Many teams understand how to structure microservices but struggle with how those services should communicate. The result is often a distributed “Big Ball of Mud.” In this session, Neal Ford introduces the concept of the architecture quantum, a unit of architectural measurement that helps identify communication boundaries and define both static and dynamic coupling.

Attendees will learn practical techniques for finding the right level of service granularity using integrators and disintegrators, tools for iterating toward optimal service boundaries. The session also explores how to make informed decisions about synchronous versus asynchronous communication, balancing consistency, coordination, and transactional behavior. Finally, Neal discusses eight distinct saga patterns and how to apply each effectively in distributed systems.

What You Will Learn

• How to use architecture quanta to identify service boundaries and measure coupling

• Techniques for determining the right microservice granularity using integrators and disintegrators

• How to choose between synchronous and asynchronous communication models

• When and how to apply different saga patterns for distributed transactions

Who Should Attend

Software architects, senior developers, and engineering leaders designing or evolving microservice-based systems who want to improve communication, coordination, and service granularity.