Gartner Research

MASA: How to Create an Agile Application Architecture With Apps, APIs and Services

Published: 03 February 2020

Summary

Evolving business needs require application architecture that enables agility, flexibility, integration and innovation. MASA — a mesh architecture of apps, APIs and services — provides application technical professionals delivering applications with the optimal architecture to meet those needs.

Included in Full Research

  • Prework
  • Part A: Coordinate the Product Architecture
    • Coordinate Between Teams
    • Apply a Versioning Strategy to Ensure Consistent Flexibility and Agility
  • Part B: Build Fit-for-Purpose Multiexperience Apps
    • Design Multiexperience Apps Based on Related Persona Workflows
  • Part C: Define API, Event and Service Mediation
    • Design the Outer APIs Using a Consumer-Centric Approach
    • Implement a Mediation Layer to Manage APIs
    • Implement Service Mesh Capabilities to Support Multigrained Services
    • Use an Event-Driven Model for Decoupled Communication
    • Apply an Identity and Access Strategy for APIs and Multigrained Services
  • Part D: Implement Multigrained Services
    • Map the State of Required Functionality
    • Apply Custom Service Integration Patterns
    • Service-Enable Existing Required Functionality
    • Refactor Existing Systems to Enable Required Functionality
    • Implement New Services With Appropriate Granularity
  • Part E: Ensure UX Continuity Across Apps
    • Define the User Workflows Across Multiexperience Apps
    • Support Contextual Navigation and Continuous Experience
  • Follow-Up
  • Related Guidance

Analysts:

Brad Dayley

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