Difference Between System Architecture and Software Architecture

What is System Architecture?

A System Architecture is a design that tells us about the design and structure of a system. It also tells us how the system is used and interacts with another system. A System has many parts, and it performs many functions. It provides a detailed view of how various components of a system are interlinked with each other to perform some given objective. The system architecture provides information about the organization, relationships, and behaviour of different elements within a system. It may include software, hardware, networks, databases, and interfaces.

System Architecture ensures that all the system components are working together efficiently. It is used for making some critical design decisions and defining the system's structure, interfaces, communication protocols, and data flow. System architects consider many factors when designing the architecture, such as performance, reliability, scalability, security, maintainability, and usability. The system architecture is a blueprint for developing and implementing complex systems.

System Architecture involves databases, application servers, user interfaces, and integration modules.

This architecture involves web servers, application servers, databases, and client-side interfaces.

Note: Some Common Types of System Architecture include Monolithic Architecture, Client-Server Architecture, Layered Architecture, Peer-to-Peer Architecture, etc.

What is Software Architecture?

Software architecture is the basic structures of the software, their responsibilities, and how software works to achieve the desired result. The Software architecture also establishes the communication protocols, data flow, and interfaces between different software components.

Key aspects of software architecture include Modularity, Architectural Patterns, Data Management, Deployment, Scalability, etc. Software architecture is typically documented through architectural diagrams, including block diagrams, component diagrams, and interaction diagrams. These diagrams visually represent the system's structure and help communicate the design to stakeholders and development teams.

The functional software architecture supports system development by providing a roadmap for implementation, aiding in collaboration among developers, and facilitating system understanding and maintenance. It plays a crucial role in building robust, scalable, maintainable software systems that align with the desired goals and requirements.

Examples of Software Architecture

• The hexagonal architecture: It emphasizes the use of interfaces or ports. It defines interactions with the system. It allows flexibility and testability. Adapters or connectors bridge the gap between the core and external systems.
• In Event-Driven Architecture: When an event occurs, it triggers actions or notifications to other components. This pattern promotes loose coupling and flexibility, making it suitable for systems with complex event processing, real-time data processing, or asynchronous communication.
• MVC: It is mainly used for building user interfaces. It is divided into three parts. The First the model. The Second one is called the view and the third one is called controller. MVC promotes the separation of concerns and supports the modifiability and reusability of the code.
• In Client-server architecture: In this software architecture, the Client is responsible for the user interface and interactions, while the server handles the business logic and data processing

Difference Between System Architecture and Software Architecture

• System Architecture focus on the whole system whereas Software Architecture focus only on some part of the system.
• System Architecture is used to maintain low level infrastructure of software whereas Software Architecture is used to maintain high level infrastructure of Software.
• Types of System Architecture include Hardware architecture, Enterprise Architecture, Collaborative system architecture. Types of Software architecture include Server less Architecture, Event Driven Architecture, Micro Service Architecture.
• The System architecture offers a comprehensive overview of the whole thing. It describes the essential parts, their functions, and how they work together to accomplish the system's objectives. Software architecture focuses on the design and organization of the software components, outlining their roles,
• System architecture provides the blueprint for the entire system, while software architecture focuses on the design and structure of the software components within that system. Software architecture is influenced by and aligns with the broader system architecture. This architecture also ensures that software components effectively contribute to the system's goals, requirements, and constraints.
• System architecture requires comprehensive documentation that captures the system's overall structure, relationships, interfaces, and behavior from various perspectives. Software architecture does not require documentation. It is more focused on designing and implementing software components, including component diagrams, class diagrams, and code documentation.
• System architecture deals with the entire system's overall complexity and integration challenges. Software architecture focuses on managing the complexity within the software components.