IT Architecture Types and Purpose

Muhammad Usman , Rizwan Mian, PhD

Have you ever wondered what do the different architectures represent and how?

I share a fast attempt to list them (with references). Thoughts?

1.???? Solution Architecture [7]

Solution architecture provides the ground for software development projects by tailoring IT solutions to specific business needs and defining their functional requirements and stages of implementation.

2.???? Enterprise Architecture [5] [1]

Enterprise architecture provides a structured framework to strategically align business operations and optimize responses to market changes, encompassing business processes, standards, and technology at various levels.

3.???? System Architecture [5]

System architecture is designed to help system developers understand system nature and component interactions, facilitating web application development and stakeholder communication.

4.???? Software Architecture [5] [1]

Software architecture define the fundamental structures of a software system, enabling creators to illustrate the system's layout and interactions with users, external systems, data sources, and services, emphasizing the decision-making process.

5.???? Application Architecture [2]

Application architecture provide a comprehensive view of application structure, showcasing component interactions and data flow to inform design, implementation, and maintenance.

6.???? Integration Architecture [4]

Integration architecture depict the relationships and components in integration solutions, facilitating design, development, and management of complex integrations for both documentation and planning purposes.

7.???? Data Architecture [4]

A data architecture illustrates data flow and storage within a system, aiding in data processing optimization and scalability while addressing the responsibility of handling various types of data.

8.???? Cloud Architecture [8]

Cloud architecture refers to how various cloud technology components, such as hardware, virtual resources, software capabilities, and virtual network systems interact and connect to create cloud computing environments.

9.???? Business Architecture [9]

Business Architecture serves to properly align the organization. Business Architecture reveals how an organization is structured and can clearly demonstrate how elements such as capabilities, processes, organization, and information fit together.

10.? Web Architecture [10]

Web architecture refers to the overall structure of a website or web application, including the way it is designed, implemented, and deployed. It involves the use of technologies and protocols such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and HTTP to build and deliver web pages and applications to users.

11.? Mobile Application Architecture [11]

Mobile app architecture refers to a set of rules, techniques, processes, and patterns to develop a mobile application. These rules help developers create an app that meets both the business requirements as well as industry standards.

12.? AI and ML Architecture [12]

AI and ML architecture facilitates AI and ML application development and integration, ensuring efficient data flow and model performance while meeting security and privacy standards.

13.? GenAI Architecture [12]

The purpose of a GenAI (Generative AI) architecture is to design and organize the components and systems that enable the generation of creative content, such as art, music, and text, using artificial intelligence techniques. It facilitates the development and deployment of generative AI models to produce novel and creative outputs.

14.? Infrastructure Architecture [12]

The purpose of infrastructure architecture is to design and organize the foundational components and systems necessary for supporting IT services and applications, ensuring scalability, reliability, and performance while aligning with business objectives and requirements. It defines the structure and technology stack to deliver a stable and efficient computing environment.

15.? CRM Architecture [5]

The purpose of CRM architecture is to establish a framework for managing customer interactions effectively, aligning CRM priorities, system implementation, and defining workflows to support CRM strategies and goals.

16.? DevOps Architecture [4]

The purpose of DevOps architecture is to visualize and optimize application deployment processes, promoting efficiency and continuous improvement in the deployment pipeline. It helps teams understand and enhance the flow of application changes and maintain alignment with evolving deployment tools and system interfaces.

17.? Network Architecture?[13]

Network Architecture is the way network services and devices are structured together to serve the connectivity needs of client devices and applications.

18.? Security Architecture [14]

Security architecture is the strategic design of systems, policies and technologies to protect IT and business assets from cyberthreats. A well-designed security architecture aligns cybersecurity with the unique business goals and risk management profile of the organization.

References

[1] J. Freeman, "Complete Guide to Architecture Diagrams," Wondershare edrawsoft, [Online]. Available: https://www.edrawsoft.com/architecture-diagram.html . [Accessed 31 Oct 2023].

[2] G. Guthrie, "Architectural diagrams: what to know, and how to draw one," 15 Feb 2022. [Online]. Available: https://nulab.com/learn/software-development/architectural-diagrams-what-to-know-and-how-to-draw-one/ . [Accessed 31 Oct 2023].

[3] C. Nalimov, "Types of architecture diagrams and how to draw one," Gleek, 30 Sep 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.gleek.io/blog/architecture-diagrams-types . [Accessed 31 Oct 2023].

[4] "How to draw 5 types of architectural diagrams," Lucidchart, [Online]. Available: https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/how-to-draw-architectural-diagrams . [Accessed 31 Oct 2023].

[5] "Types of Architecture Diagram," Wondershare EdrawMax, [Online]. Available: https://www.edrawmax.com/article/architecture-diagram-types.html . [Accessed 31 Oct 2023].

[6] "What is architecture diagramming?," Amazon AWS, [Online]. Available: https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/architecture-diagramming/ . [Accessed 31 Oct 2023].

[7] "Solution Architecture," LeanIX, [Online]. Available: https://www.leanix.net/en/wiki/ea/solution-architecture . [Accessed 1 Nov 2023].

[8] "What is cloud architecture?," Google GCP, [Online]. Available: https://cloud.google.com/learn/what-is-cloud-architecture#:~:text=Cloud%20architecture%20refers%20to%20how,to%20create%20cloud%20computing%20environments .. [Accessed 1 Nov 2023].

[9] "WHAT IS BUSINESS ARCHITECTURE?," STA Group, [Online]. Available: https://www.stagrp.com/architecture/business-architecture/what-is-business-architecture/#:~:text=Aligns%20the%20Organization-,Business%20Architecture%20serves%20to%20properly%20align%20the%20organization.,organization%20and%20information%20fit%20together .. [Accessed 1 Nov 2023].

[10]

S. Kumar, "What is Web Architecture?," tutorialspoint, 9 Jan 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.tutorialspoint.com/what-is-web-architecture#:~:text=Web%20architecture%20refers%20to%20the,pages%20and%20applications%20to%20users .. [Accessed 1 Nov 2023].

[11] R. Ranjan, "The Mobile App Architecture Guide for 2023," net solutions, 8 Nov 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.netsolutions.com/insights/mobile-app-architecture-guide/#:~:text=Mobile%20app%20architecture%20refers%20to,as%20well%20as%20industry%20standards .. [Accessed 1 Nov 2023].

[12] "ChatGPT 3.5 data uptil 30 Sep 2021," OpenAI, [Online]. Available: https://chat.openai.com/ .

[13] "What is Network Architecture?," VMWare, [Online]. Available: https://www.vmware.com/topics/glossary/content/network-architecture.html . [Accessed 1 Nov 2023].

[14] "What Is Security Architecture?," Paloalto, [Online]. Available: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cyberpedia/what-is-security-architecture#:~:text=A%20robust%20security%20architecture%20ensures,as%20the%20threat%20landscape%20evolves .. [Accessed 1 Nov 2023].

?#genai #ai #cloudcomputing #architecture #mlops #software #design

I am an independent contractor who works on multiple data science and cloud projects. I also participated in the Startup School of Y-Combinator in 2019, and launched a private beta on optimizing professional profiles, called jobAi . My LinkedIn articles express my own views.