book

Solutions Architect's Handbook - Second Edition

by Saurabh Shrivastava, Neelanjali Srivastav

January 2022

Intermediate to advanced

590 pages

16h 43m

English

Packt Publishing

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What is solution architecture?The evolution of solution architectureWhy is solution architecture important?The benefits of solution architectureAddressing the business needs and quality of deliverySelecting the best technology platformAddressing solution constraints and issuesHelping in resource and cost managementManaging solution delivery and project life cycleAddressing non-functional requirementsSolution architecture in the public cloudWhat is the public cloud?Public clouds, private clouds, and hybrid cloudsThe public cloud architectureThinking cloud-native architecturePublic cloud providers and cloud service offeringsSummary
Types of roles for a solution architectGeneralist solution architect rolesEnterprise solution architectSolution architectTechnical architectCloud architectArchitect evangelistSpecialist solution architect rolesInfrastructure architectNetwork architectData architectMachine learning architectSecurity architectDevOps architectUnderstanding a solution architect's responsibilitiesAnalyzing user requirementsDefining non-functional requirementsEngaging and working with stakeholdersHandling various architecture constraintsMaking technology selectionsDeveloping a proof of concept and a prototypeDesigning solutions and staying through deliveryEnsuring post-launch operability and maintenanceWorking as a technology evangelistSolution architects in an agile organizationWhy the agile methodology?Agile manifestoAgile process and terminologyScrum ceremoniesAgile tools and termsAgile versus waterfallAgile architectureSummary
Scalability and elasticityThe capacity dilemma in scalingScaling your architectureStatic content scalingServer fleet elasticityDatabase scalingHigh availability and resiliencyFault tolerance and redundancyDisaster recovery and business continuityExtensibility and reusabilityUsability and accessibilityPortability and interoperabilityOperational excellence and maintainabilitySecurity and complianceAuthentication and authorizationWeb securityNetwork securityInfrastructure securityData securityCost optimization and budgetSummary
Scaling workloadsPredictive scalingReactive scalingBuilding a resilient architectureDesign for performanceUsing replaceable resourcesCreating immutable infrastructureCanary testingThink loose couplingThink service not serverUsing the right storage for the right requirementsThink data-driven designOvercoming architectural constraintsTaking the minimum viable product approach Adding security everywhereApplying automation everywhereSummary
Benefits of cloud native architecturePopular public cloud choicesCreating a cloud migration strategyLift and Shift migrationRehostReplatformRelocateThe cloud native approachRefactorRepurchaseRetain or retireRetainRetireChoosing a cloud strategySteps for cloud migrationDiscovering your workloadAnalyzing the informationCreating a migration planDesigning the applicationPerforming application migration to the cloudData migrationServer migrationIntegration, validation, and cutoverLive migration cutoverOperating the cloud applicationApplication optimization in the cloudCreating hybrid cloud architectureTaking a multi-cloud approachDesigning cloud native architectureSummaryFurther reading
Building an n-tier layered architectureThe web layerThe application layerThe database layerCreating a multi-tenant SaaS-based architectureBuilding stateless and stateful architecture designsUnderstanding service-oriented architectureSOAP web service architectureRESTful web service architectureBuilding an SOA-based e-commerce website architectureBuilding a serverless architectureCreating a microservice architectureReal-time voting application reference architectureBuilding a queue-based architectureQueuing chain patternJob observer patternCreating an event-driven architecturePublisher/subscriber modelEvent stream modelBuilding a cache-based architectureCache distribution pattern in a three-tier web architectureRename distribution patternCache proxy patternRewrite proxy patternApp caching patternMemcached versus RedisUnderstanding the circuit breaker patternImplementing the bulkheads patternCreating a floating IP patternDeploying an application with a containerThe benefit of containersContainer deploymentBuilding container-based architectureDatabase handling in application architectureHigh-availability database patternAvoiding anti-patterns in solution architectureSummary
Design principles for architecture performanceReducing latencyImproving throughputHandling concurrencyApplying cachingTechnology selection for performance optimizationMaking a computational choiceSelecting the server instanceWorking with containersGoing serverlessChoosing storageWorking with block storage and storage area networkWorking with file storage and network area storageWorking with object storage and cloud data storageChoosing the databaseOnline transactional processingNonrelational databasesOnline analytical processingBuilding a data search functionalityImproving network performanceDefining a DNS routing strategyImplementing a load balancerApplying auto-scalingManaging performance monitoringSummary
Designing principles for architectural securityImplementing authentication and authorization controlApplying security everywhereReducing the blast radiusMonitoring and auditing everything all the timeAutomating everythingProtecting dataResponding to security incidentsSelecting technology for architectural securityUser identity and access managementFederated identity management and single sign-on KerberosMicrosoft Active DirectoryAmazon Web Services Directory ServiceGoogle Identity federation with Active Directory Security Assertion Markup LanguageOAuth and OpenID Connect JSON Web Token Handling web securityWeb app security vulnerabilitiesWeb security mitigationSecuring an application and its infrastructureApplication and operating system hardeningSoftware vulnerabilities and secure codeNetwork, firewall, and trusted boundaryIntrusion detection system and intrusion prevention systemData securityData classificationData encryption at rest Data encryption in transitSecurity and compliance certificationsThe cloud's shared security responsibility modelSummary
Design principles for architectural reliabilityMaking systems self-healingApplying automationCreating a distributed systemMonitoring and adding capacityPerforming recovery validationTechnology selection for architectural reliabilityPlanning the Recovery Time Objective and Recovery Point ObjectiveReplicating dataSynchronous versus asynchronous replicationReplication methodsPlanning disaster recoveryBackup and restorePilot lightWarm standbyMulti-siteApplying best practices for DRImproving reliability with the cloudSummary

Designing principles for operational excellenceAutomating manual tasksMaking incremental and reversible changesPredicting failures and respondingLearning from mistakes and refiningKeeping the operational runbook updatedSelecting technologies for operational excellencePlanning for operational excellenceIT asset managementConfiguration managementThe functioning of operational excellenceMonitoring system healthHandling alerts and incident responseImproving operational excellenceIT operations analytics Root cause analysis Auditing and reportingAchieving operational excellence in the public cloudSummary
Design principles for cost optimizationCalculating the total cost of ownershipPlanning the budget and forecastManaging demand and service catalogsKeeping track of expenditureContinuous cost optimizationTechniques for cost optimizationReducing architectural complexityIncreasing IT efficiencyApplying standardization and governanceResource cost taggingMonitoring cost usage and reportCost optimization in the public cloudSummary
Introducing DevOpsUnderstanding the benefits of DevOpsUnderstanding the components of DevOpsContinuous integration/continuous deploymentContinuous monitoring and improvementInfrastructure as CodeConfiguration managementIntroducing DevSecOpsCombining DevSecOps and CI/CDImplementing a CD strategyIn-place deploymentRolling deploymentBlue-green deploymentRed-black deploymentImmutable deploymentImplementing continuous testing in the CI/CD pipelineA/B testingUsing DevOps tools for CI/CDCode editorSource code managementContinuous integration serverCode deploymentCode pipelineImplementing DevOps best practicesBuilding DevOps and DevSecOps in the cloudSummary
What is big data architecture?Designing big data processing pipelinesData ingestionTechnology choices for data ingestionIngesting data to the cloudStoring dataTechnology choices for data storageStructured data storesNoSQL databasesSearch data storesUnstructured data storesObject storageBlockchain data storeStreaming data storesProcessing data and performing analyticsTechnology choices for data processing and analysisVisualizing dataTechnology choices for data visualizationDesigning big data architecturesData lake architectureLakehouse architectureData mesh architectureStreaming data architectureBig data architecture best practicesSummary
What is machine learning?Working with data science and MLEvaluating ML models – overfitting versus underfittingSupervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithmsMachine learning in the cloudBuilding machine learning architecturePrepare and labelSelect and buildTrain and tuneDeploy and manageMachine learning reference architectureMachine learning operationsMLOps principlesMLOps best practicesDeep learningSummary
What is the Internet of Things?Components of IoT architectureManaging IoT devicesMicrocontroller device managementMicroprocessor device managementConnecting and controlling IoT devicesPerforming analytics on IoT dataIoT in the cloudBuilding an industrial IoT solutionConnected Factory IoT architectureImplementing a digital twinSummary
The building blocks of quantum computersQubitsSuperpositionEntanglementThe working mechanism of quantum computersQuantum gatesPauli gatesThe Hadamard gateOther quantum gatesQuantum circuitsTypes of quantum computersQuantum computing in real lifeQuantum computing in the cloudSummary
Learning the challenges of legacy systemsDifficulty in keeping up with user demandHigher cost of maintenance and updateShortage of skills and documentationVulnerable to corporate security issuesIncompatibility with other systemsBenefits of system modernizationDefining a strategy for system modernizationAssessment of a legacy applicationDefining the modernization approachLooking at legacy system modernization techniquesEncapsulation, rehosting, and replatformingRefactoring and rearchitectingRedesigning and replacingDefining a cloud migration strategy for legacy systemsDocumentation and supportMainframe migration with the public cloudMigrating standalone applicationsMigrating applications with shared codeApplication decoupling using a standalone APIApplication decoupling using a shared libraryApplication decoupling using message queuesSummary
Purpose of the SADViews of the SADStructure of the SADSolution overviewBusiness contextConceptual solution overviewSolution architectureInformation architectureApplication architectureData architectureIntegration architectureInfrastructure architectureSecurity architectureSolution implementationSolution managementAppendixIT procurement documentation for a solution architectureSummary
Acquiring pre-sales skillsPresenting to C-level executivesTaking ownership and accountabilityDefining strategy execution with objectives and key resultsThinking bigBeing flexible and adaptableDesign thinkingBeing a builder by engaging in coding hands-onBecoming better with continuous learningBeing a mentor to othersBecoming a technology evangelist and thought leaderSummary

Overview

Learn how to design robust and scalable solutions with 'Solutions Architect's Handbook'. This book provides practical insights into creating cloud-native architectures, modernizing legacy systems, and leveraging emerging technologies such as IoT and machine learning. By the end, you'll be equipped to craft effective, future-proof design strategies.

What this Book will help me do

Understand the foundational roles and responsibilities of a solutions architect.
Master advanced design principles and patterns for high-performance solutions.
Integrate security, availability, and cost-effectiveness into your designs.
Execute modernization strategies for legacy systems using cloud solutions.
Leverage emerging trends like IoT and machine learning in modern architecture.

Author(s)

Saurabh Shrivastava and Neelanjali Srivastav bring decades of expertise in solution architecture, cloud services, and modern technology trends. Their practical approach distills complex concepts into actionable insights, fostering an accessible and engaging learning experience.

Who is it for?

This book is tailored for software engineers, system architects, and IT professionals aspiring to transition into solution architecture roles. It's ideal for practitioners seeking to deepen their understanding of modern architecture principles and cloud-based designs. Readers should have foundational knowledge of software development and IT systems.