Scalable Software and Systems

aid: scalable-software-and-systems
name: Scalable Software and Systems
description: >-
  A topic collection exploring the APIs, design patterns, frameworks, and
  platforms that enable scalable software and systems engineering. Covers
  architectural patterns such as CQRS, event sourcing, saga, MACH architecture,
  API-first design, and modular monoliths, as well as the tooling ecosystems
  that support building maintainable, high-scale software. Relevant to software
  architects, platform teams, and senior engineers building enterprise-grade
  distributed systems.
image: https://kinlane-productions.s3.amazonaws.com/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
tags:
  - API First
  - Architecture Patterns
  - CQRS
  - Distributed Systems
  - Enterprise
  - Event Driven
  - Microservices
  - Scalable Architecture
  - Software Engineering
  - Systems Design
type: Index
created: '2025-01-20'
modified: '2026-05-02'
specificationVersion: '0.19'
apis:
  - aid: scalable-software-and-systems:backstage
    name: Backstage Software Catalog API
    description: >-
      Backstage by Spotify provides a software catalog API and developer portal
      platform for managing all software components, services, websites, and
      infrastructure at scale. Its catalog API enables registering, tracking,
      and discovering software components across an organization.
    tags:
      - Developer Portal
      - Internal Developer Platform
      - Software Catalog
      - Systems Design
    humanURL: https://backstage.io/docs/features/software-catalog/software-catalog-api
    properties:
      - type: Documentation
        url: https://backstage.io/docs/features/software-catalog/software-catalog-api
      - type: GitHub
        url: https://github.com/backstage/backstage
  - aid: scalable-software-and-systems:cloudevents
    name: CloudEvents API
    description: >-
      CloudEvents is a CNCF specification for describing event data in a common
      way. It defines a core data model and HTTP, AMQP, MQTT, and Kafka bindings
      enabling interoperable event-driven system design across cloud providers
      and middleware.
    tags:
      - CNCF
      - Event Driven
      - Events
      - Integration
      - Standards
    humanURL: https://cloudevents.io/
    properties:
      - type: Documentation
        url: https://cloudevents.io/
      - type: GitHub
        url: https://github.com/cloudevents/spec
      - type: Specification
        url: https://github.com/cloudevents/spec/blob/main/cloudevents/spec.md
  - aid: scalable-software-and-systems:kafka-admin
    name: Apache Kafka Admin API
    description: >-
      Apache Kafka's Admin REST API enables creating and managing topics,
      partitions, consumer groups, and cluster configurations for high-throughput
      event streaming pipelines used in scalable, event-driven architectures.
    tags:
      - Event Driven
      - Event Streaming
      - High Throughput
      - Messaging
    humanURL: https://kafka.apache.org/documentation/
    properties:
      - type: Documentation
        url: https://kafka.apache.org/documentation/
      - type: GitHub
        url: https://github.com/apache/kafka
  - aid: scalable-software-and-systems:nats
    name: NATS Management API
    description: >-
      NATS is a lightweight, high-performance messaging system for distributed
      applications. Its management API provides monitoring, subject inspection,
      and JetStream (persistent streams) management for building scalable
      event-driven systems.
    tags:
      - Cloud Native
      - Event Driven
      - High Performance
      - Messaging
      - Microservices
    humanURL: https://docs.nats.io/
    properties:
      - type: Documentation
        url: https://docs.nats.io/
      - type: GitHub
        url: https://github.com/nats-io/nats-server
  - aid: scalable-software-and-systems:temporal
    name: Temporal API
    description: >-
      Temporal is a durable execution platform that provides an API for
      defining and running long-running, fault-tolerant workflows. Implements
      the saga pattern with full activity retry semantics, enabling reliable
      orchestration in distributed systems.
    tags:
      - Distributed Systems
      - Durable Execution
      - Saga Pattern
      - Workflow Orchestration
    humanURL: https://docs.temporal.io/
    properties:
      - type: Documentation
        url: https://docs.temporal.io/
      - type: GitHub
        url: https://github.com/temporalio/temporal
      - type: OpenAPI
        url: https://github.com/temporalio/api/blob/master/openapi/openapi.yml
  - aid: scalable-software-and-systems:dapr
    name: Dapr API
    description: >-
      Dapr (Distributed Application Runtime) provides building block APIs
      for service invocation, pub/sub messaging, state management, bindings,
      actors, and distributed tracing. Abstracts away infrastructure complexity
      for portable, scalable software.
    tags:
      - Distributed Systems
      - Event Driven
      - Microservices
      - Scalable Architecture
    humanURL: https://docs.dapr.io/reference/api/
    properties:
      - type: Documentation
        url: https://docs.dapr.io/reference/api/
      - type: GitHub
        url: https://github.com/dapr/dapr
  - aid: scalable-software-and-systems:opentelemetry
    name: OpenTelemetry API
    description: >-
      OpenTelemetry provides vendor-neutral APIs, SDKs, and instrumentation
      for generating traces, metrics, and logs. Essential for observability in
      scalable distributed software systems, enabling performance analysis and
      root cause diagnosis.
    tags:
      - Distributed Tracing
      - Logs
      - Metrics
      - Observability
      - Telemetry
    humanURL: https://opentelemetry.io/docs/
    properties:
      - type: Documentation
        url: https://opentelemetry.io/docs/
      - type: GitHub
        url: https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specification
  - aid: scalable-software-and-systems:argocd
    name: Argo CD API
    description: >-
      Argo CD provides a declarative GitOps continuous delivery API for
      Kubernetes applications. Enables teams to manage application deployments
      at scale using Git as the source of truth for system state.
    tags:
      - CD
      - GitOps
      - Kubernetes
      - Platform Engineering
    humanURL: https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/developer-guide/api-docs/
    properties:
      - type: Documentation
        url: https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/developer-guide/api-docs/
      - type: GitHub
        url: https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd
common:
  - type: Guide
    url: https://microservices.io/patterns/data/cqrs.html
    name: CQRS Pattern
  - type: Guide
    url: https://microservices.io/patterns/data/event-sourcing.html
    name: Event Sourcing Pattern
  - type: Guide
    url: https://microservices.io/patterns/data/saga.html
    name: Saga Pattern
  - type: Guide
    url: https://www.cncf.io/projects/
    name: CNCF Projects Landscape
  - type: Guide
    url: https://12factor.net/
    name: The Twelve-Factor App
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: https://github.com/api-evangelist/scalable-software-and-systems/blob/main/json-schema/scalable-software-and-systems-event-schema.json
    name: Domain Event JSON Schema
  - type: JSONStructure
    url: https://github.com/api-evangelist/scalable-software-and-systems/blob/main/json-structure/scalable-software-and-systems-event-structure.json
    name: Domain Event JSON Structure
  - type: JSONLDContext
    url: https://github.com/api-evangelist/scalable-software-and-systems/blob/main/json-ld/scalable-software-and-systems-context.jsonld
    name: Scalable Software and Systems JSON-LD Context
  - type: Vocabulary
    url: https://github.com/api-evangelist/scalable-software-and-systems/blob/main/vocabulary/scalable-software-and-systems-vocabulary.yml
    name: Scalable Software and Systems Vocabulary
  - type: Examples
    url: https://github.com/api-evangelist/scalable-software-and-systems/blob/main/examples/scalable-software-and-systems-order-placed-event-example.json
    name: Order Placed Event Example
  - type: Examples
    url: https://github.com/api-evangelist/scalable-software-and-systems/blob/main/examples/scalable-software-and-systems-temporal-workflow-example.json
    name: Temporal Order Saga Workflow Example
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: [email protected]
    url: https://apievangelist.com