10.2 Common cloud architecture patterns
You can draw a workable architecture for a normal business problem in ten minutes.
A handful of patterns cover most business problems, and this topic makes them drawable in ten minutes: static site plus API plus managed database, queue-backed asynchronous processing, event-driven fan-out. It sits after the principles because each pattern is those principles in a recognisable shape. The advice with the longest shelf life is monolith-first — start simple, split when the pain is real and specific — and the confusion it counters is reaching for the most distributed pattern first because it looks the most professional.
Work through these
Static site plus API plus managed database
A static front end, an interface layer, and a managed database behind it covers a surprising share of real applications. It is the pattern to reach for before reaching for anything more elaborate.
Queue-backed asynchronous processing
Putting slow work behind a message queue lets the user get an answer immediately and the work happen afterwards. It is the standard fix for requests that would otherwise time out.
Event-driven and fan-out patterns
Publishing an event that several independent consumers react to decouples the producer from everything downstream. Adding a new consumer then costs nothing to the existing ones.
Monolith-first, and the honest case for splitting later
Starting with one deployable unit and splitting later is usually the better order, and this item makes the case honestly rather than by fashion. The split is easier from a working system than from a diagram.
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