What is Hexagonal Architecture?
Hexagonal (a.k.a. ports and adapters) treats the domain as the center and surrounds it with ports — interfaces it uses to reach the outside world — and adapters — implementations of those ports for specific tech (HTTP, SQL, Kafka). The payoff is a domain that is testable in isolation and infrastructure that can be swapped without touching business rules.
Also known as: ports and adapters.
Related terms
- Clean Architecture — A layered architecture where dependencies point inward toward the domain, popularized by Robert C. Martin.
- Domain-Driven Design (DDD) — An approach to software design that centers the model and language of the business domain.