Enterprise architecture management
As the direct connection between business-side and software-side concerns become stronger and more apparent, software architects and the choices they make are more in the spotlight than ever. Learn about the underlying details of large-scale enterprise architecture management, including how to build for resiliency and techniques to implement new design patterns.
Top Stories
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Tip
23 Mar 2023
The raw -- yet burgeoning -- potential of coreless banking
While coreless banking is still a novel concept, it shows strong potential to liberate banks from the rigid software systems that have dominated the industry for decades. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Jan 2023
5 ways to survive the challenges of monolithic architectures
Those unable to make the jump to microservices still need a way to improve architectural reliability. Here are five ways software teams can improve a monolith's reliability. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Jan 2023
A guide to network APIs and their use cases
An API enables communication between two applications, while a network API provides communication between the network infrastructure -- and its protocols -- and applications. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Jan 2023
How architects can use napkin math to forecast performance
Although modern software systems can be inordinately complex, architects can still use simple napkin math to glean quick overviews of system performance and architecture alignment. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Nov 2022
10 training courses to prep for microservices certification
While it's not necessarily easy to become certified in microservices architecture, there are plenty of courses you can take to prep for certification exams like the S90.MSA. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Oct 2022
The basics, benefits and risks of cell-based architecture
Developers who work with microservices may find the concept familiar, but cell-based architecture takes its own spin on modularity to address large-scale system failover issues. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 Aug 2022
3 common CQRS pattern problems, and how teams can avoid them
While CQRS can provide a lot of value when it comes to structuring an event-driven architecture, improper practices can cause this pattern to be more of a burden than a blessing. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Jul 2022
10 application performance metrics and how to measure them
You've deployed your application, now what? To keep your application performing well, you need to track various metrics. Take a look at these ten critical KPIs. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Jul 2022
Top 12 application performance monitoring tools
Discover the basic capabilities to evaluate when choosing an APM tool, and then review a list of APM vendors to help you get started with your selection process. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Jul 2022
APM vs. observability: Key differences explained
If you're debating the use of application performance monitoring and observability to gather system data and improve the user experience, we break down the approaches. Continue Reading
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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
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Tip
15 Jul 2022
Using AI and machine learning for APM
Discover how organizations can streamline operations and improve operational analytics by using AI and machine learning in their application performance monitoring environments. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
30 Jun 2022
Tuning enterprise architecture to cope with accelerating change
In the realm of enterprise architecture, real agility starts with architectural simplicity. Learn how businesses can reduce complexity -- and boost organizational dexterity. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jun 2022
Ardoq Discover boosts enterprise architecture tool usability
Tools for enterprise architects get criticized for their complexity, but they are getting better. A recently released module from Ardoq seeks to improve usability. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 May 2022
6 ways cloud-native and cloud-agnostic architecture differ
While development teams should carefully weigh the tradeoffs between cloud-native and cloud-agnostic architectures, they don't necessarily have to commit to just one. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Apr 2022
16 BPM best practices to ensure project success
A BPM approach to transformation enables companies to continuously improve and reinvent their business processes, injecting innovation as they go. Learn how to do it right. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Apr 2022
6 trends shaping the future of BPM
BPM is evolving quickly as advanced automation, integration with software platforms and democratized tools extend its reach. Read about the future of BPM. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Mar 2022
The role of sidecars in microservices architecture
Sidecars can do a lot for microservices when it comes to communication with distributed application components, though they also present some precarious management challenges. Continue Reading
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News
24 Mar 2022
PlanetScale eases serverless database schema migration
The database-as-a-service platform vendor looks to make it easier for developers to build data-driven applications and revert schema changes when needed. Continue Reading
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Tip
04 Jan 2022
The pros, cons and challenges of containerized microservices
Containerized microservices are certainly a popular deployment approach, but are they the best? They can be, provided you overcome the unique challenges they present. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Dec 2021
Will .NET 6 features bridge the gap between .NET frameworks?
Microsoft's original .NET Framework has come a long way, but will the new iterations of this framework be enough to convince developers to leave it behind? Continue Reading
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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
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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
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Tip
15 Oct 2021
Functional vs. object-oriented programming: The basics
Choosing between functional programming vs. object-oriented programming isn't easy, but there are plenty of key factors that may help make the decision easier. Continue Reading
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Tip
30 Jun 2021
How to handle typical event-driven architecture failures
Adding events to an architecture can pose plenty of problems. Review some common event-driven architecture failures development teams face, and some strategic fixes for them. Continue Reading
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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
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Tip
08 Jun 2021
Event-driven vs. message-driven: It comes down to complexity
While the goal doesn't change, how do message-driven and event-driven design approaches really differ? More importantly, how do you choose the right approach? Continue Reading
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Tip
28 May 2021
The reasons to use (or not use) sidecars in Kubernetes
Sidecar containers provide a great relief to developers who need to manage large clusters of containerized applications at scale. But is it always the right approach? Continue Reading
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Tip
18 May 2021
Do the disadvantages of service-oriented architecture matter?
While it doesn't carry the shiny appeal of microservices, there's no reason to believe that SOA is totally down for the count. In fact, sometimes it's an essential approach. Continue Reading
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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
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News
31 Mar 2021
OSDU Data Platform opens door to new apps in energy sector
A new OSDU standard aims to bring information from oil, gas, wind, solar and other sources into a single data platform to help energy companies address future demand. Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2021
LeanIX adds SaaS, microservice management to product lineup
Enterprise architect specialist LeanIX expanded its portfolio through the purchase of SaaS management startup Cleanshelf and the introduction of a Microservice Intelligence tool. Continue Reading
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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News
05 Feb 2021
Open Group turns focus to TOGAF, Agile architecture guidance
The Open Group's Steve Nunn discusses upcoming work to improve its Open Agile Architecture standard and TOGAF guides as well as COVID-19's impact on enterprise architecture. Continue Reading
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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
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Feature
30 Dec 2020
Enterprise application trends that will impact 2021
The past year evoked a wave of new software needs, especially in the wake of COVID-19 and increased needs for availability. Here are some 2020 trends that will take shape in 2021. Continue Reading
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News
24 Dec 2020
Enterprise architecture tools could be acquisition targets
Avolution, Bizzdesign, Mega and Software AG tools lead the Gartner Magic Quadrant on enterprise architecture, but analysts see big players in neighboring markets joining the fray. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Dec 2020
COVID-19 drives, informs low-code/no-code movement
Low-code/no-code application development platforms got a boost from the COVID-19 pandemic. Going forward, enterprises must focus on scalability and integration. Continue Reading
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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
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Tip
04 Dec 2020
Using the saga design pattern for microservices transactions
We explore how the saga design pattern can support complex, long-term business processes and provide reliable rollback mechanisms for multistep transaction failures. Continue Reading
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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
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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
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News
20 Oct 2020
Enterprise architecture tools add pandemic-related updates
The COVID-19 pandemic spurs vendors of enterprise architecture products to add new online and mobile capabilities and promote business functionality to address changing customer needs. Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2020
New LeanIX EA module can ease linking IT to business goals
LeanIX's new Business Transformation Management module tries to simplify planning through its 'GitHub for IT architecture' approach and Apple Time Machine-like visualization tool. Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2020
The Open Group finalizes Open Agile Architecture standard
The Open Group published a new standard to provide guidance and best practices for enterprise architects transitioning to Agile methodologies for digital transformation. Continue Reading
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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
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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
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News
20 Aug 2020
Snyk, Accurics secure infrastructure as code
Snyk has introduced a new tool to help developers secure their infrastructure-as-code configurations. Accurics also upgraded its infrastructure-as-code security tool. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Aug 2020
Orchestration vs. choreography in microservices architecture
Orchestration and choreography are related, but they each have their own role to play. Get to know the basics of these service call approaches, including the use cases for each. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Aug 2020
Application architecture changes force IT to adjust focus
IT teams should focus on developer needs to control security and cost management and prevent vendor lock-in as businesses demand faster application turnaround, a consultant advises. Continue Reading
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News
17 Aug 2020
Mirantis buys Lens Kubernetes IDE to reach developers
With the Lens Kubernetes IDE in hand, Mirantis wants to connect directly to a developer base that is becoming more influential in the enterprise. Continue Reading
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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
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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
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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
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Feature
15 Jun 2020
A five-point primer on event-driven design
More apps are moving away from request-driven models in favor of event-driven architecture. But are you ready for this design? Find out with these five quick tips. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Jun 2020
An enterprise architect's guide to the data modeling process
As volumes of both business and application data grow, organizations need a strict, three-phase data modeling process that keeps that data contained and manageable. Continue Reading
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Tip
19 Mar 2020
4 trends for Kubernetes cloud-native teams to watch in 2020
Today's software architectural landscape seems to change like the weather. Stay ahead of the curve with these cloud-related trends, including GitOps and service meshes. Continue Reading
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Tip
07 Jan 2020
3 event sourcing patterns that ease app processing
Examine the pros and cons of three event sourcing patterns that solve certain problems but can introduce new ones in an event-driven architecture. Continue Reading
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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
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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
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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
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Tip
26 Nov 2019
5 ways to get complex event processing right
How should software teams make the best use of complex event processing, and how can they implement it successfully? This article looks at five fundamental truths about CEP. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 Nov 2019
An introduction to combining CQRS and event sourcing
Combining CQRS and event sourcing is a powerful way to maintain data speed and consistency for web-scale applications. Learn about the pros and cons of pairing these two processes. Continue Reading
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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
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Answer
31 Oct 2019
What are the benefits of event-driven architecture patterns?
See how event-driven architecture patterns can set up an enterprise application for adaptability in a way that monolithic architectures can't. Continue Reading
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Opinion
22 Oct 2019
The best Agile architects write code
To be a better software architect, brush up on programming skills and write code. See how Agile architects help developers and make projects better when they dabble in coding. Continue Reading
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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
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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
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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
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Feature
17 Sep 2019
Container image size makes a difference
IT teams ready to embark on container deployment should look closely at how developers break down and package application components. Little details will be important. Continue Reading
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Quiz
11 Sep 2019
Challenge your wits on stateful and stateless concepts
It's essential to understand the differences between stateful and stateless application characteristics, especially as distributed architectures grow in popularity. Test your knowledge on state concepts with this quiz. Continue Reading
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Infographic
29 Aug 2019
Serverless architecture diagram shows a new side of server-side
Examine this serverless architecture diagram to see how development processes and the lifecycle of code differs from traditional server- and client-side development. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Aug 2019
Match market shifts with a lightweight enterprise architecture
Lightweight EA can streamline and refine how IT software meets business needs. See which lightweight EA toolkit route fits your team: one focused on an EA model or workflows. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Aug 2019
ICYMI: How to select and manage serverless APIs effectively
Explore how API selection and API management in a serverless architecture can make all the difference between getting results and having your project fall flat. Continue Reading
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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
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Tip
22 Aug 2019
Serverless testing in CI eliminates surprises in production
Writing in a functional language without intuitive unit test coverage? Don't have control over resources or scaling? Here's how to make serverless testing work anyway. Continue Reading
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Answer
30 Jul 2019
Why would I use Micronaut framework instead of Java?
Micronaut is JVM-based, so what does it bring to application development and test that the Java framework doesn't already address? Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Jul 2019
The essentials of refactoring a monolith to microservices
Enterprise apps are complex, long-lived and vital to the business. In short, they're excruciatingly difficult to modernize. If you address these prerequisites, it will hurt less. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Jul 2019
How to design APIs for hybrid cloud architecture
Hybrid cloud is complex, particularly because it's the application -- not the server -- that manages API flows. Review some strategies for API management in a hybrid scenario. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 Jul 2019
A serverless architecture tutorial for development teams
Still emerging serverless technology offers some big advantages for development teams. This serverless architecture tutorial can help clarify the basics on where to start. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2019
Pivotal tools aim to ease Kubernetes complexity for developers
Pivotal has released several tools to help developers and operators address Kubernetes complexity, as enterprises increasingly adopt the popular container orchestration system. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Jul 2019
Prepare to face these 4 common challenges with microservices
The benefits of microservices come with a cost. Review four common ways breaking up a monolith can actually complicate routine application development and management tasks. Continue Reading