Presenters
Source
🚀 Architecting for Composability: From CORBA to AI Agents 🤖
The IT landscape is changing fast. We’re moving beyond monolithic systems and complex integrations towards a future where applications are modular, flexible, and can be assembled like LEGO bricks. At a recent tech conference, a seasoned technical leader from Cooperative (a large French retailer cooperative, ranked fourth in France) shared their journey towards building a composable IT architecture – and the key to unlocking this future? APIs.
This isn’t just about buzzwords; it’s about enabling a real business transformation. Cooperative aims for a 15% market share growth while staying true to its values: offering “good products at the right price” with a focus on quality, nutrition, and environmental responsibility. Achieving this ambitious goal requires a significant overhaul of their IT infrastructure.
🛠️ The Current State: A “Packboard Chip” of Complexity
Let’s be honest, many organizations find themselves in a similar situation. Cooperative’s current IT environment is described as a “packboard chip” – a sprawling, complex network of over 800 applications. This includes everything from modern microservices and cloud-native SaaS applications to legacy monoliths. It’s a tangled web that hinders agility and innovation.
✨ The API-First Vision: A Unifying Force 🌐
The speaker’s core argument is simple: an “API enterprise programming interface view” – a common vision for everyone – is the key to navigating this complexity. Here’s how:
- Bridging the Business-IT Divide: APIs provide a “common language” between business and IT, translating strategic goals into actionable technical epics. No more guessing games!
- API-First Development: Instead of building UIs first, prioritize API design. This unlocks wider functional scaling and provides valuable UX/UI insights early in the process.
- Domain Ownership & API Ecosystems: Clearly define who owns APIs and the data they expose. This fosters accountability and encourages the growth of internal API ecosystems.
- Treat APIs as Products: Think beyond just building APIs; manage them with a full lifecycle – contracts, analytics, security, and scalability.
💾 A Trip Down Memory Lane: From CORBA to Modern APIs
The speaker cleverly drew parallels to past architectural trends, illustrating how we’ve learned (and sometimes unlearned) lessons along the way:
- CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture): An early attempt at sharing business objects, but ultimately bogged down by complex protocols.
- Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA): A period of piling up protocols and transactional services – a step forward, but still complex.
- Modern APIs: A welcome “rest” from the complexity of the past. Built on JSON over HTTP, they offer a simpler, more flexible approach.
🤖 The Rise of AI Agents & the Future of Integration
The conversation isn’t just about connecting existing applications. The speaker highlighted the emerging role of AI Agents – a new class of non-human applications that will increasingly rely on APIs for data integration and functionality. This underscores the importance of building robust and well-managed APIs for the future.
🎯 Key Technologies & Tools
Here’s a quick rundown of the technologies and tools mentioned:
- APIs: The foundation of composability.
- Microservices: A common architectural pattern.
- JSON: The preferred data exchange format.
- REST APIs: A synchronous option, but consider retry mechanisms and eventual consistency.
- Event-Driven Architectures: For asynchronous flows, but be mindful of complexity and potential fragility.
- DevSecOps: Essential for API security and reliability.
- Figma: A useful tool for API user story mapping and design.
⚠️ Challenges & Tradeoffs: Navigating the Road Ahead
Moving to an API-first architecture isn’t without its challenges:
- Legacy System Integration: Connecting modern APIs to existing monoliths is a persistent hurdle.
- Non-Functional Requirements: Balancing performance (latency) with consistency and reliability requires careful consideration and business input.
- Eventual Consistency: Asynchronous architectures offer benefits, but also introduce potential fragility and the need for robust retry mechanisms.
- API Security: Protecting APIs and ensuring compliance is paramount.
- Organizational Shift: This requires a cultural change and collaboration across engineering, product, and business teams.
🎉 A Positive Trend: Business Embraces APIs
Interestingly, the speaker noted a significant shift in business awareness of APIs. Where explaining the concept of APIs used to take a year, business stakeholders are now proactively seeking API solutions. This is a testament to the growing recognition of APIs as a strategic enabler.
The takeaway? Architecting for composability, driven by an API-first approach, is no longer a futuristic concept. It’s a necessity for organizations looking to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. 🚀