Architecture of a System

Architecture is a critical aspect of designing a system, as it sets the foundation for how the system will function and be built. It is the process of making high-level decisions about the organization of a system, including the selection of hardware and software components, the design of interfaces, and the overall system structure.

Components consider when designing the architecture of a system

In order to design a good system architecture, it is important to consider all these components and to make decisions based on the specific requirements and constraints of the system. It is also important to consider the long-term maintainability of the system and to make sure that the architecture is flexible and scalable enough to accommodate future changes and growth.

Components of System Design

Hardware Platform: Hardware platform includes the physical components of the system such as servers, storage devices, and network infrastructure. The hardware platform must be chosen based on the specific requirements of the system, such as the amount of storage and processing power needed, as well as any specific technical constraints.

Software Platform: Software platform includes the operating system, application servers, and other software components that run on the hardware. The software platform must be chosen based on the programming languages and frameworks used to build the system, as well as any specific technical constraints.

System interfaces: System interfaces include the APIs and user interfaces used to interact with the system. Interfaces must be designed to be easy to use and understand and must be able to handle the expected load of users and requests.

System Structure: System structure includes the overall organization of the system, including the relationship between different components and how they interact with each other. The system structure must be designed to be modular and scalable so that new features and components can be added easily.

Security: Security is an important aspect of system architecture. It must be designed to protect the system and its users from malicious attacks and unauthorized access.

Types of Architecture in system design

There are several different architectural styles that can be used when designing a system, such as:

Monolithic architecture: This is a traditional approach where all components of the system are tightly coupled and run on a single server. The components are often tightly integrated and share a common codebase.

Microservices architecture: In this approach, the system is broken down into a set of small, independent services that communicate with each other over a network. Each service is responsible for a specific task and can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently. This allows for greater flexibility and scalability, but also requires more complexity in managing the interactions between services.

Event-driven architecture: This approach is based on the idea of sending and receiving events between different components of the system. Events are generated by one component, and are consumed by other components that are interested in that particular event. This allows for a more asynchronous and decoupled system.

Serverless architecture: this approach eliminates the need for provisioning and managing servers, by allowing to run code without thinking about servers. In this way, the cloud provider is responsible for scaling and maintaining the infrastructure, allowing the developer to focus on writing code.

When designing a system, it is important to choose an architecture that aligns with the requirements and constraints of the project, such as scalability, performance, security, and maintainability.

Example: website for an online retail store.

One example of a system design architecture is the design of a website for an online retail store. The architecture includes the following components:

Front-end: The user interface of the website, including the layout, design, and navigation. This component is responsible for displaying the products, categories, and other information to the user.

Back-end: The server-side of the website, including the database, application logic, and APIs. This component is responsible for processing and storing the data, and handling the user’s requests.

Database: The component that stores and manages the data for the website, such as customer information, product information, and order information.

APIs: The component that allows the website to communicate with other systems, such as payment systems, shipping systems, and inventory systems.

Security: The component that ensures the website is secure and protected from unauthorized access. This includes measures such as SSL encryption, firewalls, and user authentication.

Monitoring and analytics: The component that monitors the website’s performance, tracks user behavior, and provides data for analytics and reporting.

Tip: It is suggested to read the below concepts for better understanding as follows:

1. What is system design?
2. Objectives of system design
3. Roadmap to learn System design