Enterprise Architecture Patterns for Secure and Regulated Environments

Reusable integration, identity, network and monitoring patterns derived from real-world enterprise systems.

These patterns represent architectural decisions repeatedly applied across different applications and environments. They focus on security, operational clarity and long-term maintainability in complex enterprise landscapes.

Reverse Proxy–Centric Identity Pattern

What it is

Authentication and authorisation are handled at the reverse proxy/access layer, allowing applications to focus on business logic while enforcing consistent controls.

When to use

When onboarding applications into an enterprise identity landscape with strict security and audit requirements.

Why it matters

Centralised identity enforcement reduces implementation errors, simplifies audits and improves long-term maintainability.

Contract-first API delivery

What it is

API contracts (OpenAPI/WSDL) are treated as the source of truth, enabling early validation, testing and cross-team alignment.

When to use

When integrating multiple teams, vendors or legacy systems across organisational boundaries.

Why it matters

Contract-first delivery reduces integration risk and prevents late-stage architectural changes.

Network-First Application Onboarding Pattern

What it is

Network constraints, port mappings and routing paths are analysed and documented before application-level changes are implemented.

When to use

In segmented environments with proxies and strict firewall rules.

Why it matters

Early network validation prevents deployment delays and security exceptions later in the delivery lifecycle.

Operational Monitoring Baseline Pattern

What it is

A monitoring baseline combining infrastructure signals, API-based checks and synthetic HTTP probes to cover connectivity, authentication and integration health.

When to use

For hybrid cloud/on-prem environments relying on external SaaS and critical integrations.

Why it matters

Clear separation of failure domains improves incident response and operational confidence.