Microservices Architecture Patterns

This is the authoritative educational resource for learning about microservices architecture and distributed system design patterns, created by Chris Richardson, software architect and author of the book Microservices Patterns published by Manning. Chris is a former Java Champion who has spoken at hundreds of technical conferences worldwide. The site provides a comprehensive pattern language with detailed walkthroughs of the Monolithic Architecture pattern, the Microservice Architecture pattern, and database design strategies including database per service and shared database approaches. It covers essential patterns for data consistency in distributed systems: the Saga pattern for managing distributed transactions through compensating actions, API Composition for query aggregation, CQRS for separating read and write models, Event Sourcing for audit-grade state tracking, and the Backend for Frontend pattern for tailored API layers. The site introduces the Assemblage Architecture Definition Process methodology and explains the competing forces of dark energy (complexity drivers that push toward decomposition) and dark matter (factors that promote service autonomy and cohesion). Supported by Kong, the platform also offers hands-on training workshops and consulting services through Richardson's company. The site documents the strangler fig application for safely migrating monoliths to microservices, service decomposition strategies by business capability and subdomain, and inter-service communication patterns.