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6 Important Software Architecture Principles
To guide your future projects in the right direction
Software architecture principles define general rules and guidelines for using and deploying IT resources and assets. They reflect a level of consensus and form the basis for future IT decisions.
This is a selection of six important software architecture principles.
1. Make, Buy, Reuse — Or Better Reuse, Buy, Make at Least
Reuse before buy, and buy before make. Why?
Example: what would happen if you make (code and implement) your personal company internet browser, mail app, or office package?
Answer: you would spend a lot of time and money. You would not be able to concentrate on your core business. Usually, your solution would be so unique that, in bad cases, it requires additional user training.
Especially in huge companies, it makes sense to verify if the solution already exists, is bought, is implemented, or is already running for a given problem. Sometimes you find running software solutions in another department of the company.
If no software is already available in your company to solve the requirements, you should first do market research. In most cases, there are different software solutions providers with more or less specialization.
Don’t reinvent the wheel.
You should make your software if your requirements are so special that there is no fitting solution available. This is your core business to create and sell software for special uses. And to earn money with it.
2. Build For Cloud
Modern software applications need to be able to run in cloud environments like AWS, Azure, GCP, etc.
Nowadays, no company wants to operate its own data center unless it is essential for special reasons.
As a rule, the use of cloud environments from large providers is much cheaper.
Large cloud providers also have more experience and greater reliability regarding security aspects and availability.
