architecture-pattern-selector

Architecture Pattern Selector

Provides systematic framework for selecting the right architecture pattern based on real-world constraints rather than hype or resume-driven development.

When to Use

• Designing a new system from scratch
• Evaluating whether to migrate from monolith to microservices
• Choosing between serverless vs container-based architecture
• Assessing if current architecture matches actual needs

Architecture Patterns

1. Monolith

Best for: Early-stage products, small teams, rapid iteration

Characteristics:

• Single deployable unit
• Shared database
• Simple deployment and debugging
• Fastest time to market

Choose when:

• Team < 10 engineers
• < 100K users
• Product-market fit not yet proven
• Need to iterate quickly on features
• Limited DevOps expertise

Avoid when:

• Different components need independent scaling
• Multiple teams need to deploy independently
• Parts of system have very different reliability requirements

2. Modular Monolith

Best for: Growing products that need structure without microservices complexity

Characteristics:

• Single deployable unit with clear module boundaries
• Modules communicate through defined interfaces
• Can evolve to microservices later
• Best of both worlds for mid-size teams

Choose when:

• Team 10-30 engineers
• 100K-1M users
• Need better code organization
• Want microservices benefits without operational overhead
• Planning future extraction to services

Avoid when:

• Need independent deployment per module
• Modules have fundamentally different scaling requirements
• Already have microservices expertise and infrastructure

3. Microservices

Best for: Large organizations with mature DevOps practices

Characteristics:

• Independent deployable services
• Service-specific databases
• Complex operational requirements
• High organizational overhead

Choose when:

• Team > 30 engineers with multiple squads

• 1M users with varying load patterns

• Different services need different scaling strategies
• Strong DevOps/Platform team
• Clear bounded contexts

Avoid when:

• Team lacks Kubernetes/container orchestration experience
• No dedicated platform/DevOps team
• Bounded contexts are unclear
• Chasing microservices for resume value

4. Serverless

Best for: Event-driven workloads, variable traffic, cost optimization

Characteristics:

• Pay-per-execution pricing
• Auto-scaling to zero
• Vendor lock-in concerns
• Cold start latency

Choose when:

• Highly variable or spiky traffic
• Event-driven processing (webhooks, queues)
• Cost-sensitive with unpredictable load
• Simple request-response patterns
• Limited DevOps capacity

Avoid when:

• Consistent high-volume traffic (cost inefficient)
• Low-latency requirements (< 100ms consistently)
• Long-running processes
• Complex stateful workflows

5. Hybrid

Best for: Complex systems with varied requirements

Characteristics:

• Mix of patterns for different components
• Monolith core with serverless functions
• Microservices for specific bounded contexts

Choose when:

• Different parts of system have different characteristics
• Migrating incrementally from monolith
• Some components need independent scaling
• Event-driven workflows alongside synchronous APIs

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Selection Framework

Step 1: Assess Current State

Team Size:        [ ] < 10   [ ] 10-30   [ ] 30-100   [ ] > 100
User Scale:       [ ] < 100K [ ] 100K-1M [ ] 1M-10M   [ ] > 10M
DevOps Maturity:  [ ] None   [ ] Basic   [ ] Intermediate [ ] Advanced
Deployment Freq:  [ ] Monthly [ ] Weekly [ ] Daily    [ ] Multiple/day

Step 2: Evaluate Constraints

Constraint	Impact on Pattern Choice
Time to market	Favors monolith
Team autonomy	Favors microservices
Cost sensitivity	Favors serverless or monolith
Latency requirements	Disfavors serverless
Compliance/security	May require isolation (microservices)

Step 3: Apply Decision Matrix

See decision-matrix.md for the scoring framework.

Step 4: Consider Migration Path

Every architecture should have a migration path:

• Monolith → Modular Monolith → Microservices
• Monolith → Hybrid (extract specific services)
• Serverless → Containers (when scale justifies)

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Output Format

When recommending an architecture pattern, provide:

## Architecture Recommendation

### Recommended Pattern: [Pattern Name]
**Confidence**: High / Medium / Low

### Why This Pattern
[2-3 specific reasons based on constraints]

### Trade-offs Accepted
- [Trade-off 1 and why it's acceptable]
- [Trade-off 2 and why it's acceptable]

### Migration Path
- **Current**: [Current state]
- **Phase 1**: [Near-term architecture]
- **Phase 2**: [If/when to evolve]
- **Trigger**: [What would cause migration to next phase]

### Patterns Rejected
| Pattern | Reason Not Selected |
|---------|---------------------|
| [Pattern] | [Specific reason] |

### Implementation Considerations
- [Key consideration 1]
- [Key consideration 2]
- [Key consideration 3]

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Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Resume-Driven Architecture

Choosing microservices because it looks good on resumes, not because the problem requires it.

Red flag: "We should use microservices because that's what Netflix uses." Reality check: You're not Netflix. What's your actual scale and team size?

Premature Distribution

Distributing a system before understanding the domain boundaries.

Red flag: "Let's start with microservices from day one." Reality check: You'll draw the wrong boundaries. Start monolith, extract when clear.

Complexity Worship

Equating complexity with sophistication.

Red flag: "Our architecture needs to be enterprise-grade." Reality check: Simple architectures that work beat complex ones that don't.

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References

• Decision Matrix - Scoring framework for pattern selection
• Pattern Comparison - Detailed comparison of patterns