Chapter 1: Evolution of Enterprise Solution Architectures

An enterprise application is a large software system platform, typically comprising multiple applications that are designed to assist the organization in solving its business problems in a well-coordinated fashion. These platforms are complex, generally evolve over a period, and must be scalable and extensible. They are largely driven by the strategic technology initiatives that are identified to accomplish the vision and business objectives of the organization.

The purpose of this chapter is to share insights on how enterprise solution architectures have evolved from being a collection of standalone monoliths to service-oriented architectures (SOA) to a more modern microservices-based solution approach in recent times.

Over the past decade, there has been a significant rise in the demand for omnichannel and interconnected experiences. Be it the consumerization of IT or mobile-first applications, emergingtechnology trends have created a compelling need for businesses to invest in cloud-native applications (CNCF) or integrate with Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product offerings. If you are new to these terms, a brief explanation follows:

• CNCF: Cloud-native applications are typically modern applications designed to run on the cloud using the recommended cloud architecture and design principles. They are mostly microservices hosted using managed services to offer great scale and performance.
• SaaS: Software as a Service refers to the model of hosting a software solution or product on the cloud. This is accessible over the internet using a subscription or pay-as-you-go model.

  Note

  You can make use of the links provided in the Further reading section to understand the preceding concepts in greater detail.

In this chapter, we are going to cover the following main topics:

• History of application architectures in an enterprise
• IT strategies in the modern world
• The emergence of API-led architectures

  By the end of this chapter, you will understand how to prioritize your IT solutions strategy for any upcoming digital transformation projects.

  Disclaimer

  The topics presented in this chapter assume that you have a basic level of understanding of solution architectures in an enterprise context. At the end of the chapter, additional suggested reading links have been provided for you to review and explore more on the various topics.