity

Question	Response
Is this an Internet-facing application?	Yes — public website
Outbound Internet connectivity required?	No (static files only)
Cloud-to-on-premises connectivity required?	No
Wireless networking required?	No
Third-party / co-location connectivity required?	No
Cloud network peering required?	No

Custom domain: archstandard.org, managed via Cloudflare DNS.

3.4 Data View

3.4.1 Data Architecture and Storage

There is no persistent data store. All content is static MDX files stored in the git repository. No database, no cache, no user data.

Data Name	Store Technology	Authoritative?	Retention Period	Classification	Personal Data?
Standard content	Git (MDX files)	Yes	Indefinite (version-controlled)	Public	No
JSON Schema	Git (JSON file)	Yes	Indefinite (version-controlled)	Public	No
Templates	Git (generated files)	Yes	Indefinite (version-controlled)	Public	No

No PII is collected, processed, or stored. No cookies are set. No analytics are captured.

3.5 Security View

3.5.1 Security Overview

Question	Response
Does the solution support regulated activities?	No
Is the solution SaaS or third-party hosted?	Yes — Cloudflare Pages (SaaS)
Has a third-party risk assessment been completed?	No — not required for a public, zero-PII static site

Business Impact Assessment

Impact Category	Business Impact if Compromised
Confidentiality	Negligible — all content is public
Integrity	Low — content defacement would be noticed and reverted from git
Availability	Negligible — Tier 5 criticality; content available in git
Non-Repudiation	Not applicable

3.5.2 Authentication Model

Attribute	Detail
End-user authentication	None — public site
Pre-launch protection	Basic Auth via Cloudflare Pages middleware
Admin authentication	GitHub account (SSH key or PAT) for repository access

Secrets Management

Secret	Storage	Rotation
SITE_PASSWORD (pre-launch Basic Auth)	Cloudflare Pages environment variable	Removed after public launch

No other secrets exist. No API keys, no database credentials, no service accounts.

Transport Security

HTTPS is enforced for all traffic. SSL/TLS certificates are automatically provisioned and renewed by Cloudflare. HTTP requests are redirected to HTTPS.

DDoS and Edge Protection

Cloudflare provides DDoS mitigation, rate limiting, and bot management as part of its standard service. No additional configuration is required for a static site on the free tier.

3.6 Scenarios

Key Use Cases

UC-01: Architect Reads the Standard

Attribute	Detail
Actor(s)	Solution Architect
Trigger	Navigates to archstandard.org
Pre-conditions	Site is deployed and accessible
Main Flow	1. User opens browser and navigates to archstandard.org. 2. Cloudflare CDN serves static HTML. 3. User browses standard sections, uses search, and reads content.
Post-conditions	User has read the relevant sections
Views Involved	Logical, Physical

UC-02: Architect Downloads a Template

Attribute	Detail
Actor(s)	Solution Architect
Trigger	Clicks a template download link
Pre-conditions	Templates have been generated and deployed
Main Flow	1. User navigates to the Templates page. 2. User selects a format (Markdown, YAML, JSON, or DOCX). 3. Browser downloads the static file from Cloudflare CDN.
Post-conditions	User has a local copy of the blank SAD template
Views Involved	Logical, Physical

Architecture Decision Records

ADR-001: Chose Astro/Starlight over Docusaurus

Field	Content
Status	Accepted
Date	2025-04-15
Context	The project needs a static documentation framework with i18n support, MDX content, search, and strong accessibility.
Decision	Use Astro with the Starlight documentation theme.
Alternatives Considered	Docusaurus (React-based, heavier JS bundle, less flexible i18n), MkDocs (Python-based, limited component model), Hugo (Go-based, no native MDX support).
Consequences	Fast build times, small JS payload, built-in i18n routing, built-in search. Requires Node.js for development. Astro ecosystem is newer and smaller than React/Docusaurus.

ADR-002: Chose Cloudflare Pages over AWS S3 + CloudFront

Field	Content
Status	Accepted
Date	2025-04-15
Context	The site needs free or very low-cost static hosting with a global CDN, automatic SSL, and git-based deployment.
Decision	Use Cloudflare Pages with GitHub integration.
Alternatives Considered	AWS S3 + CloudFront (more complex setup, potential cost beyond free tier), GitHub Pages (limited build customisation, no edge functions for Basic Auth middleware), Netlify (comparable but Cloudflare offers better global edge coverage on free tier).
Consequences	Zero-cost hosting with automatic builds on git push. Custom domain with automatic SSL. Basic Auth middleware possible via Cloudflare Pages Functions. Vendor dependency on Cloudflare, but site is fully portable static HTML.

4. Quality Attributes

Minimal Depth Note

For a Tier 5, zero-cost static site, the quality attribute sections are deliberately brief. Cloudflare Pages provides CDN caching, HTTPS, and DDoS protection as standard. No additional operational tooling, monitoring, or resilience design is warranted.

4.1 Operational Excellence

No application monitoring or alerting is required. Cloudflare Pages provides build status notifications via GitHub. If a build fails, the previous deployment remains live.

Operational procedures are limited to: writing content in MDX, running npm run build locally to verify, and pushing to GitHub.

4.2 Reliability and Resilience

The site is served from Cloudflare’s global CDN with automatic failover between edge locations. No custom DR strategy is needed — the site can be rebuilt from the git repository and redeployed to any static hosting provider within minutes.

Attribute	Value
RTO	Not formally defined — minutes to redeploy
RPO	Zero — all content is in git
Backup strategy	Git repository (GitHub) is the source of truth

4.3 Performance Efficiency

The site is pre-rendered static HTML with minimal JavaScript. Cloudflare CDN caches all assets at the edge. No performance targets are defined beyond standard web performance best practices (fast load times, small bundle size).

4.4 Cost Optimisation

Cost Item	Monthly Cost
Cloudflare Pages (free tier)	0.00
Custom domain (archstandard.org)	~1.00 (annual, amortised)
Total	~1.00

No cost monitoring or FinOps practices are required at this scale.

4.5 Sustainability

The site is static HTML served from CDN edge caches. No always-on compute resources are consumed. Cloudflare operates carbon-neutral data centres. No further sustainability measures are warranted for a site of this scale.

5. Lifecycle Management

5.1 Software Development and CI/CD

Attribute	Detail
Source control platform	GitHub
CI/CD platform	Cloudflare Pages (built-in)
Build automation	`git push` to `main` triggers Cloudflare build automatically
Build command	`npm run build` (Astro build)
Deployment automation	Cloudflare Pages deploys on successful build
Test automation	None (static content; visual review via preview deployments)

Template generation: npm run generate:templates produces downloadable template files from the JSON Schema. This is run manually before committing updated templates.

5.2 Service Transition

Not applicable. This is a greenfield project with no migration from an existing system.

6. Decision Making and Governance

6.1 Constraints

ID	Constraint	Category	Impact on Design
C-001	Must be free or very low cost	Commercial	Drives selection of free-tier hosting (Cloudflare Pages) and open-source tooling (Astro)

6.2 Assumptions

ID	Assumption	Impact if False	Certainty	Status
A-001	Cloudflare Pages free tier is sufficient for expected traffic	Would need to evaluate paid tier or alternative host	High	Open

6.3 Risks

No material risks have been identified. The site is public, contains no sensitive data, and can be rebuilt from git at any time. Cloudflare service disruption would cause temporary unavailability with negligible business impact.

6.4 Dependencies

ID	Dependency	Type	Impact if Unavailable
D-001	GitHub	External service	Cannot push updates; existing site remains live

6.5 Architecture Decision Records

See ADR-001 and ADR-002 in Section 3.6.

7. Appendices

7.1 Glossary

Term	Definition
ADS	Architecture Description Standard — the standard published on this site
Astro	A static site generator optimised for content-heavy websites
CDN	Content Delivery Network
MDX	Markdown with JSX — allows components within Markdown content
SAD	Solution Architecture Document
Starlight	An Astro theme purpose-built for documentation websites

7.2 Reference Documents

Document	Version	Description	Location
Architecture Description Standard	1.0	The standard this site publishes	https://archstandard.org/standard/overview/
Astro Documentation	5.x	Framework documentation	https://docs.astro.build/
Starlight Documentation	Latest	Theme documentation	https://starlight.astro.build/

7.3 Approval Sign-Off

Role	Name	Date	Signature / Approval Reference
Solution Architect	Andi Chandler	2025-06-15	Approved

Compliance Scoring

Section	Score (0-5)	Notes
1. Executive Summary	4	Clear drivers, scope well-defined, criticality stated. No current-state section needed (greenfield).
3.1 Logical View	3	Components documented with technology choices. No complex decomposition needed for a static site.
3.2 Integration and Data Flow	3	All integrations documented (there are only two). No runtime interfaces exist.
3.3 Physical View	3	Hosting fully documented. No compute, networking, or environments to specify beyond CDN.
3.4 Data View	4	Data footprint fully documented. Explicitly confirms no PII and no persistent storage.
3.5 Security View	3	Security context documented, BIA completed, transport security confirmed. No threat model needed at this criticality.
3.6 Scenarios	3	Two use cases and two ADRs — proportionate to the solution’s simplicity.
4.1 Operational Excellence	3	Appropriate for a static site — no monitoring needed, build notifications sufficient.
4.2 Reliability	3	CDN resilience documented. Git-based recovery strategy clear.
4.3 Performance	3	Static site with CDN caching — performance is inherent, not engineered.
4.4 Cost Optimisation	4	Cost is effectively zero. Fully documented.
4.5 Sustainability	3	Minimal footprint acknowledged. No further action needed.
5. Lifecycle	3	Build and deploy process documented. No migration or complex CI/CD needed.
6. Decision Making	3	Constraints, assumptions, and dependencies captured. No material risks.
Overall	3	Appropriate for a Tier 5, Minimum-depth static site. All sections addressed proportionately.