What is a key characteristic of event-driven architecture?

Event-driven architecture is defined by its reliance on events to trigger responses within applications. This means that rather than operating on a strict schedule or processing data in large batches, the system reacts dynamically to events as they occur. An event can be anything that signifies a change or an action, such as user interactions, data changes, or messages from other systems.

In this architecture, components communicate via events, allowing for a more flexible and responsive design. This model supports real-time processing and enhances scalability since different services can operate independently based on the events they subscribe to. Each component only responds when relevant events occur, leading to a decoupled system where services can evolve and scale independently.

This characteristic distinguishes event-driven architecture from other methodologies that may focus on batch processing or synchronous transactions, which can create bottlenecks or require all components to wait for one another. Similarly, while centralized processing can offer certain benefits, event-driven designs typically embrace distributed processing to increase resilience and responsiveness.