Distributed application architecture
Get yourself ready for distributed application architecture management. This section examines both the existing and emerging tools and practices that orbit the world of distributed development and deployment approaches like microservices. Our experts explore the characteristics of a distributed system, provide advice to keep components integrated and more.
Top Stories
-
Feature
18 Jul 2022
5 benefits of APM for businesses
An APM platform monitors a company's application infrastructure, hence helping to optimize app performance, improve end-user experience and even ensure proper SLA compliance. Continue Reading
-
Tip
19 Nov 2021
How a microservices chassis regulates cross-cutting concerns
Those who've implemented a microservices architecture know that it presents a formidable collection of cross-cutting concerns to manage. Luckily, a microservices chassis might help. Continue Reading
-
Tip
08 Nov 2021
The distributed monolith: What it is and how to escape it
Do you suspect that your attempt at microservices left you with distributed monolith application design? There are some telltale signs -- and, thankfully, a few ways to escape it. Continue Reading
-
Tip
28 Sep 2021
8 fundamental microservices security best practices
Despite the benefits, microservices will introduce profound security issues. We review the biggest microservices security challenges and eight strategies used to combat them. Continue Reading
-
Tip
23 Sep 2021
The architectural impact of RPC in distributed systems
It has become increasingly important for software architects to understand the mechanics behind remote procedure call (RPC), particularly its role in distributed architectures. Continue Reading
-
Tip
16 Sep 2021
Follow 6 key steps to deploy microservices in production
To succeed with microservices, IT organizations need to rethink the way they design and deploy applications -- and not all the necessary changes are technical ones. Continue Reading
-
Tip
15 Sep 2021
Service mesh vs. API gateway: Where, why and how to use them
While they're both central to inter-application communication processes, it's important to understand the fundamental differences between a service mesh and an API gateway. Continue Reading
-
Tip
18 Aug 2021
Synchronous vs. asynchronous communications: The differences
Synchronous execution requires parties or components to work simultaneously in real time, while asynchronous communications don't need anyone to wait around for a reply. Continue Reading
-
Feature
05 Aug 2021
An A-to-Z guide to a microservices architecture transition
This comprehensive guide to microservices explains everything: comparisons to monolithic architectures, the role of APIs and containers, and design and deployment best practices. Continue Reading
-
Tip
03 Aug 2021
Microservices vs. SOA: Choose the right app architecture
This primer explains the ins and outs of a microservices vs. SOA architecture: when and where to use either one, and how both are evolving, thanks to containers. Continue Reading
-
Tip
29 Jul 2021
How microservices and containers work, apart and together
Microservices and containers are two methods that enable companies to more efficiently create and deliver applications. Here's how they work -- and when they're best used together. Continue Reading
-
Tip
29 Jul 2021
Microservices vs. APIs: How they differ and work together
Enterprises still rely on monolithic systems, but apps increasingly require speed, scale and flexibility. Here's how microservices and APIs achieve that, separately and together. Continue Reading
-
Feature
15 Jul 2021
Edge-to-cloud architecture turns key for digital initiatives
Enterprises pursuing digital transformation initiatives may need to reexamine their infrastructure architecture to bring compute and storage closer to data generated at the edge. Continue Reading
-
Tip
10 Jun 2021
5 proven patterns for resilient software architecture design
Maintaining a resilient software architecture is a constant battle. Luckily, there are a few design methods that can help teams instill the reliability they desperately need. Continue Reading
-
Tip
04 May 2021
A quick rundown of multi-runtime microservices architecture
Learn the basics about a multi-runtime architecture, and the two-component approach it takes to provide a standard for abstracted microservice-messaging processes. Continue Reading
-
Tip
25 Mar 2021
Can a loosely coupled architecture reduce technical debt?
While there are a lot of factors that impact technical debt, the level of coupling found in the underlying software architecture is often a primary culprit. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
16 Mar 2021
Fight microservices complexity with low-code development
Software developers are in a constant battle with complexity. Microservices hold promise as ready-to-assemble app components, but low-code development might be a better approach. Continue Reading
-
Tip
15 Mar 2021
A quick rundown of 3 layered architecture design styles
N-layer, hexagonal and onion are all layered architecture styles, but each one features its own unique spin on distributed design and modular development. Continue Reading
-
Feature
12 Mar 2021
'Practical Microservices' speaks the language of web developers
In his book, 'Practical Microservices,' Ethan Garofolo introduces web developers to the coding principles that form the foundation for microservices-based applications. Continue Reading
-
Guest Post
03 Mar 2021
Break down platforms via a service decomposition strategy
There's more than one way to break down a platform into microservices. This excerpt from 'Developing Microservice APIs with Python' explains one: decomposition by subdomains. Continue Reading
-
Tip
02 Mar 2021
Event-driven architecture pros and cons: Is EDA worth it?
Event-driven architecture (EDA) is a double-edged sword of service flexibility and management complexity. Let's take a quick look at the ups and downs of EDA. Continue Reading
-
Feature
25 Feb 2021
10 microservices patterns all architects should know
Choosing the right design pattern is a critical part of managing a microservices-based architecture. Here are 10 distributed design approaches that all architects should know. Continue Reading
-
Tip
17 Feb 2021
An overview of headless architecture design
Decoupling the back-end components of an application is certainly valuable, but what about the front end? This is where headless architecture comes into play. Continue Reading
-
Feature
08 Feb 2021
Explore 6 popular API gateway tools and how to choose one
Plenty of vendors have jumped on the API gateway trend, which can make it difficult to choose the right one for you. We examine the key features of six popular gateway tools. Continue Reading
-
Tip
04 Feb 2021
The basics of monitoring and observability in microservices
We examine how monitoring and observability help development teams keep a distributed architecture from coming unraveled by individual failures and performance bottlenecks. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
01 Feb 2021
Microservices design patterns and tools to watch in 2021
Building upon years of momentum, architects are well in the swing of transitioning from the monolith to microservices. Here are three of the top trends they'll face in 2021. Continue Reading
-
Tip
18 Dec 2020
The 4 rules of a microservices defense-in-depth strategy
Learn the four must-follow rules when introducing defense-in-depth to a distributed microservices architecture, especially when services traverse numerous networks and apps. Continue Reading
-
Tip
10 Dec 2020
The CAP theorem, and how it applies to microservices
Learn the fundamentals of the CAP theorem, how it comes into play with microservices and what it means for your distributed architecture design choices. Continue Reading
-
News
25 Nov 2020
New Agile 2 development aims to plug gaps, complement DevOps
The new Agile 2 initiative aims to address problems with the original Agile Manifesto and give greater voice to developers who are disenfranchised in existing Agile environments. Continue Reading
-
Tip
24 Nov 2020
How to master microservices data architecture design
Microservices have data management needs unlike any other application architecture today. You'll need the right set of knowledge, mechanisms and design principles to succeed. Continue Reading
-
Tip
17 Nov 2020
The vicious cycle of circular dependencies in microservices
Modular design is impossible so long as circular dependencies lurk in your architecture. So how can you break problematic coupling between otherwise-independent components? Continue Reading
-
Tip
29 Oct 2020
Understanding the modular monolith and its ideal use cases
While it isn't always the right fit, a modular monolith can often provide a happy medium between the simplicity of a traditional monolith and the complexity of microservices. Continue Reading
-
Tip
07 Oct 2020
A basic overview of micro front ends
Microservices enable independent app-dev teams, asynchronous app updates and precise troubleshooting. If these benefits sound good for your UI, consider a micro front end. Continue Reading
-
Tip
22 Sep 2020
The basics of software coupling metrics and concepts
To move toward a distributed, modular architecture, development teams need to carefully investigate software coupling concepts and learn how to measure dependency complexity. Continue Reading
-
Tip
16 Sep 2020
A lesson on how to test microservices locally
Microservices are small pieces of a big picture, so they're difficult to test in isolation. Use these tips to run unit and integration tests locally on microservices. Continue Reading
-
Tip
14 Sep 2020
MVC vs. MVVM: 2 architecture patterns for modularity
Both the MVC and MVVM design patterns separate front-end and back-end application components, but each one has unique methods of interface manipulation and abstraction. Continue Reading
-
Tip
11 Sep 2020
Learn the benefits of microservices orchestration
Orchestration plays a vital role in a microservices architecture, especially when it comes to communication, workload management and architecture readability. Continue Reading
-
Tip
27 Aug 2020
A primer on the clean architecture pattern and its principles
Stability is a crucial aspect of application architecture. Learn how clean architecture can straighten out your dependencies and make an app that is built to last. Continue Reading
-
Tip
17 Aug 2020
Styles, protocols and methods of microservices communication
As application architectures grow in complexity, messaging must become a priority. Review the two types of microservices communication and the primary protocols involved. Continue Reading
-
Tip
03 Aug 2020
Decomposing a monolithic database for microservices
When breaking up a monolith, it's critical to decompose your database alongside your new distributed services. We explore how to do this and avoid creating a distributed monolith. Continue Reading
-
Tip
30 Jul 2020
Navigate service discovery in a microservices architecture
Microservices move rapidly, making streamlined service discovery a must. Learn more about the specific types of discovery approaches and how to determine a strategy. Continue Reading
-
Tip
29 Jun 2020
What is the strangler pattern and how does it work?
The strangler pattern allows software teams to retire legacy systems incrementally and avoid the pitfalls of major rewrites. We examine this pattern and detail the steps involved. Continue Reading
-
Tip
02 Jun 2020
How to start using a BDD framework
Why bother with behavior-driven development? Learn how this Agile-focused development framework can help bolster application quality, and explore tooling that can help. Continue Reading
-
News
28 May 2020
Quarkus goes GA, gains Red Hat Runtimes support
With Quarkus, Red Hat targets the popular Spring Boot framework to help developers use Java as a first-class language to build microservices and container-based applications. Continue Reading
-
Tip
26 May 2020
Refactor vs. rewrite: Deciding what to do with problem software
At some point, all developers must decide whether to refactor code or rewrite it. Base this choice on factors such as architectural soundness, time, money and goals. Continue Reading
-
Tip
21 May 2020
3 lessons microservices developers can learn from SOA
Microservices developers can learn from past SOA mistakes to build more resilient and high-performance applications today. Take a look at three major lessons for microservices projects. Continue Reading
-
Tip
13 May 2020
How to fuse domain-driven design and microservices
Domain-driven design helps organizations create business capabilities with the architecture that microservices need. Here's how to merge DDD into your development process. Continue Reading
-
Tip
23 Apr 2020
4 microservices antipatterns that ruin migration
A migration to microservices can quickly lead to a chaotic heap of overly-coupled modules and fragile code. Here are the most critical microservices antipatterns to avoid. Continue Reading
-
Feature
15 Apr 2020
Industrial IoT powers distributed work during novel coronavirus
IIoT devices make remote work a possibility with the use of asset tracking, remote monitoring and support to keep supply chains running smoothly. Continue Reading
-
Feature
15 Apr 2020
Microservices availability tips for pandemic's scaling challenge
Surges in app user activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have forced architects to make immediate decisions around service availability and performance, especially for distributed architectures. Continue Reading
-
Feature
10 Apr 2020
5 core components of microservices architecture
Before you build a microservices application, take a closer look at the components of the architecture and their capabilities. Continue Reading
-
Tip
31 Mar 2020
How to plan and execute a migration to microservices
Ready for a migration to microservices? Here are the steps your development team can take to gradually transition your existing monolithic applications. Continue Reading
-
Tip
30 Mar 2020
The 3 tenets of microservice messaging patterns
In a microservices architecture, there's no question that it's tricky to ensure effective service communication. Review these three tenets of microservice messaging patterns. Continue Reading
-
Tip
27 Mar 2020
Get started with a hybrid microservices model
Enterprises don't always have to choose between a microservices and monolithic architecture -- take a hybrid approach to experience the best of both worlds. Continue Reading
-
Tip
10 Mar 2020
What is a microkernel architecture, and is it right for you?
Apps aren't limited to monolith and microservices architecture. Discover the benefits of a microkernel, common plugins and the apps best suited for this type of architecture. Continue Reading
-
Feature
09 Mar 2020
Break monoliths into microservices with 3 steps
To decompose a monolith into microservices, you could take the application offline or halt all updates and rewrite everything. Or you could follow this practical approach. Continue Reading
-
Tip
03 Mar 2020
Consider these key microservices caching strategies
Data caching is a key part of ensuring microservices have easy access to the data they need. We review a few key caching strategies. Continue Reading
-
Tip
28 Feb 2020
3 microservices resiliency patterns for better reliability
The flipside of microservices agility is the resiliency you can lose from service distribution. Here are some microservices resiliency patterns that can keep your services available and reliable. Continue Reading
-
Tip
26 Feb 2020
Fundamental patterns for service discovery in microservices
Service discovery is a huge part of managing a microservices-based application. We examine helpful service discovery patterns developers can use for clean service interaction. Continue Reading
-
Tip
19 Feb 2020
5 big microservices pitfalls to avoid during migration
Too many development teams make these failure-inducing mistakes during a switch to microservices. Learn where things go wrong, and the best ways to avoid problems. Continue Reading
-
Tip
12 Feb 2020
Is microservices adoption right for your organization?
Assess whether your org will benefit from microservices, and use this expert advice to take the initial steps to make a successful architectural and cultural transition. Continue Reading
-
Feature
10 Feb 2020
Popular microservices testing tools developers should know about
Testing microservices gets messy as services are independent and communicate often. Here are tests necessary for microservices, and popular tools developers use to perform them. Continue Reading
-
Tip
03 Feb 2020
A few fundamental microservices team structure strategies
A microservices architecture can be quite a culture shock to unprepared enterprises. Here's how you can prepare your team to make microservices part of development processes. Continue Reading
-
Feature
30 Jan 2020
Experts explain how AWS Lambda works internally
AWS Lambda introduces its fair share of benefits and problems. In case you missed it, here are three expert tips to help serverless functions find a comfortable place within your software systems. Continue Reading
-
Tip
17 Jan 2020
Advantages of monolithic architecture that prove it isn't dead
Don't rush to break up a monolith too quickly without considering what you might lose in the process. We examine why a monolithic architecture is sometimes the smarter choice. Continue Reading
-
Tip
13 Jan 2020
Follow these 10 fundamental microservices design principles
The right design principles enable microservices adopters to build an application from autonomous, cohesive components that can scale seamlessly. Here are 10 to follow. Continue Reading
-
News
09 Jan 2020
GraphQL vs. REST choice steers microservices development
GraphQL vs. REST: That is the question as teams tackle microservices architecture design, and at Pantheon, the choice came with both business boons and technical debt. Continue Reading
-
Photo Story
31 Dec 2019
5 predictions for 2020 software architecture trends
The past decade brought big changes to app development and management. Now, our contributors predict what the biggest software architecture trends of 2020 will be. Continue Reading
-
Tip
27 Dec 2019
How to tackle 5 common event bus pattern problems
The event bus pattern has quickly become a necessity, but it's not a free ride. Here are five common problems you'll face when you rely on an event bus. Continue Reading
-
Feature
27 Dec 2019
Vendors make a splash in 2019 service mesh implementation rush
There was a surge of service mesh options that hit the market in 2019, and two significant events helped shape its outcome. Expect to see Envoy and Istio steal the stage in 2020. Continue Reading
-
Tip
18 Dec 2019
How to test microservices for functionality and compliance
If you're new to microservices testing practices, understand that traditional techniques won't work anymore. We examine how to approach four critical microservices tests. Continue Reading
-
Tip
18 Nov 2019
Scaling microservices takes conceptual skills and good tooling
Independent scalability is a major benefit of microservices, and simultaneously a complex and challenging thing to implement. Scale microservices with a focus on users' priorities. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
05 Nov 2019
What should we make of ESB architecture in a distributed world?
Did microservices really kill the ESB? Or could it be that the push to asynchronous communication only makes application architects need centralized management more than ever? Continue Reading
-
Tip
03 Oct 2019
Compare microservices deployment patterns for best strategy
To solve pesky deployment woes, match your app to a microservices deployment pattern, like single service instance per host, multiple service instances per host or even serverless. Continue Reading
-
Feature
27 Sep 2019
Tips to use for microservices in mobile app development
With mobile apps dominating enterprise customer interactions, developers must dig into microservices architectures, brush up on programming skills and decipher business requirements. Continue Reading
-
Tip
27 Sep 2019
Choose an event-processing architecture for an application
Sift through the state control methods that exist for event-driven applications and see which architecture type is the best fit. Continue Reading
-
Tip
25 Sep 2019
These 6 microservices architecture design patterns solve problems
Navigate the benefits and drawbacks of standard architecture design patterns that aim to diminish microservices deployment and performance miseries. Continue Reading
-
Tip
23 Sep 2019
Unravel asynchronous inter-service communication in microservices
See why microservices need to communicate with each other asynchronously. Then, see how to surmount the challenges of inter-service communication in microservices architecture. Continue Reading
-
Tip
13 Sep 2019
Invoke these 3 commandments of microservice applications
Unlock a microservice app's potential with a three-pillared approach centered on a thorough component directory, absolute service flexibility and reliable backwards compatibility. Continue Reading
-
Tip
22 Aug 2019
Implement and manage an event-driven microservices architecture
Learn the basics of event-driven architecture as they apply to microservices, with the help of real-world examples and three main architecture patterns. Continue Reading
-
Tip
19 Aug 2019
What semantic monitoring can and can't do for microservices
Semantic monitoring can identify microservices performance problems, catch bugs in transactions and ensure uptime. But when you test in production, you'd better know what you're doing. Continue Reading
-
Tip
22 May 2019
4 fundamental practices for serverless architecture security
Are you ready for serverless security? Learn about four critical planning considerations software teams need to focus on if they plan to adopt serverless. Continue Reading
-
Tip
03 May 2019
ICYMI: 6 tips to master Kubernetes performance and management
The more skilled the team, the better a Kubernetes implementation can be. Learn how to get the most out of service discovery, infrastructure management, CI and more. Continue Reading
-
Tip
30 Apr 2019
What does it mean to be an enterprise API management architect?
APIs can't be taken lightly, and that means the API architect's job is essential. Learn about essential API architect responsibilities and how organizations can make the most of APIs. Continue Reading
-
Feature
10 Apr 2019
The value of APIs and microservices gateway tools
Make API gateways actually work for you. To deliver the right applications to the right places, you'll need a management layer that ties everything together. Continue Reading
-
Tip
22 Mar 2019
How API gateways work -- and why you need them
Learn the essentials of both API gateways and API design. Then, grasp how to use them to modernize monolithic apps and facilitate cloud-native microservices. Continue Reading
-
Quiz
06 Mar 2019
Quick quiz on creating APIs and managing APIs
API management and development processes are complicated, and developers need to know their way around many types of APIs. Prove what you know about creating APIs and managing them. Continue Reading
-
Feature
22 Feb 2019
Three keys to cloud API management success
Document and authenticate your way to API management success. Here are key elements of a sensible strategy to help you get the benefits of APIs without the headaches. Continue Reading
-
Tip
19 Feb 2019
How shared Lambda functions help microservices access control
Shared Lambda functions can help combat error message issues that arise when developers create custom authentication and authorization for microservices. Here's how they work. Continue Reading
-
Tip
31 Jan 2019
How Google Cloud Build helps microservices build automation
Google Cloud Build has the potential to play a valuable and reliable role in CI/CD pipelines for microservices development. Learn how Cloud Build can help. Continue Reading
-
Feature
31 Jan 2019
Monolith to microservices case study proves maintainability matters
See how microservices have changed one retail rewards tech company's development team makeup as it worked to leave monolithic apps behind. Continue Reading
-
Guide
28 Jan 2019
An architect's guide to microservices security
Whether you're new to distributed architecture or well underway with deployment, this guide on microservices security covers the basics through advanced tooling and strategies. Continue Reading
-
Tip
24 Dec 2018
Combining serverless and microservices has its benefits
Uncover the advantages that result from coupling serverless with microservices, and see how cloud providers prepare for customers to use these technologies together. Continue Reading
-
Tip
13 Dec 2018
To address microservices issues, turn to OOP principles
Developers may graduate to microservices from object-oriented programming, but the fundamental principles of OOP still apply, even if the techniques have changed. Continue Reading
-
Tip
30 Nov 2018
How to use microservices to manage serverless APIs
Monolithic applications may be a little bit heavy for development of serverless APIs, but microservices can make all the difference. Here's how to make it work. Continue Reading
-
Tip
15 Nov 2018
What to look for in an API development SaaS platform
Not all SaaS API development platforms are made the same. Learn about the fundamental capabilities that API SaaS tools should provide and discover some popular options. Continue Reading
-
Answer
13 Nov 2018
Should I use in-house or SaaS tools to develop APIs?
It's perfectly viable to approach API development using either in-house or SaaS-provided tooling, but each path has its place. Learn how to choose between these two methods. Continue Reading
-
Answer
12 Nov 2018
Should I use tools that support the OpenAPI Specification?
Thinking about applying the OpenAPI Specification to API development? Analyze OpenAPI's automation and standardization benefits and see if it will ease your API design difficulties. Continue Reading
-
Tip
02 Nov 2018
5 fundamental steps of managing APIs
API management is undeniably essential, but it requires a comprehensive plan. Here are the five steps of an API management strategy and advice on how to complete each one. Continue Reading
-
Quiz
31 Oct 2018
Test yourself on the challenges of microservices security
Think you know what complicates microservices security and what precautions to take to maximize protection? Challenge yourself, and take this quiz to find out. Continue Reading
-
Tip
30 Oct 2018
A quick primer on microservices load balancing
Work distribution in microservices is tricky; without the right strategy, you risk that workloads won't scale effectively. Here's how to nail down load balancing for microservices. Continue Reading
-
Tip
19 Oct 2018
How to make automation part of your microservices security
It's not ideal to manually test and secure a microservices environment. Consider automation tools when you need to fortify your microservices security plan. Continue Reading