Where is this online post about a software architecture model?

February 15, 2012 9:50 AM

For the sake of my dwindling sanity, can anyone point me towards the blog post I read about a "concentric" model for data-driven software architecture? I've googled like mad but haven't come anywhere close to it because the only search terms I can come up with are either vague or have additional meanings that pollute the results.

I remember reading (sometime in the past year) a blog post or online article describing a concept for software architecture which (to my hazy recollection, anyway) mixed a layered or n-tier model with some aspect-oriented concepts. The defining characteristic of the model was that it was visually represented as a series of concentric circles or rings, rather than the typical "top-to-bottom" or "building-block" depiction.

Generally speaking, the more common and abstract the element in the model was, the closer to the center of the model it appeared. The inner-most area may have consisted of interfaces only. Elements that were specific in their implementation or limited in the number of other elements that consumed them were further out in the model.

Little things that might help trigger someone's memory but could also be red herrings:

I know I read it sometime in the last 9 - 12 months, but the content may have been older than that

I believe the concept was targeted at .NET and/or Java development

I think the author was a senior software architect or lead, posting on a company blog

I have the sense that the site/blog was a "light on dark" visual theme, and the diagrams used to illustrate the model consisted of a lot of orange/yellow on a dark gray or black background

posted by ElDiabloConQueso to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

Best answer: This? (Concentric graphic is down the page.) If not, try clicking on the image results for your search terms; the graphic you remember may pop up.
posted by beagle at 10:19 AM on February 15, 2012

Best answer: Not concentric circles, but also a geometric shape and an interesting design pattern: hexagonal architecture
posted by flicken at 3:52 PM on February 15, 2012

Response by poster: beagle's suggestion for image results worked! It took a bit of digging and tweaking my search, but I came up with Jeffrey Palermo's "onion" architecture by using image search. It can be seen in a three-part post on his blog, with part 1 here.

Thanks, beagle.
posted by ElDiabloConQueso at 7:36 PM on February 15, 2012

Response by poster: In re-reading Palermo's post, I just realized that he references the same hexagonal architecture that flicken mentioned (from Alistair Cockburn) and points out that they share a common philosophy so I'm giving flicken credit as well. Thanks!
posted by ElDiabloConQueso at 7:43 PM on February 15, 2012