book

Head First Software Architecture

by Raju Gandhi, Mark Richards, Neal Ford

March 2024

Beginner

486 pages

12h 45m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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Who is this book for?Who should probably back away from this book?We know what you’re thinkingWe know what your brain is thinkingThis must be important! Don’t forget it!Metacognition: Thinking about thinkingSo just how DO you get your brain to treat software architecture like it’s a hungry tiger?Here’s what WE didHere’s what YOU can do to bend your brain into submissionRead meWe break things down, then build them back again.We don’t exhaustively cover everything.The activities are NOT optional.The redundancy is intentional and important.The examples are as generic as possible.The Brain Power exercises don’t always have answers.O’Reilly online learningDo it yourself chaptersThe technical review teamJoint acknowledgmentsIndividual acknowledgments
Building your understanding of software architectureBuilding plans and software architectureThe dimensions of software architecturePuzzling out the dimensionsThe first dimension: Architectural characteristicsThe second dimension: Architectural decisionsThe third dimension: Logical componentsThe fourth dimension: Architectural stylesA design perspectiveAn architectural perspectiveThe spectrum between architecture and designWhere along the spectrum does your decision fall?Is it strategic or tactical?How much effort will it take to construct or change?Does it have significant trade-offs?Strategic versus tacticalHigh versus low levels of effortCode MagnetsSignificant versus less-significant trade-offsPutting it all togetherYou made it!Software Architecture CrosswordCode Magnets SolutionSoftware Architecture Crossword Solution
Causing LafterCubicle conversationWhat are architectural characteristics?Defining architectural characteristicsCharacteristics are nondomain design considerationsCharacteristics influence architectural structureLimit characteristics to prevent overengineeringConsider explicit and implicit capabilitiesThe International Zoo of “-ilities”Process architectural characteristicsStructural architectural characteristicsOperational architectural characteristicsCross-cutting architectural characteristicsSourcing architectural characteristics from the problem domainSourcing architectural characteristics from environmental awarenessSourcing architectural characteristics from holistic domain knowledgeComposite architectural characteristicsPriorities are contextualLost in translationArchitectural characteristics and logical componentsArchitectural characteristics ≈ capabilitiesLogical components = behaviorBalancing domain considerations and architectural characteristicsLimiting architectural characteristicsThe magical number 7Characteristics CrosswordCharacteristics Crossword Solution
It starts with a sneaker appWhat do we know so far?Communicating with downstream servicesAnalyzing trade-offsTrade-off analysis: Queue editionTrade-off analysis: Topic editionThe first law of software architectureIt always comes back to trade-offsMaking an architectural decisionWhat else makes a decision architectural?The second law of software architectureArchitectural decision records (ADRs)Cubicle conversationWriting ADRs: Getting the title rightWriting ADRs: What’s your status?Writing ADRs: What’s your status? (recap)Writing ADRs: Establishing the contextWriting ADRs: Communicating the decisionWriting ADRs: Considering the consequencesWriting ADRs: Ensuring governanceWriting ADRs: Closing notesThe benefits of ADRsTwo Many Sneakers is a success“Two Laws” Crossword“Two Laws” Crossword Solution
Logical components revisitedAdventurous Auctions goes onlineLogical versus physical architectureCreating a logical architectureStep 1: Identifying initial core componentsWorkflow approachActor/action approachThe entity trapStep 2: Assign requirementsStep 3: Analyze roles and responsibilitiesSticking to cohesionStep 4: Analyze characteristicsThe Bid Capture componentComponent couplingAfferent couplingEfferent couplingMeasuring couplingA tightly coupled systemApplying the Law of DemeterA balancing actSome final words about componentsLogical Components CrosswordLogical Components Crossword Solution
There are lots of architectural stylesThe world of architectural stylesPartitioning: Technical versus domainDeployment model: Monolithic versus distributedMonolithic deployment models: The prosMonolithic: The consDistributed deployment models: The prosDistributed deployment models: The consFireside ChatsAnd that’s a wrap!Stylin’ Architectures CrosswordStylin’ Architectures Crossword Solution
Naan & Pop: Gathering requirementsCubicle conversationDesign patterns reduxLayering MVCLayering it onTranslating layers into codeDomains, components, and layersDrivers for layered architectureLayers, meet the real world: Physical architecturesPhysical architecture trade-offsCubicle conversationOne final caveat about domain changesLayered architecture superpowersLayered architecture kryptoniteLayered architecture star ratingsWrapping it upLayered Architecture CrosswordLayered Architecture Crossword Solution

Cubicle conversationModular monolith?Domain pains changesWhy modular monoliths?Show me the code!Cubicle conversation, continued...Keeping modules modularKeeping modules modular (last time!)Taking modularity all the way to the databaseBeware of joinsModular monolith superpowersModular monolith kryptoniteModular monolith star ratingsNaan & Pop is delivering pizza!Modular Monolith CrosswordModular Monolith Crossword Solution
The benefits of Going GreenCubicle conversationThe two parts of microkernel architecturesThe spectrum of “microkern-ality”Device assessment service coreEncapsulated versus distributed pluginsPlugin communicationCubicle conversationPlugin contractsGoing Green goes greenMicrokernel superpowersMicrokernel kryptoniteMicrokernel star ratingsWrapping it upMicrokernel CrosswordMicrokernel Crossword Solution
Making travel easierTripEZ’s user workflowPlanning the architectureThe architects’ roadmapStep 1: Identify architectural characteristicsStep 2: Identify logical componentsStep 3: Choose an architectural styleStep 4: Document your decisionStep 5: Diagram your architectureThere are no right (or wrong) answers
Are you feeling okay?Cubicle conversationWhat’s a microservice?It’s my data, not yoursHow micro is “micro”?Granularity disintegratorsWhy should you make microservices smaller?Granularity integratorsWhy should you make microservices bigger?It’s all about balanceSharing functionalityCode reuse with a shared serviceCode reuse with a shared libraryFireside ChatsManaging workflowsOrchestration: Conducting microservicesChoreography: Let’s danceMicroservices architecture superpowersMicroservices architecture kryptoniteMicroservices star ratingsWrapping it upMicroservices CrosswordMicroservices Crossword Solution
Too slowSpeeding things upDer Nile flows faster than everWhat is an event?Events versus messagesInitiating and derived eventsIs anyone listening?Asynchronous communicationFireside ChatsFire-and-forgetAsynchronous for the winSynchronous for the winDatabase topologiesMonolithic databaseMonolithic database topology scorecardDomain-partitioned databasesDomain-partitioned databases topology scorecardDatabase-per-serviceDatabase-per-service topology scorecardEDA versus microservicesHybrids: Event-driven microservicesEvent-driven architecture superpowersEvent-driven architecture kryptoniteEvent-driven architecture star ratingsPutting it all togetherWrapping upEvent-Driven CrosswordEvent-Driven Crossword Solution
Welcome to Make the GradeStudent testing workflowPlanning the architectureThe architects’ roadmapStep 1: Identify architectural characteristicsStep 2: Identify logical componentsStep 3: Choose an architectural styleStep 4: Document your decisionStep 5: Diagram your architectureThere are no right (or wrong) answers!
#1 The coding architect#2 Expectations for architects#3 The soft skills of architecture#4 Diagramming techniques#5 Knowledge depth versus breadth#6 Practicing architecture with katasHow to run katasPreparationDiscussionPresentationDon’t worry. This isn’t goodbye.