📚 Main Topics

1. Event-Driven Architectures (EDA)

   • Powered by Apache Kafka
   • Systems communicate through events
   • Reactive and asynchronous communication

2. Request-Response Architectures

   • Direct communication between services
   • Examples include REST and RPC
   • Synchronous communication requiring both services to be online

3. Comparison Factors

   • Reactivity
   • Coupling (space and time)
   • Consistency
   • Historical state
   • Architectural flexibility
   • Data access and reuse

✨ Key Takeaways

• ReactivityEDA is reactive, allowing services to respond to events without direct communication. In contrast, request-response requires explicit calls between services.

• CouplingEDA decouples services, allowing them to operate independently. Request-response architectures are tightly coupled, requiring both services to be online simultaneously.

• ConsistencyEDA operates on eventual consistency, meaning data may not be immediately synchronized. Request-response can maintain strong consistency as data is often contained within a single service.

• Historical StateEDA maintains a complete history of events, allowing for easy reprocessing and modifications. Request-response typically overwrites data, making historical tracking more complex.

• Architectural FlexibilityEDA allows for easier integration of new services and data sources, while request-response relies on existing APIs, which can complicate service interactions.

• Data Access and ReuseEDA facilitates data reuse across various applications and data-intensive tasks, while request-response requires additional ETL processes to access and utilize data effectively.

🧠 Lessons Learned

• Choosing the Right ArchitectureThe choice between EDA and request-response should be based on the specific needs of the application, including requirements for scalability, flexibility, and data consistency.

• Understanding Trade-offsEach architecture has its strengths and weaknesses; understanding these can help in designing more efficient systems.

• Future ConsiderationsAs systems evolve, the ability to adapt and integrate new services is crucial. EDA offers more flexibility in this regard compared to request-response architectures.

• Data EcosystemBuilding a healthy data ecosystem involves leveraging the strengths of event-driven architectures for data-intensive applications, while also recognizing the operational needs served by request-response systems.