DDD Europe 2025 - Program

Architecture as Code; Making Architecture Work

DDD Europe - Workshop (2 days)

Speakers

Neal Ford

Neal Ford
Date
Description

Architects often describe their work in diagrams and other visual artifacts, but how can they test to see if the implementation is aligned with the architecture? Architects are expected to not only design new systems, but continuously govern what they’ve already built and ensure that their architecture is aligned with the technical and business environment.

This course uncovers a new way to think about architecture—as code. We have infrastructure, policy, data, and a host of other things “as code”, but not architecture…until now. This course covers numerous intersections of software architecture with all the tendrils of the organization, defining each intersection using code. Using fitness function-driven architecture, teams can define structure, constraints, governance, security, communication, and many other capabilities, all as source code.

This class covers intersections with implementation, infrastructure, engineering practices, team topologies, data topologies, systems integration, the enterprise, and the business environment, defining each interaction with tests and other fitness functions that allow architects to not only design solutions but make sure they are implemented and aligned correctly via automated verification. This hand-on class also includes numerous coding exercises to make intersections concrete, allowing attendees to build their own fitness functions that apply to their day job.

Outline & Agenda Introduction Why doesn’t architecture always work? Introducing Architectural Nexûs Defining Fitness Functions Architecture as code Fitness Function Driven Architecture Collaboration and communication techniques Architecture Description Language (ADL) Kata Descriptions Intersection of Architecture and Implementation Operational Alignment Structural Alignment Constraints Alignment Fitness Function Examples Hands-on Exercises Intersection of Architecture and Data Topologies Data Topologies and Architecture Intersections Data Types and Architecture Intersections Fitness Function Examples Hands-on Exercises Intersection of Architecture and Infrastructure Operational Characteristics Alignment Aspect-Oriented Architecture Governance Mesh Self-Healing Systems Fitness Function Examples Hands-on Exercises Intersection of Architecture and Engineering Practices Monolithic Repo Governance Software Development Practices Deployment Practices Fitness Function Examples Hands-on Exercises Intersection of Architecture and Team Topologies Technical vs. Domain Partitioned Teams Team Topology Types Stream-aligned teams Enabling teams Complex subsystem teams Platform teams Team Isomorphism and Architectural Styles Fitness Function Examples Hands-on Exercises Intersection of Architecture and Integration Environment Fallacy #11 of Distributed Computing Observability Techniques and Metrics CRDT Data Types Observability techniques / metrics Contract Management Static Coupling Fitness Function Examples Hands-on Exercises Intersection of Architecture and The Enterprise Issues and Challenges with the Enterprise Software Bill of Materials Standards Governance Practices Fitness Function Examples Hands-on Exercises Intersection of Architecture and The Business Environment Describing the Business Environment Aligning The Architecture and Business Domain to Architecture Isomorphism Iterative Architecture Residuality Theory Fitness Function Examples Hands-on Exercises Intersection of Architecture and Generative AI AI Ecosystem Matrix Generative AI Assistance for Architecture Supporting Ecosystem Tools and Products Productionizing AI Fitness Function Examples Hands-on Exercises

About Neal Ford

Neal is Director, Software Architect, and Meme Wrangler at ThoughtWorks, a software company and a community of passionate, purpose-led individuals, who thinks disruptively to deliver technology to address the toughest challenges, all while seeking to revolutionize the IT industry and create positive social change. He is an internationally recognized expert on software development and delivery, especially in the intersection of agile engineering techniques and software architecture. Neal has authored magazine articles, seven books (and counting), dozens of video presentations, and spoken at hundreds of developers conferences worldwide. His topics include software architecture, continuous delivery, functional programming, cutting edge software innovations, and includes a business-focused book and video on improving technical presentations. Check out his web site at nealford.com.