book

Solutions Architect's Handbook

by Saurabh Shrivastava, Neelanjali Srivastav

March 2020

Intermediate to advanced

490 pages

12h 29m

English

Packt Publishing

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Solutions Architect's Handbook
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What is solution architecture?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 architecturePublic cloud providers and cloud service offeringSummary
Types of solution architect roleEnterprise solution architectSolution architectTechnical architect Cloud architect Architect evangelistInfrastructure architectNetwork architectData 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 terminologySprint 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 workloadPredictive scalingReactive scalingBuilding resilient architectureDesign for performanceUsing replaceable resourcesCreating immutable infrastructureCanary testingThink loose couplingThink service not serverUsing the right storage for the right needThink data-driven designOvercoming constraintsAdding security everywhereAutomating everythingSummary
Benefits of cloud-native architectureCreating a cloud migration strategyLift and Shift migration RehostReplatformRelocateCloud-native approachRefactorRepurchaseRetain or retireRetainRetireSteps for cloud migration Discovering your workloadAnalyzing the informationCreating migration planDesigning the applicationPerforming application migration to the cloudData migrationServer migrationIntegration, validation, and cutoverLive migration cutoverOperating cloud applicationApplication optimization in the cloudCreating a hybrid cloud architectureDesigning a cloud-native architecturePopular public cloud choicesSummaryFurther reading
Building an n-tier layered architectureThe web layerThe application layerThe database layerCreating multi-tenant SaaS-based architectureBuilding stateless and stateful architecture designsUnderstanding SOASOAP web service architectureRESTful web service architectureBuilding an SOA-based e-commerce website architectureBuilding a serverless architectureCreating a microservice architectureReal-time voting application reference architectureBuilding queue-based architectureQueuing chain patternJob observer patternCreating event-driven architecturePublisher/subscriber modelEvent stream modelBuilding 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 deploymentDatabase handling in application architectureHigh-availability database patternAvoiding anti-patterns in solution architectureSummary
Design principles for architecture performanceReducing latencyImproving throughputHandling concurrencyApply cachingTechnology selection for performance optimizationMaking a computational choiceSelecting the server instanceWorking with containersDockerKubernetesGoing serverlessChoosing storageWorking with block storage and storage area networkWorking with file storage and network area storage (NAS)Working with object storage and the cloud data storageChoosing the databaseOnline transactional processing (OLTP)Nonrelational databases (NoSQL)Online analytical processing (OLAP)Building a data search functionalityMaking the networking choiceDefining a DNS routing strategyImplementing a load balancerApplying autoscalingManaging performance monitoringSummary
Designing principles for architectural securityImplementing authentication and authorization controlApplying security everywhereReducing blast radiusMonitoring and auditing everything all the timeAutomating everythingProtecting dataPreparing a responseSelecting technology for architectural securityUser identity and access managementFIM and SSOKerberosADAmazon Web Services (AWS) Directory ServiceSecurity Assertion Markup Language (SAML)OAuth and OpenID Connect (OIDC)Handling web securityWeb app security vulnerabilitiesDenial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacksSQLi attacksXSS attacksCross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacksBuffer overflow and memory corruption attacksWeb security mitigationWeb Application Firewall (WAF)DDoS mitigationSecuring an application and its infrastructureApplication and operating system hardeningSoftware vulnerabilities and secure codeNetwork, firewall, and trusted boundaryIDS/IPSHost-based IDSNetwork-based IDSData securityData classificationData encryptionEncryption key managementEnvelope encryptionAWS Key Management Service (KMS)HSMData encryption at rest and in transitSecurity and compliance certificationsThe cloud's shared security responsibility modelSummary
Design principles for architectural reliabilityMaking systems self-healingApplying automationCreating a distributed systemMonitoring capacityPerforming recovery validationTechnology selection for architecture reliabilityPlanning the RTO and RPOReplicating dataSynchronous versus asynchronous replicationReplication methodsPlanning disaster recoveryBackup and restorePilot lightWarm standbyMulti-siteApplying best practices for disaster recoveryImproving reliability with the cloudSummary
Designing principles for operational excellenceAutomating the operationMaking incremental and reversible changesPredicting failures and respondingLearning from the mistake and refiningKeeping operation's runbook updatedSelecting technologies for operational excellencePlanning for operational excellenceIT Asset Management (ITAM)Configuration managementThe functioning of operational excellenceMonitoring system healthInfrastructure monitoringApplication monitoringPlatform monitoringLog monitoringSecurity monitoringHandling alerts and incident responseImproving operational excellenceITOARCAAuditing 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 governanceMonitoring cost usage and reportCost optimization in the public cloudSummary
Introducing DevOpsUnderstanding the benefits of DevOpsUnderstanding the components of DevOpsCI/CDContinuous monitoring and improvementIaCConfiguration management (CM)Introducing 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 managementCI serverCode deploymentCode pipelineImplementing DevOps best practicesSummary
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 storesRelational databasesData warehousingNoSQL databasesSQL versus NoSQL databasesTypes of NoSQL data storeSearch data storesUnstructured data storesData lakesProcessing data and performing analyticsTechnology choices for data processing and analysisVisualizing dataTechnology choices for data visualizationUnderstanding IoTWhat is ML?Working with data science and MLEvaluating ML models – overfitting versus underfittingUnderstanding supervised and unsupervised MLSummary
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 systemsDefining a strategy for system modernizationBenefits of system modernizationAssessment of a legacy applicationDefining the modernization approachDocumentation and supportLooking at legacy system modernization techniquesEncapsulation, rehosting, and re-platformingRefactoring and rearchitectingRedesigning and replacingDefining a cloud migration strategy for legacy systemsSummary
Purpose of the SADViews of the SADStructure of the SADSolution overviewBusiness contextConceptual solution overviewSolution architecture Solution deliverySolution managementAppendix section of SADIT procurement documentation for a solution architecture Summary
Acquiring pre-sales skillsPresenting to C-level executivesTaking ownership and accountabilityDefining strategy execution and OKRsThinking 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
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Overview

By exploring the principles, patterns, and best practices of solution architecture, "Solutions Architect's Handbook" equips you with the knowledge to design scalable, efficient, and robust architectures. Dive into topics such as modernizing legacy systems, cloud migration strategies, and advanced technologies like IoT, while learning to ensure operational excellence.

What this Book will help me do

Design efficient architectures by understanding key design principles and attributes.
Gain expertise in modernizing legacy applications and implementing cloud integration.
Master advanced technologies like big data processing and IoT from an architectural perspective.
Learn to apply patterns such as microservices, event-driven, and hybrid solutions effectively.
Develop essential soft skills for providing solutions in complex technological environments.

Author(s)

Saurabh Shrivastava and Neelanjali Srivastav are seasoned professionals in solution architecture and cloud technologies. Saurabh has extensive experience in designing enterprise-level architectures, while Neelanjali specializes in modern IT solutions and advanced frameworks. Drawing on their expertise, they have crafted this resourceful guide tailored for aspiring architects.

Who is it for?

If you're a developer, DevOps engineer, or IT professional aspiring to elevate your skills to solution architecture, this book is for you. It suits individuals with foundational knowledge of programming and software development seeking to understand architectural principles. You'll benefit from clear guidance on modern technologies and how to integrate them effectively. Ideal for those aiming to design better solutions for today's technological challenges.