What type of architecture is characterized by the use of loosely coupled services?

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is characterized by the use of loosely coupled services, which are designed to interact over a network. In SOA, services are modular and can operate independently from one another. This means that changes to one service do not affect others, facilitating easier maintenance, scalability, and flexibility. SOA promotes the reuse of existing services, allowing organizations to adapt their systems more efficiently to changing business needs.

The loose coupling in SOA enhances the ability to compose various services into complex applications without the need for extensive interdependencies. This architecture is particularly beneficial for integrating disparate systems, allowing them to work together seamlessly while providing the agility necessary to respond to new requirements.

In contrast, layered architecture focuses on structuring an application in layers, which may lead to tighter coupling between layers. Event-driven architecture revolves around event production and consumption rather than service interactions, while batch processing architecture deals with the processing of data in batches rather than in real-time, which does not inherently emphasize loosely coupled services.