Architecture Patterns
Proven design patterns for building scalable, resilient, and maintainable software systems. Learn when and how to apply each pattern with real-world examples.
Event Sourcing Pattern
Store all changes as a sequence of events to enable temporal queries and audit trails.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Complete audit trail of all changes
- Temporal queries and point-in-time recovery
- Decoupled read and write models
- Scalable event processing
Trade-offs
- Increased storage requirements
- Complexity in event schema evolution
- Learning curve for developers
Saga Pattern
Manage distributed transactions across multiple microservices using compensating actions.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Maintains data consistency across services
- Handles partial failures gracefully
- Supports long-running transactions
Trade-offs
- Complex compensation logic
- Difficult to debug and monitor
- Potential for infinite compensation loops
Circuit Breaker Pattern
Prevent cascading failures by temporarily blocking calls to failing services.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Prevents cascading failures
- Fast failure responses
- Automatic recovery mechanism
Trade-offs
- Additional latency in some cases
- Complex state management
- Potential for false positives
CQRS Pattern
Separate read and write operations to optimize performance and scalability.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Optimized read and write performance
- Independent scaling of read/write operations
- Flexible data models for different use cases
Trade-offs
- Increased system complexity
- Eventual consistency challenges
- Data synchronization overhead
Bulkhead Pattern
Isolate failures by partitioning resources and limiting the impact of failures.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Isolates failures to specific partitions
- Prevents resource exhaustion
- Enables graceful degradation
Trade-offs
- Resource underutilization
- Increased infrastructure costs
- Complex resource management
Retry Pattern
Automatically retry failed operations with exponential backoff and jitter.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Handles transient failures automatically
- Improves system reliability
- Simple to implement and understand
Trade-offs
- Increased latency for failed requests
- Potential for resource exhaustion
- May mask underlying system issues
Dead Letter Queue Pattern
Handle messages that cannot be processed by routing them to a special queue.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Prevents message loss
- Enables manual intervention
- Provides audit trail for failures
Trade-offs
- Additional infrastructure complexity
- Manual processing required
- Potential for message accumulation
Outbox Pattern
Ensure reliable message delivery by storing messages in the same transaction as business data.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Guarantees message delivery
- Maintains data consistency
- Handles system failures gracefully
Trade-offs
- Increased database load
- Complex cleanup procedures
- Potential for duplicate messages
Sidecar Pattern
Attach a helper container to your application for cross-cutting concerns.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Separation of concerns
- Reusable across applications
- Independent scaling and deployment
Trade-offs
- Increased resource usage
- Complexity in debugging
- Potential for tight coupling
Ambassador Pattern
Create a helper service that handles communication concerns for your application.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Centralized communication logic
- Easier to implement cross-cutting concerns
- Simplified application code
Trade-offs
- Additional network hop
- Single point of failure
- Increased latency
Hexagonal Architecture (Ports & Adapters)
Design applications with clear boundaries between business logic and external concerns.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Clear separation of concerns
- Testable business logic
- Technology-agnostic design
Trade-offs
- Increased complexity
- More interfaces to maintain
- Learning curve for teams
Strangler Fig Pattern
Gradually replace legacy systems by incrementally migrating functionality.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Risk mitigation
- Gradual migration
- Business continuity
Trade-offs
- Complex routing logic
- Dual system maintenance
- Data synchronization challenges
Anti-Corruption Layer
Isolate your system from external dependencies using an intermediate layer.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Protects system integrity
- Eases external system changes
- Maintains clean architecture
Trade-offs
- Additional complexity
- Performance overhead
- Maintenance burden
Event-Driven Architecture
Build loosely coupled systems that communicate through events.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Loose coupling
- Scalability
- Asynchronous processing
Trade-offs
- Eventual consistency
- Complex debugging
- Event ordering challenges
Micro-Frontends Pattern
Build frontend applications as independent, deployable micro-applications.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Independent deployment
- Team autonomy
- Technology diversity
Trade-offs
- Bundle size optimization
- Shared state management
- Integration complexity
Serverless Architecture
Build applications using managed services and event-driven functions.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Auto-scaling
- Pay-per-use pricing
- Reduced operational overhead
Trade-offs
- Cold start latency
- Vendor lock-in
- Debugging complexity
Service Mesh Architecture
Manage service-to-service communication with dedicated infrastructure layer.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Centralized control
- Advanced traffic management
- Enhanced observability
Trade-offs
- Increased complexity
- Performance overhead
- Learning curve
Chaos Engineering
Proactively test system resilience by intentionally injecting failures.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Proactive failure detection
- Improved system resilience
- Confidence in reliability
Trade-offs
- Potential service disruption
- Complex setup
- Team resistance
Data Fabric Architecture
Create unified data access layer across distributed data sources.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Unified data access
- Data governance
- Reduced data silos
Trade-offs
- Complex implementation
- Performance overhead
- Integration challenges
Edge Computing Architecture
Process data closer to the source for reduced latency and bandwidth usage.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Reduced latency
- Bandwidth optimization
- Offline capability
Trade-offs
- Limited resources
- Security challenges
- Management complexity
Quantum-Ready Architecture
Design systems that can leverage quantum computing capabilities in the future.
Architecture Diagram
Benefits
- Future-proof architecture
- Quantum advantage potential
- Competitive positioning
Trade-offs
- Early adoption complexity
- Limited tooling
- Uncertain timeline
Ready to master these patterns?
Join thousands of developers who are already building better systems with our proven architecture patterns.