This guide is primarily written for developers and solution architects who are looking for guidance on architecting and designing applications on the Microsoft platform and the .NET Framework. However, this guide will benefit any technologist who is generally interested in the field of application architecture and design, wishes to understand the underlying patterns and principles behind good application design on the .Microsoft platform or the .NET Framework, or is new to the Microsoft platform or the .NET Framework.
The goal of this guide is to help developers and solution architects build effective, high quality applications on the Microsoft platform and the .NET Framework more quickly and with less risk by leveraging tried and trusted architecture and design principles and patterns.
The guide provides an overview of the underlying principles and patterns that provide a solid foundation for good application architecture and design. On top of this foundation, the guide provides generally applicable guidance for partitioning an application’s functionality into layers, components, and services. It goes on to provide guidance on identifying and addressing the key design characteristics of the solution and the key quality attributes (such as performance, security, and scalability) and crosscutting concerns (such as caching and logging). The guide builds still further and provides guidance that is more specific on the architecture and design of the most common application types, such as Web, rich Internet applications (RIA), rich client, services, and mobile applications.
The guidance is presented in parts that correspond to major architecture and design focus points. It is designed to be used as a reference resource, or it can be read from beginning to end.
The guide will help you to:
- Understand the underlying architecture and design principles and patterns for developing successful solutions on the Microsoft platform.
- Identify appropriate strategies and design patterns that will help you design your solution’s layers, components, and services.
- Identify and address the key engineering decision points for your solution.
- Identify and address the key quality attributes and crosscutting concerns for your solution.
- Choose the right technologies for your solution.
- Create a candidate baseline architecture for your solution.
- Identify patterns & practices solution assets and further guidance that will help you to implement your solution.
Note that while the guide is extensive, it is should not be considered a complete and comprehensive treatise on the field of application architecture and design. The guide is intended to serve as a practical and convenient overview of and reference to the general principles of architecture and design on the Microsoft platform and the .NET Framework.
