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Architecture Overview

Comprehensive guide to Axon OS architecture, system design, and component relationships.

System Architecture​

Axon OS follows a modular, microservices-based architecture designed for scalability and flexibility.

Core Components​

1. Workflow Engine​

  • Purpose: Executes and manages workflow instances
  • Technology: Node.js, TypeScript
  • Scalability: Horizontal scaling with load balancing
  • State Management: Redis-based state persistence

2. Node Registry​

  • Purpose: Manages available workflow nodes
  • Features: Dynamic node loading, versioning, dependency management
  • Storage: PostgreSQL for metadata, filesystem for node packages
  • API: RESTful interface for node operations

3. Visual Designer​

  • Purpose: Web-based workflow design interface
  • Technology: React, TypeScript, D3.js
  • Features: Drag-and-drop interface, real-time collaboration
  • Integration: WebSocket connection to backend services

4. Execution Runtime​

  • Purpose: Provides isolated execution environment for workflows
  • Technology: Docker containers, Kubernetes orchestration
  • Features: Resource isolation, scaling, monitoring
  • Security: Sandboxed execution with configurable permissions

System Layers​

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│           User Interface            │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│            API Gateway              │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│          Core Services              │
│  ┌─────────┬─────────┬─────────┐    │
│  │Workflow │  Node   │ Execution│    │
│  │ Engine  │Registry │ Runtime  │    │
│  └─────────┴─────────┴─────────┘    │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│         Data Layer                  │
│  ┌─────────┬─────────┬─────────┐    │
│  │PostgreSQL│  Redis  │  MinIO  │    │
│  └─────────┴─────────┴─────────┘    │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Design Principles​

1. Modularity​

  • Loosely coupled components
  • Clear separation of concerns
  • Plugin-based architecture for extensibility

2. Scalability​

  • Horizontal scaling capabilities
  • Event-driven architecture
  • Async/non-blocking operations

3. Reliability​

  • Fault tolerance and graceful degradation
  • Comprehensive error handling
  • Health monitoring and alerting

4. Security​

  • Zero-trust security model
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Role-based access control (RBAC)

Communication Patterns​

Synchronous Communication​

  • HTTP/REST: API endpoints for user interactions
  • GraphQL: Flexible data queries and mutations
  • WebSocket: Real-time updates and notifications

Asynchronous Communication​

  • Message Queues: Task distribution and processing
  • Event Streaming: System-wide event propagation
  • Pub/Sub: Decoupled component communication

Data Flow​

Workflow Execution Data Flow​

  1. Design Phase: Visual designer saves workflow definition
  2. Deployment: Workflow definition stored in registry
  3. Execution: Runtime engine processes workflow instances
  4. Monitoring: Execution metrics collected and analyzed

Node Lifecycle​

  1. Development: Custom nodes developed and packaged
  2. Registration: Nodes uploaded to registry
  3. Discovery: Available nodes listed in designer
  4. Execution: Nodes instantiated during workflow runs

Infrastructure Components​

Container Orchestration​

  • Kubernetes: Container orchestration and management
  • Docker: Application containerization
  • Helm: Package management for Kubernetes

Service Mesh​

  • Istio: Service-to-service communication
  • Envoy: Load balancing and traffic management
  • Jaeger: Distributed tracing

Monitoring Stack​

  • Prometheus: Metrics collection
  • Grafana: Visualization and dashboards
  • AlertManager: Alert routing and management

Performance Considerations​

Optimization Strategies​

  • Caching: Multi-layer caching strategy
  • Connection Pooling: Database connection optimization
  • Lazy Loading: On-demand resource loading
  • Compression: Data compression for transfers

Scaling Patterns​

  • Auto-scaling: CPU/memory-based scaling
  • Load Balancing: Request distribution
  • Circuit Breakers: Fault isolation
  • Bulkhead Pattern: Resource isolation

Security Architecture​

Authentication & Authorization​

  • OAuth 2.0: Standard authentication protocol
  • JWT: Stateless token-based authentication
  • RBAC: Fine-grained permission management
  • API Keys: Service-to-service authentication

Data Protection​

  • Encryption at Rest: Database and file encryption
  • Encryption in Transit: TLS/SSL for all communications
  • Key Management: Centralized secret management
  • Data Masking: Sensitive data protection

Development Guidelines​

Code Organization​

  • Domain-Driven Design: Business logic organization
  • Clean Architecture: Dependency inversion
  • SOLID Principles: Object-oriented design
  • Design Patterns: Common problem solutions

Testing Strategy​

  • Unit Tests: Component-level testing
  • Integration Tests: Service interaction testing
  • End-to-End Tests: Complete workflow testing
  • Performance Tests: Load and stress testing

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