02. Architect the Solution Architecture (Asset)

Objectives

• Understand reusable architectural assets.

• Learn about architectural styles, components, and integration options.

• Utilize assets for architecture definition.

Key Topics

• Metamodel of Architectural Assets

• Architecture Styles

• Reference Architectures

• Architectural Description

Deriving Architecture

• Different approaches for similar vs. innovative systems:

  • Similar System: Reuse method and assets.

  • Innovative System: Use intuition.

Architectural Assets

• Reference patterns and architectures capture past successes in system architecture.

Architecture Styles

• Structural Styles:

  • Client-Server: Client (e.g., web browser) and server components interacting.

  • Tiered Computing: Multiple tiers providing services (e.g., 3-tier, n-tier).

• Peer-to-Peer: Direct communication between peers without a central server.

• Event-Based (Point to Point and Publish/Subscribe): Message passing between components.

• Call and Return: Components execute based on control from other components.

Databases

• SQL vs. NoSQL:

  • SQL: Fixed schema, vertical scaling, strong consistency.

  • NoSQL: Dynamic schema, horizontal scaling, variable consistency.

Brewer’s CAP Theorem

• Only two of the three properties (Consistency, Availability, Partition tolerance) can be achieved simultaneously in shared data systems.

Architectural Description

• IEEE 42010: Standard for describing software architecture, involves multiple views for a comprehensive understanding:

  • Logical, Development, Process, Physical, Infrastructure, Deployment, and Information Structure Views.

Reference Architectures

• Specific to domains and include multiple architectural patterns, such as:

  • Web Architecture, SOA, Microservices, Cloud Architectures.

Summary

• Architectural metamodel consists of reference patterns, architectures, and descriptions.

• Choosing the right architecture based on knowledge and experience is critical for system quality.