Data Bricklaying Diary

Aug 27, 2026 · R&D Management

System Architecture Isn't Tech Selection: The Critical Questions for Production Readiness

This article argues that system architecture starts from business goals and quality attributes, not technology choices, using a refund processing example to illustrate trade-offs across system boundaries, collaboration patterns, and six architectural perspectives, emphasizing that observability, fault tolerance, and security must be designed in and validated with independent evidence throughout the system's lifecycle.