The field of computing architecture is focused on how to make computers work better- not just for now, but for the future as well. This includes finding ways to make current computer architectures more efficient, as well as exploring possibilities for new types of architectures.

Computing architects also look at what makes sense from a theoretical standpoint- why would we want one type of architecture instead of another? They explore these theories using mathematics or physics to help explain it.

From there, they apply this knowledge to create something that works! For example, by thinking about how data should be organized in terms of consistency and accuracy, engineers are able to design very reliable software.

Software with unreliable functions can become incredibly popular (think: Google) so there’s a market for poor quality software too!

Another area which comes under the umbrella of architectural theory is looking at how different components of a computer fit together. For instance, understanding how processors function helps us build faster, more powerful ones.

Architecture isn’t just limited to creating ways to get rid of wasted space either- it applies to everything related to keeping your computer running! From powering up to putting things down, leaving some spaces empty and saving energy when you don’t need all the features actively working- everyone involved in developing technology takes part in designing their underlying structures.

Here, we will talk about two major concepts in architectural theory: hierarchy and reusability. Let's dive in.

Hardware architecture

So what is hardware architecture, then? That’s a great question!

Hardware architectures are just like software architectures, but they refer to the underlying technology that computers use to perform computations.

In fact, there are several different types of architectures used in computer science, with each being appropriate for certain tasks. Some examples include von Neumann machines (like CPUs), stack-based languages such as Python or Lua, and even some non-von Neuman architectures like RISC processors which focus more on maximizing speed over efficiency.

Software architecture

So what is software architecture, then? This term gets thrown around a lot these days, but you should be aware of how it relates to other terms. For example, when people refer to software architectural styles, they usually mean choosing between open source or proprietary software as an approach to use.

Open source software comes with free access, while proprietary software is not. It can cost money to use those tools professionally, however!

When talking about software architectures, some people may also include concepts like modularity or layering in their definition. These are definitely important parts of creating good software, but they are not fully defining components of the term “software architect”.

The word “architect” comes from the greek root arkhe which means master builder. As such, this role has leadership qualities that require expertise in various fields, including engineering, mathematics, and philosophy among others.

This person coordinates and oversees all aspects of project development, ensuring everything fits together properly and functions effectively. They take care of creative ideas too – designing new features and exploring alternatives for already established ones.

It is very helpful to understand the difference between an engineer and a programmer before moving onto more advanced topics. An engineer typically uses formal math to solve problems whereas a programmer often creates his or her own solutions using creativity and logic.

Compute architecture

So what is computing architecture? That’s a pretty big question! Technically, it’s how your computer works. More specifically, it’s the organization of the components in your computer- like processors, memory, storage devices, and networking equipment.

When you think about it, this really isn’t too surprising. After all, we’ve been talking about computers since at least the 1950s, so they must have had an organized structure already. At that time, though, people didn’t realize just how important their design would become.

Since then, architectures have evolved into more complex systems that do far more than ever before. This evolution has happened due to two reasons: hardware technology and software needs.

Hardware technology advances allow for greater capability, while software demands require improved efficiency or better performance. Either one can push an architecture towards becoming much more complicated, but such complexity also brings benefits.

Software benefits include easier development because there are logical structures to follow; better usability as users understand the system better; and higher overall productivity since everything functions effectively. Hardware benefits include increased functionality and ease of use.

Storage architecture

In computing, storage is often an overlooked component of any large project. This is very unfortunate as it can make or break a system!

Storage comes in many forms such as hard drives, flash memory devices, SD cards, USB sticks, and more. Technically speaking, all of these are different types of non-volatile memories (NVM) which remain unchanged after being erased and recharged with electricity.

These various storages work by storing information in a binary format that matches what humans use to understand data. That means we can think of each bit like a one-way switch that either turns on or off depending on whether the bit is set or not.

When a computer needs to store something longer than just a few bits, it uss the help of a network or group of individual storage components connected together. These groups of storage are referred to as a storage device, array, or server.

By having multiple pieces of storage equipment, you get greater capacity and higher performance due to how well the equipment works together. Computers find this helpful for things like saving pictures, apps, files, and other digital content.

This article will talk about some common ways computers organize their storage and why they are important to know.

Network architecture

A computer’s networking system is its most important part because it gives you access to the internet, chat apps, email, and other services that depend on how well your computer can connect to others.

Networking systems work by communicating with each other over a wire or wireless channel of some kind. Wireless networks are becoming more common due to their lower latency than wired connections.

Most people use wifi these days for this, but there are many types of network technology including Ethernet (wired), Wi-Fi (wireless), Bluetooth (short range radio link), NFC (near field communication) and more. Some computers have all of these at once, while others have only one or two.

This article will focus mostly on WiFi since they are the most popular type of networking tech out there right now. But keep in mind that even though wifi is very prevalent, not every device has built-in wifi!

If yours does, great, you're already better off than most people who need to buy a new laptop soon. The same goes if you own a phone that connects to the internet via wi-fi - you're probably already ahead of the game.

Platform architecture

So what is platform architecture? That’s a great question! Technically, it’s how your operating system (OS) works, and all of the software that makes up a computer program (or applications for that matter) work.

But we can go one step further and talk about OS architecture as a whole. How does macOS or Windows use their resources to run apps, manage files, etc.? And why do some versions of Microsoft Office look the same while other ones don’t?

These are questions related to OS architecture. They have something to do with how the software uses various parts of the computer — things like CPU cores, memory, storage space, and more.

Here’s an example. Imagine you have a word processor app that was designed to take up 1GB of RAM and 2TB of disk space. Now, a developer releases a new version of the app that takes up twice the amount of RAM and four times the size of hard drives.

You could just update the app to include these extra features, but then people who already own the old version wouldn’t be able to use it anymore. Or at least they would need to buy both the new and old versions in order to continue using the app.

This isn’t very practical if you want everyone to keep using your product. It also creates confusion because now there are two different ways to get the most out of the app.

The cloud

Recent developments in technology have ushered in an era of mobile computing, connected devices and online applications and services. This is referred to as the “cloud” or “client-server model.”

The term “cloud” was first used in 1994, when Amazon launched its web service platform. Since then, it has become one of the most prevalent models for information technology (IT).

Clouds are typically made up of servers and software that can be accessed from various different devices via your internet connection. For example, you could access your email through Apple Mail, Gmail or Yahoo! by connecting to these websites via their apps or programs.

The servers, software and connectivity are all paid for using a monthly subscription fee or per use fees. This way, users do not need to spend money on expensive upfront costs or maintenance fees.

Another advantage of the cloud is that there is no need to install any additional software or applications onto your computer because they are already accessible via the web.

Lessons learned

The term “architecture” typically refers to the structure of a building or complex, but in software architecture it also means how a computer is organized and what functions those components serve. This definition makes more sense when you understand that every piece of software has an architecture!

Software architectures come in many shapes and sizes, which can make them seem very complicated and elusive. But they are not. They are simply groups of rules that dictate how individual pieces of software work together.

Architectures evolve as the developers who use the software add new features and take away things for different reasons. Because architects have their own set of rules, there is no one right way to organize software. Different people will have different ideas about what rules should be included in an architecture at any given time.

Generalizations exist around certain types of software architectures, however. We will discuss some of these here!

The most well-known type of software architecture is called the layered design pattern. In this style of architecture, specific layers do separate jobs while other layers exchange data with each other through defined interfaces.

This layering approach gives rise to another important concept in software engineering: dependency. As mentioned before, dependencies refer to relationships between two modules or objects. A module may depend on something else directly (it uses the object) or indirectly (the thing it needs is dependent on the object).