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Strangler Fig

Aug 22, 2024 Martin Fowler ArchitectureMicroservices

The pattern for replacing a legacy system without ever staging the terrifying "big bang" cutover: put a facade in front of the old system, and move functionality behind it into the new system piece by piece until there's nothing left to strangle. I've seen a version of this used on more than one banking migration, and the value isn't the metaphor — it's the discipline it forces, routing real traffic through the seam from day one instead of building the replacement in isolation and hoping the switchover goes smoothly. Short, practical, and still the reference point everyone eventually points to.

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