Architectural Patterns

Overview

Architectural patterns define high-level structure of software systems and team boundaries.

Common Patterns

• Layered architecture
• Hexagonal architecture
• Event-driven architecture
• Microservices architecture
• Modular monolith

flowchart TD
    UI[Presentation Layer] --> APP[Application Layer]
    APP --> DOMAIN[Domain Layer]
    APP --> INFRA[Infrastructure Layer]

Practical Example

A modular monolith for an insurance platform may contain independent modules for policy, claims, and billing, each with separate service interfaces and data access boundaries.

Selection Criteria

• Team size and ownership model
• Performance and scale requirements
• Compliance and audit constraints
• Deployment and release strategy

Common Pitfalls

• Choosing architecture by trend instead of context
• Ignoring migration cost and team readiness
• Creating tight coupling between modules despite boundaries

Key Takeaways

• Architecture should optimize for business change and reliability.
• Modular monolith is often an effective default.
• Pattern success depends on operational discipline.