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Fundamentals of Software Architecture: An Engineering Approach 1st Edition

4.6 out of 5 stars (1,124)

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Salary surveys worldwide regularly place software architect in the top 10 best jobs, yet no real guide exists to help developers become architects. Until now. This book provides the first comprehensive overview of software architecture's many aspects. Aspiring and existing architects alike will examine architectural characteristics, architectural patterns, component determination, diagramming and presenting architecture, evolutionary architecture, and many other topics.

Mark Richards and Neal Ford-hands-on practitioners who have taught software architecture classes professionally for years-focus on architecture principles that apply across all technology stacks. You'll explore software architecture in a modern light, taking into account all the innovations of the past decade.

This book examines:

  • Architecture patterns: The technical basis for many architectural decisions
  • Components: Identification, coupling, cohesion, partitioning, and granularity
  • Soft skills: Effective team management, meetings, negotiation, presentations, and more
  • Modernity: Engineering practices and operational approaches that have changed radically in the past few years
  • Architecture as an engineering discipline: Repeatable results, metrics, and concrete valuations that add rigor to software architecture

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From the Publisher

software architecture, software development, programming

From the Preface

Mathematicians create theories based on axioms, assumptions for things indisputably true. Software architects build axioms as well, but the software world is, well, softer than mathematics: fundamental things continue to change at a rapid pace in the software world.

The software development ecosystem exists in a constant state of dynamic equilibrium: while it exists in a balanced state at any given point in time, it exhibits dynamic behavior over the long term. A great modern example of the nature of this ecosystem follows the ascension of containerization and the attendant changes wrought: tools like Kubernetes didn’t exist a decade ago, yet now entire software conferences exist to service its users. The software ecosystem changes fractally: one small change causes another small change; when repeated hundreds of time, it generates a new ecosystem.

Architects have an important responsibility to continue to question assumptions and axioms left over from previous eras. Many of the books about software architecture were written in an era that only barely resembles the current world.

In fact, the authors believe that we must question fundamental axioms on a regular basis, in light of improved engineering practices, operational ecosystems, software development processes—everything that makes up the messy, dynamic equilibrium where architects and developers work each day.

Careful observers of software architecture over time witnessed a slow evolution of capabilities. Starting with the engineer practices of eXtreme Programming, continuing with Continuous Delivery, the DevOps revolution, microservices, containerization, and now cloud-based resources, all of these innovations lead to new capabilities and tradeoffs. As a good illustration of this perspective shift, for many years, the tongue-in-cheek definition of software architecture was “the stuff that’s hard to change later”. Then, the microservices architecture style appeared, where change is a first-class design consideration.

Each new era requires new practices, tools, measurements, patterns, and a host of other changes. This book looks at software architecture in modern light, taking into account all the innovations from the last decade, along with some new metrics and measures suited to the new structures and perspectives now available.

This book won’t make someone a software architecture overnight—it’s a nuanced field with many facets. We want to provide existing and burgeoning architects a good modern overview of software architecture and its many aspects, from structure to soft skills. While this book covers well known patterns, we take a new approach, leaning on modern lessons learned, tools, engineering practices, and other input to build a modern book on software architecture.

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Head First Software Architecture: A Learner's Guide to Architectural Thinking
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Fundamentals of Software Architecture: A Modern Engineering Approach
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Communication Patterns: A Guide for Developers and Architects
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The Software Architect Elevator: Redefining the Architect's Role in the Digit...
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Software Architecture: The Hard Parts: Modern Trade-Off Analyses for Distribu...
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Facilitating Software Architecture: Empowering Teams to Make Architectural De...
Customer Reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars 55
4.6 out of 5 stars 52
4.3 out of 5 stars 20
4.7 out of 5 stars 397
4.6 out of 5 stars 693
4.6 out of 5 stars 11
Price $53.35 $57.40 $44.94 $51.69 $43.99 $50.08
What is it? Head First Software Architecture teaches you how to think architecturally and explores the unique challenges of software architecture, using a visually rich format to engage your mind. A comprehensive overview of aspects of software architecture including architectural characteristics, architectural patterns, diagramming and presenting architecture, evolutionary architecture, and more. A comprehensive guide to communicating software architecture. Learn how to successfully present your architecture and get stakeholders to jump on board. Learn how to combine organizational and technical knowledge in order to effect change in your company’s structure and processes. There are many hard parts in software architecture that force you to choose among various compromises. This book teaches you how to think critically about the trade-offs. Explore how teams can collaborate on the architectures of their systems to ensure that everyone and everything is working toward the same goal.
What you'll learn The distinction between architecture and design; the relationship between code, components, and architectural styles; and how to work with common architectural styles. How to use architecture patterns and make architectural decisions; how to use coupling, cohesion, partitioining, and granuality; soft skills; and engineering practices. How to design appropriate diagrams and documentation, and master written, verbal, and nonverbal communication to succeed in technical settings. How to work with an organization as a whole, connecting the IT engine room to the penthouse, where the business strategy is defined. How to determine service granularity, manage workflows and orchestration, manage and decouple contracts, and manage distributed transactions to how to optimize operational characteristics. How to create a collaborative, decentralized mindset that allows everyone to do architecture and build the best systems they've ever experienced.
Who is this book for? If you're a software developer looking for a quick on-ramp to software architecture, this handy guide is a great place to start. Senior software developers, aspiring and 'accidental' software architects, and software architects looking to solidify their knowledge. Software developers and software architects who want to learn how to communicate their architectures effectively. Software architects, senior developers, enterprise architects and senior technologists. Software architects who are ready to delve into the 'hard parts' of software architecture. Those who are in a position to affect change in how their software is architected and designed and are inclined to try something new.
Who else is it for? Those who want to gain an understanding of architectural dimensions and understand the differences between architecture and design. Those in other roles that need to understand the main concepts of software architecture. Those in other roles that work with software architecture and want to understand diagrams and documentation further. CTOs, senior technical architects and IT managers who are devising an IT strategy that impacts the way the organization works. Those in other roles who would like to understand more about the complex decisions in software architecture. Traditional decision-makers (aka architects) who know that ‘doing architecture the way we always have’ no longer works, as well as developers keen to step up and take on architecture responsibility.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark Richards is an experienced, hands-on software architect involved in the architecture, design, and implementation of microservices architectures, service-oriented architectures, and distributed systems in a variety of technologies. He has been in the software industry since 1983 and has significant experience and expertise in application, integration, and enterprise architecture. Mark is the founder of DeveloperToArchitect.com, a free website devoted to helping developers in the journey to becoming a software architect. He is the author of numerous technical books and videos, as well as a conference speaker and trainer, having spoken at hundreds of conferences and user groups around the world on a variety of enterprise-related technical topics.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ O'Reilly Media
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 3, 2020
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 422 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1492043451
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1492043454
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
  • Best Sellers Rank: #306,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars (1,124)

About the authors

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
1,124 global ratings
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Customers say

Customers find the book provides a thorough introduction to software architecture, starting with definitions of its characteristics. Moreover, they consider it an enjoyable read, with one customer noting it's particularly suitable for backend developers. However, the picture quality receives mixed feedback, with one customer reporting that some diagrams are unreadable.
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16 customers mention architecture, 12 positive, 4 negative
Customers find the book provides a thorough introduction to software architecture, starting with definitions of its characteristics and covering various architectural styles.
Excellent overview of different architectures and enable one to ask more questions, the right questions, and the right keywords to look up for...Read more
...Full of good advice for someone who already has some tech lead and design experience, but looking to move up in the hierarchy....Read more
1. topic too general 2. no real insights that can be applied to elsewhereRead more
...The authors, with their vast industry experience, provide invaluable insights....Read more
11 customers mention readability, 9 positive, 2 negative
Customers find the book enjoyable to read, with one describing it as a masterpiece.
Good book, perfect conditionsRead more
...All in all, an amazing book....Read more
...As for the physical quality of the book, O'Reilly consistently delivers. The book feels good to hold and is printed in black and white....Read more
...As an architect it was a good readRead more
6 customers mention book content, 5 positive, 1 negative
Customers find the book's content valuable, with one mentioning it is great for backend developers, another noting it serves as a good introduction, and a third highlighting its relevance for startup culture.
...Recommended for both startup culture (where every dev impacts everything, include solution architecture) and enterprise culture...Read more
Good introductory book...Read more
Great for starters...Read more
Great book for all backend developers and engineering managers...Read more
9 customers mention picture quality, 3 positive, 6 negative
Customers have mixed opinions about the images in the book, with some finding them legible and good, while others report that some diagrams are unreadable.
Excellent materials. Picture quality poor. Cannot read the images on first few pages.Read more
...This isn't a problem, as all the images are legible without the need for color.Read more
...Some of the diagrams have text on them, and they are hard to read in the Kindle edRead more
Like other reviewers mentioned, the images were illegible....Read more
Thorough overview of basics
5 out of 5 stars
Thorough overview of basics
The book is what it says: fundamentals... "just enough" of software architecture. Full of good advice for someone who already has some tech lead and design experience, but looking to move up in the hierarchy. General direction is more on breadth (architects) rather than on depth (developers). See picture for recommended study environment.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2021
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I read this book as an Associate SE and I gained a ton of knowledge. This book is extremely well written. I enjoyed the order in which the topics were presented. It began with an explanation of the four pillars in software architecture. By doing so readers gain immediate value within the first few pages. I particularly enjoyed the advocation for a domain partitioned folder structure as opposed to a technically partitioned folder structure, especially for front end developers. I believe navigating the code base should very much resemble navigating the UI. This is not only cool for readability, but it inherently increases cohesion. A huge win for such a low cost.

    After getting the foundations laid the authors explain different architecture styles. The part I found to be most useful was the charts they provided which give star ratings to highlight the strength and weaknesses of each architecture. This illustrates that architecture styles should be chosen for specific solutions and not trends. I gained the skills necessary to begin to think like an architect. It included breadth of knowledge which, as the book will tell you, is much more important than depth of knowledge for an architect. Then the authors decided to dive back in and elaborate a bit more on the foundations learned at the beginning. It suggested ADRs, another quick win for low costs. They also spoke about risks storming and offered friendly advice on finding balance within the teams.

    All in all, an amazing book. And at the end, the authors even presented tons of short answer questions to challenge readers and really take the lesson home.
    20 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2024
    The book does a great job at deconstructing the overall role of a software architect in an enterprise scenario. It does this pretty gradual, starting with definitions for the characteristics of a software architecture and then elaborating clearly through architectural styles and skills that are favorablr in certain contexts.

    A definite must read for anyone looking to understand the abstractions involved in both software architecture at an enterprise level and the role of a software architect.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    It is a great book for basic knowledge on software architecture, the way it is written doesn't match with me entirely, I believe it could be more friendly. But it is a good book.
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Good book, perfect conditions
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2021
    I'm not sure if it's the fact that I got burned by Building Evolutionary Architectures, co-authored by Neal Ford, or my previous experience with other "fundamentals" books which tended to be rather useless - my expectations were fairly low of this one but I'm glad I went ahead and read it.

    The book starts off by discussing what software architecture is, what the job entails, what the common misconceptions are and then for the remainder of the book covers both the technical and soft skills required for a person to become a good architect - how to maintain the technical know-how required by the job, what types of knowledge to focus on, how to detect, discuss and document the architecture, the reasons behind it and the trade-offs it entails, how to interact with your colleagues, both on the developer and the business side, how to resolve conflicts, nurture and promote constructive collaboration etc. So, as you can see, the authors try to cover a lot of ground without going too deep (and waking Durin's Bane) - and they do it successfully.

    That being said, the book isn't perfect, some chapters could have used more feedback, especially the event-driven architecture one, which felt a bit dated and like it came from someone who didn't have firsthand experience with it recently. Also, I can't really say that I truly discovered something new within its pages - which isn't necessarily a bad thing if, like here, the summary of the things you know is presented in such a way it actually reinforces the existing knowledge.
    12 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This book is a fundacional stone to anyone who’s beginning their architecture career. If you got the chance to buy it or read it just go for it every page is building block in your understanding on software architecture
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I read this book front to back and it solidified my understanding of a lot of architectural concepts. Now I'm better at understanding and communicating the architectural concerns of the systems I work on.

    If you're wondering where the blurry lines around architecture are, this book will help you build the mental model you're missing.

    Great writing, I'm keeping it as a reference book.
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2020
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Like other reviewers mentioned, the images were illegible. However I returned mine for a replacement and got a "2020-06-12: Second Release" version which fixed the images.
    34 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Kirito Yuuki
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best basics for software.
    Reviewed in Australia on August 31, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I found this book to be the best at explaining software, to beginners, and a great refresher for those who have more experience.
  • STEFAN G.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Exzellent und up to date
    Reviewed in Germany on June 24, 2022
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Insbesondere das im zweiten Teil des Buchs herausgearbeitete Gesetz "the why is more important than the how" ist eine im Alltag immer wieder erlebte Erfahrung in Sachen Architektur und Source Code. Da dies häufig missachtet wird, kann die WTF Rate schnell ansteigen.

    Im ersten Teil des Buchs werden diverse Architekturvarianten vorgestellt, bewertet und Empfehlungen für Anwendungsfälle gegeben. Klasse Hilfsmittel.

    Wichtigste Regel: Es gibt keine Silver Bullets sonder immer nur die am wenigsten schlechte Lösung.

    Es wurde bemängelt, dass die Qualität der Diagramme und Grafiken im gedruckten Buch sehr schlecht ist.
    Das stimmt, aber es gibt eine zum Buch gehörende Website, auf der die Diagramme in hoher Auflösung verfügbar sind.
    Einfach ohne voranstehendes www die com Domain fundamentalsofsoftwarearchitecture aufrufen und die Sektion Updated Images anwählen.

    Klare Kaufempfehlung!
    Report
  • Luca
    5.0 out of 5 stars Mark Richards una garanzia!
    Reviewed in Italy on May 11, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    L’autore tratta in maniera eccellente le architetture software a 360 gradi, il libro è utile sia per chi si approccia per la prima volta in questo ambito sia per chi vuole approfondire.
  • Slim
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book
    Reviewed in France on February 27, 2021
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Very nice book. I highly recommend it
  • Arjen
    3.0 out of 5 stars Diagrams unreadable
    Reviewed in the Netherlands on January 3, 2022
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Most diagrams, which are an important part of the book, are completely unreadable.
    This is really a shame for otherwise good quality content.