Introduction

System architecture is the conceptual model that defines the structure, behavior, and more views of a system. It serves as a blueprint for both the system and the project developing it, laying out the tasks necessary to be executed by the design teams.

Key Concepts

Definition of System Architecture

System Architecture: The structured framework used to conceptualize software elements, relationships, and properties.
Components: Individual parts of the system, such as modules, services, and databases.
Relationships: How components interact and communicate with each other.
Properties: Attributes of the system, including performance, scalability, and security.

Objectives of System Architecture

Scalability: Ability to handle increased load without compromising performance.
Reliability: Ensuring the system performs consistently and correctly.
Maintainability: Ease with which the system can be modified to fix defects, improve performance, or adapt to a changed environment.
Security: Protecting the system against unauthorized access and ensuring data integrity.

Architectural Styles

Monolithic Architecture: A single-tiered software application where different components are combined into a single program.
Microservices Architecture: An approach where a single application is developed as a suite of small services, each running its own process and communicating with lightweight mechanisms.
Layered Architecture: Divides the system into layers with each layer having a specific role and responsibility.
Event-Driven Architecture: Uses events to trigger and communicate between decoupled services.

Architectural Patterns

Client-Server: Divides the system into two applications, where the client makes requests to the server.
Peer-to-Peer: Each node in the network can act as both a client and a server.
Model-View-Controller (MVC): Separates the application into three interconnected components.
Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA): Services communicate over a network to provide functionality.

Practical Example

Example: Simple Web Application Architecture

Presentation Layer:
- HTML/CSS/JavaScript: For the user interface.
- Frameworks: React, Angular, or Vue.js.
Business Logic Layer:
- Backend Frameworks: Node.js, Django, or Spring Boot.
- APIs: RESTful services to handle client requests.
Data Layer:
- Database: MySQL, PostgreSQL, or MongoDB.
- Data Access: ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) tools like Hibernate or Sequelize.

+---------------------+
|   Presentation      |
|   Layer             |
|   (React, Angular)  |
+---------------------+
          |
          v
+---------------------+
|   Business Logic    |
|   Layer             |
|   (Node.js, Django) |
+---------------------+
          |
          v
+---------------------+
|   Data Layer        |
|   (MySQL, MongoDB)  |
+---------------------+

Exercises

Exercise 1: Identify Components and Relationships

Task: Identify the components and their relationships in a simple e-commerce system.

Solution:

Components:
- User Interface: Web pages for browsing products.
- Product Catalog: Database of products.
- Shopping Cart: Service to manage user’s selected products.
- Payment Gateway: Service to handle transactions.
- Order Management: Service to process and track orders.
Relationships:
- User Interface ↔ Product Catalog: Users browse products.
- User Interface ↔ Shopping Cart: Users add/remove products to/from cart.
- Shopping Cart ↔ Payment Gateway: Process payment for items in the cart.
- Payment Gateway ↔ Order Management: Confirm and track orders.

Exercise 2: Design a Simple System Architecture

Task: Design a basic architecture for a blogging platform.

Solution:

Components:
- Frontend: HTML/CSS/JavaScript for the user interface.
- Backend: Node.js for handling requests and business logic.
- Database: MongoDB for storing blog posts and user data.
- Authentication Service: JWT (JSON Web Tokens) for user authentication.
Relationships:
- Frontend ↔ Backend: Users interact with the frontend, which sends requests to the backend.
- Backend ↔ Database: Backend retrieves and stores data in the database.
- Backend ↔ Authentication Service: Backend verifies user credentials using JWT.

+---------------------+
|   Frontend          |
|   (HTML/CSS/JS)     |
+---------------------+
          |
          v
+---------------------+
|   Backend           |
|   (Node.js)         |
+---------------------+
          |
          v
+---------------------+       +---------------------+
|   Database          |       |   Authentication    |
|   (MongoDB)         |       |   Service (JWT)     |
+---------------------+       +---------------------+

Conclusion

Understanding the basic concepts of system architecture is crucial for designing robust and scalable systems. By grasping the definitions, objectives, architectural styles, and patterns, you can lay a strong foundation for more complex topics in system architecture. This knowledge will help you make informed decisions when designing and implementing systems that meet business objectives effectively.

System Architectures: Principles and Practices for Designing Robust and Scalable Technological Architectures

Basic Concepts of System Architecture

Introduction

Key Concepts

Definition of System Architecture

Objectives of System Architecture

Architectural Styles

Architectural Patterns

Practical Example

Example: Simple Web Application Architecture

Exercises

Exercise 1: Identify Components and Relationships

Exercise 2: Design a Simple System Architecture

Conclusion

System Architectures: Principles and Practices for Designing Robust and Scalable Technological Architectures

Module 1: Introduction to System Architectures

Module 2: Design Principles of Architectures

Module 3: Components of a System Architecture

Module 4: Scalability and Performance

Module 5: Security in System Architectures

Module 6: Tools and Technologies

Module 7: Case Studies and Practical Examples

Module 8: Trends and Future of System Architectures