System Architecture Overview

Comprehensive overview of the Panels Management System architecture, including component design, data flow, and architectural decisions.

Architecture Principles

The Panels Management System is built on these core architectural principles:

1. Multi-tenant by Design

Tenant Isolation: Complete data separation between organizations
Shared Infrastructure: Efficient resource utilization
Scalable Authentication: JWT-based with tenant context

2. Domain-Driven Design

Bounded Contexts: Clear separation of concerns
Entity Relationships: Well-defined data models
Business Logic: Encapsulated in domain services

3. Event-Driven Architecture

Async Processing: Non-blocking data operations
Real-time Updates: WebSocket connections for live data
Change Tracking: Complete audit trail

4. API-First Design

RESTful APIs: Standard HTTP operations
Type Safety: TypeScript across the stack
Client Libraries: Strongly-typed API clients

High-Level Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                     Client Applications                     │
├─────────────────────┬─────────────────────┬─────────────────┤
│    Web App          │    Mobile App       │   Third-party   │
│   (Next.js)         │    (React Native)   │   Integrations  │
└─────────────────────┴─────────────────────┴─────────────────┘
                                │
                                ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    API Gateway / Load Balancer              │
│                      (nginx/CloudFlare)                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                                │
                                ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                     Backend Services                        │
├─────────────────────┬─────────────────────┬─────────────────┤
│   API Server        │   Worker Queue      │   File Service  │
│   (Fastify)         │   (BullMQ/Redis)    │   (S3/Local)    │
└─────────────────────┴─────────────────────┴─────────────────┘
                                │
                                ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Data & Cache Layer                       │
├─────────────────────┬─────────────────────┬─────────────────┤
│   PostgreSQL        │      Redis          │   External      │
│   (Primary DB)      │   (Cache/Queue)     │   Data Sources  │
└─────────────────────┴─────────────────────┴─────────────────┘

Core Components

Frontend Applications

Next.js Web Application

Framework: Next.js 15.3.3 with React 19
Styling: Tailwind CSS 4.1.7 with DaisyUI 5.0.43
State Management: Zustand with React Query
Authentication: NextAuth.js with JWT
Real-time: WebSocket connections for live updates

typescript

// Component architecture
apps/app/
├── pages/           // Next.js pages and API routes
├── components/      // Reusable UI components
├── hooks/          // Custom React hooks
├── stores/         // Zustand state stores
├── utils/          // Utility functions
└── types/          // TypeScript type definitions

Key Frontend Features

Responsive Design: Mobile-first responsive layouts
Real-time Updates: Live data synchronization
Offline Support: PWA capabilities with caching
Accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA compliance
Performance: Code splitting and lazy loading

Backend Services

API Server (Fastify)

Framework: Fastify 5.3.2 for high performance
Database: MikroORM 6.4.16 with PostgreSQL
Validation: Zod schemas for type-safe validation
Authentication: JWT with multi-tenant context
Documentation: OpenAPI/Swagger integration

typescript

// Service architecture
apps/services/
├── src/
│   ├── modules/     // Feature modules
│   │   ├── panels/     // Panel management
│   │   ├── columns/    // Column operations
│   │   ├── views/      // View management
│   │   └── auth/       // Authentication
│   ├── database/    // Database configuration
│   ├── plugins/     // Fastify plugins
│   └── utils/       // Shared utilities

Module Structure

Each module follows a consistent structure:

typescript

// Module organization
modules/panels/
├── entities/        // Database entities
├── routes/         // HTTP route handlers
├── services/       // Business logic
├── schemas/        // Validation schemas
└── tests/          // Unit and integration tests

Data Layer

PostgreSQL Database

Version: PostgreSQL 16 with optimized configuration
Schema Design: Multi-tenant with proper indexing
Migrations: Automated schema versioning
Performance: Connection pooling and query optimization

sql

-- Core entity relationships
Tenants 1:N Panels 1:N DataSources
Panels 1:N Columns
Panels 1:N Views
Columns N:M Views (visibility mapping)

Redis Cache/Queue

Caching: API response caching and session storage
Queue: Background job processing with BullMQ
Real-time: WebSocket session management
Rate Limiting: Request throttling storage

Data Flow Architecture

1. Panel Creation Flow

User Request → Authentication → Validation → Entity Creation → Event Emission
     ↓              ↓              ↓              ↓              ↓
   Next.js      JWT Verify      Zod Schema    MikroORM      WebSocket
   Frontend     Middleware      Validation     Entity        Broadcast

2. Data Source Synchronization

Scheduled Job → Data Fetch → Transform → Store → Notify
      ↓             ↓           ↓         ↓       ↓
   BullMQ        External     Column     Panel    Users
   Queue         API/DB       Mapping    Update   (WebSocket)

3. Real-time View Updates

Data Change → Event → Queue → Process → Broadcast
     ↓         ↓       ↓        ↓         ↓
  Database   Change   Redis   Formula   WebSocket
  Trigger    Event    Queue   Recalc    Clients

Security Architecture

Authentication & Authorization

typescript

// Security layers
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│           Client Layer              │ ← HTTPS/TLS
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│         API Gateway                 │ ← Rate Limiting
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│      Application Layer              │ ← JWT Validation
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│       Database Layer                │ ← Row-level Security
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Multi-tenant Security

Tenant Isolation: All queries include tenant context
Row-level Security: Database-enforced data separation
JWT Claims: Tenant and user information in tokens
API Authorization: Route-level permission checks

Data Protection

Encryption at Rest: Database and file storage encryption
Encryption in Transit: TLS 1.3 for all communications
Secrets Management: Environment-based configuration
Access Logging: Comprehensive audit trails

Scalability Design

Horizontal Scaling

Application Tier

typescript

// Load balancer configuration
nginx → [API Server 1, API Server 2, API Server N]
       ↓
   [Worker Queue 1, Worker Queue 2, Worker Queue N]

Database Tier

sql

-- Read replicas for query scaling
Master DB (Write) → [Read Replica 1, Read Replica 2, Read Replica N]

Cache Tier

typescript

// Redis cluster for high availability
Redis Cluster → [Node 1, Node 2, Node 3, Node 4, Node 5, Node 6]

Vertical Scaling

Resource Allocation: CPU and memory optimization
Connection Pooling: Efficient database connections
Caching Strategy: Multi-layer caching approach
Query Optimization: Indexed queries and materialized views

Performance Characteristics

Response Time Targets

Operation Type	Target	Measurement
Panel List	< 200ms	95th percentile
Panel Creation	< 500ms	95th percentile
Data Sync	< 30s	Average
View Rendering	< 1s	95th percentile
Real-time Updates	< 100ms	Latency

Throughput Targets

Metric	Target	Notes
Concurrent Users	10,000+	Per instance
API Requests/sec	1,000+	Peak load
Data Sync Jobs/min	100+	Background processing
WebSocket Connections	5,000+	Real-time users

Technology Stack

Frontend Stack

typescript

React 19              // UI framework
Next.js 15.3.3       // Full-stack framework
TypeScript 5.0+      // Type safety
Tailwind CSS 4.1.7   // Styling framework
DaisyUI 5.0.43       // Component library
Zustand              // State management
React Query          // Server state
React Hook Form      // Form handling
Zod                  // Schema validation

Backend Stack

typescript

Node.js 18+          // Runtime
Fastify 5.3.2        // Web framework
TypeScript 5.0+      // Type safety
MikroORM 6.4.16      // ORM/Database
PostgreSQL 16        // Primary database
Redis 7              // Cache/Queue
BullMQ               // Job queue
Zod                  // Schema validation
Pino                 // Logging

Infrastructure Stack

bash

Docker               # Containerization
nginx                # Reverse proxy
pnpm                 # Package manager
GitHub Actions       # CI/CD
Sentry               # Error monitoring
Prometheus           # Metrics
Grafana              # Dashboards

Deployment Architecture

Production Environment

Internet
    ↓
CloudFlare (CDN/WAF)
    ↓
Load Balancer (nginx)
    ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│         Application Cluster         │
│  ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌────────┐ │
│  │ App 1   │ │ App 2   │ │ App N  │ │
│  │ API+Web │ │ API+Web │ │API+Web │ │
│  └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
    ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│          Data Cluster               │
│  ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌────────┐ │
│  │PostgreSQL│ │ Redis   │ │ Files  │ │
│  │ Primary │ │ Cluster │ │ (S3)   │ │
│  └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Development Environment

bash

# Local development stack
docker-compose up
├── PostgreSQL (localhost:5432)
├── Redis (localhost:6379)
├── API Server (localhost:3001)
└── Frontend App (localhost:3000)

Monitoring and Observability

Metrics Collection

typescript

// Prometheus metrics
http_request_duration_seconds    // Request latency
http_requests_total             // Request count
database_query_duration         // DB performance
active_websocket_connections    // Real-time usage
queue_jobs_total               // Background processing

Logging Strategy

typescript

// Structured logging with Pino
{
  level: 'info',
  timestamp: '2024-01-01T12:00:00.000Z',
  requestId: 'req-123',
  userId: 'user-456',
  tenantId: 'tenant-789',
  operation: 'panel.create',
  duration: 150,
  success: true
}

Health Checks

typescript

// Multi-layer health monitoring
/health                         // Basic health
/health/detailed               // Component health
/metrics                       // Prometheus metrics

Disaster Recovery

Backup Strategy

Database: Automated daily backups with point-in-time recovery
Files: Versioned storage with cross-region replication
Configuration: Infrastructure as code with Git versioning

Recovery Procedures

RTO (Recovery Time Objective): < 4 hours
RPO (Recovery Point Objective): < 1 hour
Automated Failover: Database and cache layer
Manual Failover: Application layer with load balancer

Future Architecture Considerations

Microservices Evolution

typescript

// Potential service decomposition
┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
│   Panel     │ │   Data      │ │    View     │
│  Service    │ │  Service    │ │  Service    │
└─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘
┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
│    Auth     │ │ Notification│ │   Export    │
│  Service    │ │  Service    │ │  Service    │
└─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘

Event Streaming

typescript

// Kafka for high-volume event processing
Panel Events → Kafka → [Consumer 1, Consumer 2, Consumer N]

Global Distribution

typescript

// Multi-region deployment
Region 1 (Primary) ↔ Region 2 (Secondary) ↔ Region 3 (DR)

Architectural Decisions Record (ADR)

ADR-001: Monolith vs Microservices

Decision: Start with modular monolith
Rationale: Faster development, easier deployment, clear module boundaries
Status: Implemented
Future: Evaluate microservices at scale

ADR-002: Database Choice

Decision: PostgreSQL as primary database
Rationale: ACID compliance, JSON support, excellent performance
Status: Implemented
Alternatives: MySQL, MongoDB considered

ADR-003: Real-time Updates

Decision: WebSocket with Redis pub/sub
Rationale: Low latency, reliable delivery, good scaling
Status: Implemented
Alternatives: Server-sent events, polling considered

ADR-004: Multi-tenancy Strategy

Decision: Shared database with tenant isolation
Rationale: Cost-effective, simpler operations, good performance
Status: Implemented
Alternatives: Separate databases, separate schemas considered

Summary

The Panels Management System architecture provides:

Scalability: Horizontal and vertical scaling capabilities
Security: Multi-layered security with tenant isolation
Performance: Sub-second response times with real-time updates
Reliability: High availability with disaster recovery
Maintainability: Clean architecture with clear boundaries
Extensibility: Plugin architecture for future enhancements

This architecture supports the current requirements while providing a foundation for future growth and evolution.

System Architecture Overview ​

Architecture Principles ​

1. Multi-tenant by Design ​

2. Domain-Driven Design ​

3. Event-Driven Architecture ​

4. API-First Design ​

High-Level Architecture ​

Core Components ​

Frontend Applications ​

Next.js Web Application ​

Key Frontend Features ​

Backend Services ​

API Server (Fastify) ​

Module Structure ​

Data Layer ​

PostgreSQL Database ​

Redis Cache/Queue ​

Data Flow Architecture ​

1. Panel Creation Flow ​

2. Data Source Synchronization ​

3. Real-time View Updates ​

Security Architecture ​

Authentication & Authorization ​

Multi-tenant Security ​

Data Protection ​

Scalability Design ​

Horizontal Scaling ​

Application Tier ​

Database Tier ​

Cache Tier ​

Vertical Scaling ​

Performance Characteristics ​

Response Time Targets ​

Throughput Targets ​

Technology Stack ​

Frontend Stack ​

Backend Stack ​

Infrastructure Stack ​

Deployment Architecture ​

Production Environment ​

Development Environment ​

Monitoring and Observability ​

Metrics Collection ​

Logging Strategy ​

Health Checks ​

Disaster Recovery ​

Backup Strategy ​

Recovery Procedures ​

Future Architecture Considerations ​

Microservices Evolution ​

Event Streaming ​

Global Distribution ​

Architectural Decisions Record (ADR) ​

ADR-001: Monolith vs Microservices ​

ADR-002: Database Choice ​

ADR-003: Real-time Updates ​

ADR-004: Multi-tenancy Strategy ​

Summary ​

System Architecture Overview

Architecture Principles

1. Multi-tenant by Design

2. Domain-Driven Design

3. Event-Driven Architecture

4. API-First Design

High-Level Architecture

Core Components

Frontend Applications

Next.js Web Application

Key Frontend Features

Backend Services

API Server (Fastify)

Module Structure

Data Layer

PostgreSQL Database

Redis Cache/Queue

Data Flow Architecture

1. Panel Creation Flow

2. Data Source Synchronization

3. Real-time View Updates

Security Architecture

Authentication & Authorization

Multi-tenant Security

Data Protection

Scalability Design

Horizontal Scaling

Application Tier

Database Tier

Cache Tier

Vertical Scaling

Performance Characteristics

Response Time Targets

Throughput Targets

Technology Stack

Frontend Stack

Backend Stack

Infrastructure Stack

Deployment Architecture

Production Environment

Development Environment

Monitoring and Observability

Metrics Collection

Logging Strategy

Health Checks

Disaster Recovery

Backup Strategy

Recovery Procedures

Future Architecture Considerations

Microservices Evolution

Event Streaming

Global Distribution

Architectural Decisions Record (ADR)

ADR-001: Monolith vs Microservices

ADR-002: Database Choice

ADR-003: Real-time Updates

ADR-004: Multi-tenancy Strategy

Summary