10 Best Software Architecture Patterns of 2022 [Pros and Cons Defined!]
Software architecture is the organization of a system. This excellent organization includes the fundamental components, the environment in which they operate, how they interact, and the complete principles used for designing the software.
Wait! Do you have an idea about Software Architecture Pattern?
The software architecture pattern is a reusable, general solution to a common problem in the software architecture within the specified context. The overall architectural patterns successfully address different issues in software engineering. Some of these issues are computer hardware performance limitations, minimization of business risk, and high availability.
The overall architectural patterns have been properly implemented within the software framework. Though the software architectural pattern conveys the system's image, it is not architecture. The architectural pattern is just a concept designed to solve and delineate essential cohesive elements of the software architecture.
Why is the Software Architecture Pattern Important?
The software architecture patterns hold importance because they can solve different problems within different domains. There is no need to depend on a single server. This is because complex user requests can be segmented into small chunks and distributed across several servers. Dividing various segments of the software is very important for simplifying the process of testing protocols.
Defining the basic features of an application: Choose the right software architecture that meets your business objectives. It can be done by knowing the overall features, benefits, and drawbacks of the architecture in detail. Architecture patterns assist a lot in defining the basic features and behaviors of an application.
Maintaining both quality and efficiency: There is a maximum chance that any system you build might face any quality issues. Choosing an architecture pattern as per the software development quality attributes can help reduce the quality issues while maintaining efficiency.
Providing agility: Software applications can undergo several modifications and iterations, especially during software development and after production. Planning core software architecture beforehand is vital as it provides agility to the system and makes upcoming moderations easy.
Solving problems: Prior planning and knowledge of the software architecture do not fail to give you a clear idea about how the complete application and its components will function. The developing team can adopt first-class practices for resolving complex processes and solving errors in the upcoming days with architecture in place.
Enhancing productivity: Some standardized principles are associated with the software architecture pattern regardless of developers' expertise in a programming language, application, or framework. You can quickly grasp the project's status with a suitable application pattern in place.
Top 10 Software Architecture Patterns
1. Layered Architecture Pattern
Designers and software architects know the multi-layered, n-tier, or tiered architecture for its commonalities with the usual IT communication arrangements in start-ups and established businesses. The four unique layers of a layered architecture are presentation, business, persistence, and database. The complete pattern is not confined to the particular layers. Java EE is a good example of the framework using this architecture pattern.
Benefits
Applications can be built quickly
Enterprise applications need the traditional IT departments as well as processes
Suitable for any team with inexperienced developments and members with limited knowledge about architecture patterns
Applications that need strict standards for maintenance and testing can use this architecture pattern
Drawbacks
Unorganized source codes and modules without defined roles
Skipping the last layers to make tight coupling may end in a consistent mess full of difficult nature of interdependencies
A complete redeployment of the application is vital for even basic changes
2. Event-driven architecture pattern
An event-driven architecture pattern is a good option when you seek an architecture pattern that is agile and also highly performed. This architecture model comprises single-purpose and decoupled event processing components that receive and process events in an asynchronous way. Mediator and broker topologies are involved in this pattern. A mediator is utilized when several steps must be organized within an event bus via the main mediator. A broker is used to chain events together, devoid of a central mediator.
Benefits
Individual data blocks interact with some modules for applications
Helps with user interfaces
Drawbacks
Testing individual modules is possible only when they are independent
Error handling becomes difficult to structure when so many modules handle the same events
Development of a system-wide structure for the overall events is difficult as every event has different needs
Transaction based mechanism maintenance for consistency is complex with decoupled and independent modules
3. Microkernel architecture pattern
The microkernel architecture pattern includes 2 components, namely a core system and several plugin modules. The core system works based on minimal functionality for maintaining the system operational. However, the plugin modules are independent components with dedicated processing.
Benefits
Applications with a clear segmentation between the high-order rules and basic routines
Applications that have a fixed set of core routines as well as a dynamic set of a rule requiring the frequent updates
Drawbacks
The plugins must include good handshaking code as the microkernel must know the plugin installation and be ready to work.
There is no possibility of changing the microkernel when there are several plugins dependent on it
It is not an easy thing to select the right granularity for the kernel function in advance and complex at a later stage
4. Microservices architecture pattern
As a possible substitute for monolithic applications and service-related architectures, the microservices architecture pattern is one of the best software architecture patterns. All the components are deployed as separate units via a streamlined and effective pipeline. The overall benefits of this pattern are improved scalability and the maximum degree of decoupling within the application.
Benefits
Businesses and web apps that need quick development
Websites with small data centers and components with well-defined boundaries and remote teams worldwide
Drawbacks
Designing the suitable level of granularity for a service component
Any application does not include any task that can be split into independent units
Performance can be affected as tasks are spread across various microservices
5. Space-based architecture pattern
Space-based architecture pattern includes two main components: a processing unit and a virtualized middleware. The processing unit includes portions of application components, especially backend business logic, and web-based components. The virtualized middleware component includes elements that control different aspects of data synchronization and request handling. These things can be bought as third-party products or custom-written.
Benefits
Applications function with a large user base and a regular load of requests
Applications are supposed for addressing scalability as well as concurrency issues
Drawbacks
It is a complex task for caching the data for speed devoid of distributing several copies
6. Client-Server architecture pattern
A client-server architecture pattern is a distributed application structure with 2 main components: a client and a server. This architecture successfully facilitates complete communication between the client and the server. A client requests particular resources to be promptly fetched from the server. The server identifies such requests and responds to the client by sending over the requested resources.
Benefits
Applications like online banking services, emails, file sharing, gaming, and network printing work based on this architecture pattern
Any app focusing on the real-time service is built with a distributed application structure
Applications need controlled access and offer so many services for the maximum number of distributed clients
Any application with the centralized resources as well as services has to be properly distributed over several servers
Drawbacks
Incompatible server capacity
A performance bottlenecks
Every server is prone to a single point of failure
7. Master-Slave architecture pattern
The master-Slave architecture pattern is designed to function with the master database launching several slave components to process requests as quickly as possible. The master distributes tasks to enslaved people. Enslaved people finish their tasks and send them back to the master. The master compiles the distributed tasks and displays them as a result.
Benefits
OS development may need a multiprocessors compatible architecture
Modern applications with large services have to be decomposed into small components
Drawbacks
Master component failure can lead to data loss without backup over the slave components
Dependencies within the system may lead to slave components' failure
8. Pipe-Filter architecture pattern
A pipe-filter architecture prototype processes a complete data stream in a unidirectional stream where every component is consigned to a filter, and pipes are designed to connect such filters.
Benefits
It is used for apps facilitating a one-way data processing as well as transformation
Applications using tools like external dynamic list
Drawbacks
Data loss between filters when the infrastructure design is not reliable
The slow filter limits the entire architecture's performance and efficiency
9. Broken architecture pattern
A broken architecture pattern is designed to form distributed systems with decoupled workings.
Benefits
Used in message broker software
Used mainly for structuring distributed systems having decoupled components
Drawbacks
Shallow fault tolerance capacity
The hidden layer may reduce the software performance
10. Peer-to-peer architecture pattern
The peer-to-peer architecture pattern involves individual components, namely peers. A peer acts as a server, a client, or both with the nature to change its role over time in a dynamic way.
Benefits
File-sharing networks
cryptocurrency-based products
Multimedia products
Drawbacks
No guarantee of first-class service
Too difficult to achieve the robust security
Concluding With:
An architectural pattern is a reusable solution to a usual problem happening in the software architecture within the given context. You can narrow down the best software architecture patterns based on pros and cons. You will benefit from properly using the suitable software architecture pattern.
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