04-containers

What problem does it solve?

Identifies all independently deployable units within the system boundary — the C4 "container" level. Maps how containers communicate with each other and with external systems. Detects architecture patterns that emerge from the container topology. Classifies infrastructure as internal or external. Use after 03-external-systems when you need to produce the C4 Container diagram.

Core Features & Use Cases

• Identifies every independently deployable runtime unit within the system boundary — the C4 container level.
• Maps how containers communicate with each other and with external systems to support topology diagrams.
• Detects architecture patterns that emerge from container relationships (e.g., BFF, API gateway, shared database, event-driven).
• Classifies infrastructure as internal or external to enable accurate boundary delineation for architecture work.

Quick Start

Provide the container inventory and topology by analyzing upstream reconstruction outputs and existing deployment targets to produce the 04-containers results.