Terminology

2185 terms, tools, patterns and metrics an architect is expected to use precisely. Each one gets a short explanation of what it is, and — where it matters — what it is commonly confused with. Search filters as you type; the column headers sort.

All areas2185 Architecture Fundamentals77 Distributed Systems107 Data Architecture110 Cloud Architecture89 Networking88 API & Integration Architecture82 Reliability & Resilience75 Observability70 Performance & Capacity Engineering72 Security Architecture81 Cost Architecture & FinOps66 Business Architecture67 Architecture Communication67 Enterprise Architecture66 Legacy Modernization66 AI-Era Architecture69 Software Architecture & Engineering71 Architecture Patterns71 Architecture Decision-Making63 The Architect's Meta-Skills61 Delivery & Release Engineering66 Platform Engineering & Developer Experience70 Testing & Quality Architecture66 Data Platform Architecture64 Streaming & Real-Time Data69 Data Governance & Semantics69 Frontend & Experience Architecture66 Edge, Mobile & IoT68 Regulatory & Data Protection Architecture65 Assurance, Audit & Model Risk64

Kind Any concept785 practice729 pattern362 metric125 case-study77 tool62 protocol45

5 terms shown.

Term	Kind	Topic	What it is
GraphQL	protocol	API & Integration	A query language and runtime where the client specifies exactly which fields it needs, against a typed schema, usually via a single endpoint.
gRPC	protocol	API & Integration	A contract-first RPC framework using Protocol Buffers over HTTP/2, with generated clients and servers and first-class streaming.
Problem Details RFC 9457, RFC 7807	protocol	API Error Handling	A standard JSON structure for HTTP error responses, giving machine-readable type, human-readable detail, and room for extensions.
REST RESTful API	protocol	API & Integration	An architectural style for APIs built on resources identified by URLs, manipulated with uniform HTTP methods, and stateless requests.
Retry-After	protocol	Rate Limiting	A response header telling a client how long to wait before retrying, turning a rejection into actionable guidance.