Software Architecture
Comprehensive guide to software architecture patterns, styles, and best practices for building scalable systems
Software Architecture
Software architecture defines the high-level structure of a system, including its components, their relationships, and the principles governing their design and evolution. Choosing the right architecture is crucial for building maintainable, scalable, and resilient applications.
Architecture Styles Overview
| Architecture | Best For | Complexity | Scalability | Team Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monolithic | MVPs, Small apps | Low | Vertical | Small |
| Modular Monolith | Growing apps | Medium | Vertical | Medium |
| Microservices | Large systems | High | Horizontal | Large |
| Serverless | Event-driven, APIs | Medium | Auto | Any |
| Event-Driven | Real-time systems | High | Horizontal | Medium-Large |
| Hexagonal | Domain complexity | Medium | Varies | Medium |
| CQRS | High-read/write ratio | High | Horizontal | Medium-Large |
Choosing the Right Architecture
There is no "one-size-fits-all" architecture. The best choice depends on your team size, domain complexity, scalability requirements, and time-to-market constraints.
Architecture Categories
Monolithic Architecture
Single deployable unit - perfect for starting projects
Microservices
Distributed services with independent deployment
Serverless
Focus on code, let the cloud handle infrastructure
Event-Driven
Asynchronous communication through events
Hexagonal Architecture
Ports and adapters for domain isolation
CQRS & Event Sourcing
Separate read and write models for complex domains
Key Architecture Principles
1. Separation of Concerns
Divide your system into distinct sections, each addressing a separate concern.
// Bad: Mixed concerns
const createOrder = async (orderData: OrderInput) => {
// Validation, business logic, persistence, and notification all mixed
if (!orderData.items.length) throw new Error('No items');
const total = orderData.items.reduce((sum, i) => sum + i.price, 0);
await db.orders.insert({ ...orderData, total });
await sendEmail(orderData.customerEmail, 'Order confirmed');
await updateInventory(orderData.items);
return { success: true };
};
// Good: Separated concerns
const createOrder = async (orderData: OrderInput) => {
const validatedOrder = validateOrder(orderData); // Validation layer
const order = OrderService.create(validatedOrder); // Domain layer
await OrderRepository.save(order); // Persistence layer
await EventBus.publish(new OrderCreatedEvent(order)); // Event layer
return order;
};2. Single Source of Truth
Each piece of data should have one authoritative source.
3. Loose Coupling, High Cohesion
Components should be independent but internally focused on a single purpose.
4. Design for Failure
Assume components will fail and design accordingly.
// Resilient service call with retry and circuit breaker
const fetchUserData = async (userId: string) => {
return withCircuitBreaker(
() => withRetry(
() => userService.getById(userId),
{ maxRetries: 3, backoff: 'exponential' }
),
{ failureThreshold: 5, resetTimeout: 30000 }
);
};Architecture Decision Records (ADR)
Document your architecture decisions using ADRs:
# ADR-001: Choose Microservices Architecture
## Status
Accepted
## Context
Our monolithic application is experiencing scaling issues
and deployment bottlenecks with 50+ developers.
## Decision
Migrate to microservices architecture with domain-driven boundaries.
## Consequences
- **Positive**: Independent scaling, team autonomy, technology flexibility
- **Negative**: Increased operational complexity, network latency
- **Risks**: Data consistency challenges, debugging difficultyNext Steps
Start with the architecture that matches your current needs, not your future dreams. You can always evolve:
- Starting a new project? → Begin with Monolithic
- Need auto-scaling? → Explore Serverless
- Building at scale? → Learn Microservices
- Complex domain? → Study Hexagonal