# Impact Analysis

> The activity of tracing a change through the dependency graph to find every consumer it affects.

Record: `architecture:impact-analysis`
Kind: activity
Layer: [Evolution Principles](https://banes-lab.com/records/layer/evolution-principles.md)
Severity: recommended
Scope: change, dependency graph, API
Canonical: https://banes-lab.com/ontology#architecture-impact-analysis

Listed in [Architecture principles](https://banes-lab.com/api/records/architecture.md), after [Code Review](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/code-review.md) and before [Gap Analysis](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/gap-analysis.md).

## Repair

- Refactored by: Add Dependency Map, Add Regression Tests
- Detected by: change touching dependencies without impact note
- Violated by: breaking dependent behavior without awareness
- Measured by: affected component count
- Enforced by: PR template, dependency tooling

## Requires

- [Dependency Graph](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/dependency-graph.md)
- [Contracts](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/contracts.md)

## Reinforces

- [Change Safety](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/change-safety.md)

## Enables

- [Regression Scope Selection](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/regression-scope-selection.md)

## Conflicts with

- [Blind Change](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/blind-change.md)

## In tension with

- [Analysis Overhead](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/analysis-overhead.md)

## Tensions

- [Impact Analysis / Analysis Overhead](https://banes-lab.com/records/tension/analysis-overhead-impact-analysis.md)

## Severity

- [recommended](https://banes-lab.com/records/vocabulary/severity-recommended.md)

## Category

- [Architecture Review / Evolution / Governance Artifacts](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture-category/architecture-review-evolution-governance-artifacts.md)

## Enabled by

- [Causal Dependency](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/causal-dependency.md)

## Linked from

- [The plan is a graph](https://banes-lab.com/disciplined-methodology/plan/the-flat-checklist.md)
- [Moves and renames](https://banes-lab.com/disciplined-methodology/verify/moves-and-renames.md)
- [A system is a graph](https://banes-lab.com/software-architecture/model/a-system-is-a-graph.md)
- [Causality / Ordering / Distributed Time](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/principles/architecture-category-causality-ordering-distributed-time.md)
- [Architecture Review Evolution Governance](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/lexicon/lexicon-category-architecture-review-evolution-governance.md)
- [Core Vocabulary](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/lexicon/lexicon-category-core-vocabulary.md)
- [Severity levels](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/schema/the-vocabulary-severity.md)
- [The resolutions](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/schema/the-resolutions.md)