Software Architecture Patterns: What Are the Types and Which Is the Best One for Your Project | Turing

In this blog post, we’ll discuss what is a software architectural pattern? What are the different types of architectural patterns? What is the best software architecture pattern? And some use cases of popular software architecture patterns.

Let’s dive in. 

The architecture of software is its cornerstone, as it affects many factors during software’s life cycle, including maintainability, scalability, stability, and security. 

After the primary four phases of software architecture development – architectural requirements analysis, architectural design, architectural documentation, and architectural evaluation, architects lay out a system architecture diagram. 

The system architecture diagram is the initial step in implementing new software. Software architecture diagrams assist architects in planning and implementing network modifications, visualizing strategic efforts, and anticipating the company’s requirements.

Nowadays, system architectural diagrams are essential for communicating with other developers and stakeholders as software systems and online applications have become complicated. 

What is software architecture?

Software architecture explains a system’s core ideas and characteristics with respect to its relationships, environment, and other design principles. Software architecture includes a software system’s organizational structure, behavioral components, and composition of those components into more complex subsystems.

The foundation for how you will handle performance, fault tolerance, scalability, and dependability in the future is laid by having great architecture. As you scale up, choosing the appropriate architecture for your software will result in more reliable performance under challenging circumstances.

Even if you don’t foresee a rise in users, considering the broad picture for your software and how to convey that vision to others will assist you and your team in making strategic decisions. 

Five types of software architecture patterns

There are many different types of software architecture patterns, so being aware of the most common ones will help you save time. Here is a brief overview of five distinct architectural pattern kinds.

1. Layered pattern
   

   As the name implies, the components of this pattern are arranged one on top of the other in layers of subtasks. 

   Every layer is independent of the others, and each layer has certain objectives to complete. The code inside a layer can be changed without impacting others since each layer is independent. 

   The bulk of the software is designed using this pattern, which is utilized most frequently. The phrase “N-tier architecture” also applies to this layer. 

   This design essentially has four layers. They are as follows: 

   1. Layer of presentation:

      The user interface layer where you see and enter data into an application.

   2. Commercial layer:

      The layer responsible for executing business logic as per the request.

   3. The application layer:

      The layer which serves as a conduit for information exchange between the presentation layer and the data layer. 

   4. Layer of data:

      The layer which manages data. 

      Ideal for:

      E-commerce web applications development. E.g., the Amazon shopping app.  

2. Client-server pattern
   

   There are two main components to the client-server pattern. They consist of several clients and a server. Here, a client asks the server for a particular resource out of the server’s resources, such as files. The server then processes the request and returns the appropriate response.

   Examples of software developed in this pattern are as follows: 

   1. Email

   2. WWW

   3. File sharing apps

   4. Banking apps

      Ideal for:

      Multi utility apps with strong security features. E.g., Gmail.

3. Event-driven pattern
   

   An event-driven architecture pattern allows the software’s services to be triggered by external events. 

   What does an event signify? 

   When a user interacts with an application created using the event-driven architecture, a state changes in response. This triggered response is an event. For instance, when a new user signs up for Facebook, their account is established as soon as they complete the signup form and clicks the signup button.

   Ideal for:

     Building websites with JavaScript and e-commerce websites in general. E.g., Credit card swipe. 

4. Microkernel pattern
   

   The microkernel pattern has two major components. They are as follows: A. 

   The application’s core system manages its most basic and necessary functions. B. 

   The plug-in modules handle the additional functionalities.

   These components are a core system and plug-in modules. 

   Imagine you’ve created a chat application successfully. The app’s fundamental feature allows you to text anyone worldwide without using the internet. You eventually decide to add a voice messaging capability to the application. 

   You can only add this feature to the already constructed program because the microkernel pattern makes it easy to add features as plug-ins.

   Ideal for:

    Applications with a focus on products and scheduling. E.g., Instagram reels, YouTube Shorts, and others.

5. Microservices pattern
   

   The microservices pattern

   is a grouping of small services that come together to create the actual application. Smaller programs are created independently for each service of an application as opposed to creating a larger one. These little programs are then combined to form a complete application. 

   When an application is designed using the microservices pattern, it is no longer difficult to add new features.

   When using microservices patterns, modules are loosely connected. As a result, they are simple to comprehend, flexible, and expandable. For example, Netflix is one of the most popular examples of software built-in microservices architecture. 

   Ideal for:

   Websites and applications having small components.  E.g., Spotify. 

Bottom line

Other architecture patterns, such as the broker pattern, event-bus pattern, pipe-filter pattern, and blackboard design, are also helpful in many software development contexts. However, the idea is the same for all architecture patterns: defining the fundamental features of your application, improving the product’s usefulness, and boosting the effectiveness and productivity of the app-building process. 

Make sure to read the function of all architecture patterns before finalizing one. The incorrect architecture pattern can cause delays in your project and possibly result in software failure. 

So, to select the architecture pattern that best suits your software requirements, have a solid understanding of architecture patterns and the applications for which they are most appropriate. In addition, hire talented software architects who know about each pattern. 

Visit Turing.com to hire experienced software architects and engineers to help you discover the gaps in team composition, ensure effective training, and facilitate growth for the company. Visit the Hire Developers page for more information. 

FAQs

1. How many software architecture patterns are there?
   

   Right now, the majority of programs use one of the following five architectures:  1. Layered Pattern 2. Client-Server Pattern 3. Event-Driven Pattern 4. Microkernel Pattern 5. Microservices Pattern

2. What is the best software architecture pattern?
   

   The layered architecture pattern also referred to as the n-tier architecture pattern, is the most used architecture design pattern. Since most Java EE applications use this pattern as their de facto standard, most architects, designers, and developers are familiar with it.