| Layers | MUD to Structure | OSI model, Windows NT | Reuse, Inter-changebility, Standardisation, localised dependencies | Reduced efficiency, Cascading changes, finding right layer granularity |
| Pipes and Filters | MUD to Structure & Distributed Systems | UNIX, CMS Pipelines, Web apps | Reuse, Recombination, Parallelism, Prototyping | Performance, Error handling, Difficulty with shared state |
| Blackboard | MUD to Structure | HEARSAY-II, HASP, Crysalis | Experimentation, Incremental Solution, Fault tolerance | Inefficiency, Complex testing, No guarantee of correct solution |
| Broker | Distributed Systems | CORBA, Web service, Microsoft OLE, IBM SOM | Location transparency, Language transparency, Portability | Reduced efficiency, Single point failure, Testing complexity |
| MVC | Interactive Systems | Smalltalk, MFC | Multiple Views, Pluggable Views, Separation of concerns | Complexity, Excessive updates, Close coupling |
| PAC | Interactive Systems | Network Management | Separation of concerns, Multi-tasking | Reduced efficiency, Complexity, Control complexity |
| Microkernal | Distributed Systems & Adaptable Systems | Mach, Windows NT | Portability, Extensibility, Scalability | Performance overhead, Complexity |
| Reflection | Adaptable Systems | CLOS, CORBA | Adaptability, Language independence | Instability, Debugging difficulty, Performance overhead |