Software architecture strategies for evolving monoliths

Software architecture discussions highlight the evolution from monolithic applications to microservices and serverless paradigms. Experts suggest that while microservices are popular, starting with a monolith can be a strategic choice for new projects where requirements are not yet fully defined. The key to a successful architecture is the ability to facilitate incremental change.

To prevent a modular monolith from degrading into a standard monolith, technical enforcement of boundaries is necessary. Strategies include using .NET project references to restrict type access to specific contract projects, employing tools like NetArchTest and NDepend to catch namespace violations and dependency cycles, and utilizing module-scoped data with dedicated database schemas. Communication between modules can be managed via in-process events, which provides a seamless path for extracting modules into independent services when needed.