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Architecture patterns

Illustrative designs for enterprise systems.

Explore starting patterns for AI, identity, integration, data, cloud and platforms. These sketches frame design choices; they are not production-tested systems or fixed prescriptions.

12

Illustrative patterns

Varies

Named dimensions

Contextual

Technology stack

Illustrative

Evidence status

Architecture Library

Patterns to reason from—not copy blindly.

Each card is an illustrative component sketch. Validate data flows, security boundaries, resilience, technology choices and trade-offs against the actual system.

Platform · Illustrative

Microservices Platform Pattern

Illustrative design pattern with an API gateway, service discovery, messaging and observability boundaries. Select components against actual workload and operations requirements.

Components

API GatewayService DiscoveryMessagingObservability

Illustrative reference only. Adapt the components and controls to the workload, threat model, operating team and acceptance requirements.

AI · Illustrative

AI Platform Pattern

Illustrative design pattern for model evaluation, serving, monitoring and governance. It does not describe an APPNEURAL production deployment.

Components

Model EvaluationServing LayerMonitoringGovernance

Illustrative reference only. Adapt the components and controls to the workload, threat model, operating team and acceptance requirements.

Security · Illustrative

Identity & Access Pattern

Illustrative identity pattern for authentication, policy decisions and auditable access boundaries.

Components

Identity ProviderAccess GatewayPolicy EngineAudit Events

Illustrative reference only. Adapt the components and controls to the workload, threat model, operating team and acceptance requirements.

AI · Illustrative

Retrieval-Augmented Generation Pattern

Illustrative pattern for content ingestion, access-aware retrieval, grounded responses and evaluation.

Components

Approved SourcesIngestionRetrievalResponse Evaluation

Illustrative reference only. Adapt the components and controls to the workload, threat model, operating team and acceptance requirements.

AI · Illustrative

Agentic Workflow Pattern

Illustrative pattern for bounded tools, explicit permissions, human review, failure handling and execution records.

Components

OrchestrationScoped ToolsHuman ReviewAudit Events

Illustrative reference only. Adapt the components and controls to the workload, threat model, operating team and acceptance requirements.

Data · Illustrative

Enterprise Knowledge Pattern

Illustrative pattern for approved content, ownership, retrieval and reviewable knowledge access.

Components

Content SourcesOwnershipSearchAccess Controls

Illustrative reference only. Adapt the components and controls to the workload, threat model, operating team and acceptance requirements.

Platform · Illustrative

Workflow Automation Pattern

Illustrative event-driven workflow with explicit state, exception handling, approvals and operational ownership.

Components

Workflow StateEventsHuman ApprovalException Handling

Illustrative reference only. Adapt the components and controls to the workload, threat model, operating team and acceptance requirements.

Platform · Illustrative

Notification Service Pattern

Illustrative pattern for delivery adapters, queued work, preferences and observable delivery outcomes.

Components

Channel AdaptersQueuePreferencesDelivery Status

Illustrative reference only. Adapt the components and controls to the workload, threat model, operating team and acceptance requirements.

Cloud · Illustrative

Cloud-Native Application Pattern

Illustrative pattern for deployment automation, application runtime, observability and recovery planning.

Components

Application RuntimeDelivery PipelineObservabilityRecovery

Illustrative reference only. Adapt the components and controls to the workload, threat model, operating team and acceptance requirements.

Cloud · Illustrative

Edge Computing Pattern

Illustrative pattern for distributed execution, synchronization and central coordination; latency and consistency depend on the workload.

Components

Edge RuntimeContent DeliverySynchronizationCentral Services

Illustrative reference only. Adapt the components and controls to the workload, threat model, operating team and acceptance requirements.

Platform · Illustrative

Multi-Tenant SaaS Pattern

Illustrative pattern for tenant context, data isolation, shared services and usage boundaries.

Components

Tenant ContextIsolationShared ServicesUsage Metering

Illustrative reference only. Adapt the components and controls to the workload, threat model, operating team and acceptance requirements.

Operations · Illustrative

Observability Pattern

Illustrative pattern for metrics, logs, traces, service objectives and operator response.

Components

MetricsLogsTracesAlert Ownership

Illustrative reference only. Adapt the components and controls to the workload, threat model, operating team and acceptance requirements.

Enterprise Intelligence

Need to evaluate an architecture choice?

Start with the workload, system constraints, security boundary and team that will operate it.

Scope and availability confirmed individually · Written terms define the engagement