cookiecutter

Modular Architecture for Process System

This document outlines a modular architecture approach for the Process system that preserves independence between components while enhancing maintainability and flexibility.

Core Principles

1. Independent Service Components: Each service (gRPC, REST, MCP) should be capable of functioning as an independent repository.
2. Language Agnosticism: Services should be implementable in different languages (Python, Go, etc.) without affecting the core functionality.
3. Minimal Dependencies: Each service should have minimal dependencies on other components.
4. Standardized Interfaces: Clear contract definitions between components.
5. Shared Core Utilities: Common functionality available but not required.

Current Architecture Benefits

The current architecture has several strengths that should be preserved:

1. Service Independence: Each service (gRPC, REST, MCP) is in its own directory with its own dependencies.
2. Deployment Flexibility: Services can be deployed independently or together.
3. Technology Diversity: Different services can use different frameworks appropriate to their needs.
4. Simplified Development: Developers can work on one service without understanding the entire system.
5. Core Framework: Common utilities in the core/ directory provide shared functionality without tight coupling.

Enhanced Modular Architecture

1. Protocol-Based Service Contracts

Instead of consolidating services, define clear protocol contracts that each service must implement:

project/
├── protocols/                # Protocol definitions (language-agnostic)
│   ├── process_api.proto     # Core Process API definition
│   ├── resource_api.json     # Resource API schema
│   └── openapi/              # OpenAPI specifications

These protocol definitions serve as the contract between services, allowing any implementation to be compatible as long as it adheres to the protocol.

2. Microservices with Optional Core Integration

Each service should be able to function independently while optionally leveraging the core framework:

project/
├── core/                     # Core framework (optional for services)
│   ├── config.py             # Configuration utilities
│   ├── logging.py            # Logging utilities
│   └── error_handling.py     # Error handling utilities
├── process/                  # Core Process implementation
├── grpc/                     # gRPC service (can be separate repo)
├── rest/                     # REST service (can be separate repo)
└── mcp/                      # MCP service (can be separate repo)

Services can choose to use the core framework via:

• Direct import (when in the same repository)
• As a package dependency (when in separate repositories)
• Reimplementation in another language

3. Adapter Pattern for Process Integration

To allow services to be implemented in different languages while still integrating with the Process engine, use an adapter pattern:

grpc/
├── adapters/                 # Adapters for different Process implementations
│   ├── process_adapter.py    # Python adapter for Process
│   └── process_client.py     # Client for remote Process service

This allows the gRPC service to either:

• Directly use the Process implementation (when in the same repository)
• Connect to a remote Process service (when in separate repositories)
• Use a different implementation that adheres to the same interface

4. Configuration Independence

Each service should have its own configuration system that can operate independently:

grpc/
├── config/                   # Service-specific configuration
│   ├── default.yaml          # Default configuration
│   └── production.yaml       # Environment-specific overrides

When used with the core framework, the service can leverage the shared configuration utilities, but it’s not required.

5. Polyglot Implementation Support

To support implementations in different languages, provide examples or templates:

templates/
├── python/                   # Python service template
├── go/                       # Go service template
└── rust/                     # Rust service template

Each template demonstrates how to implement a service that adheres to the protocol contracts.

Implementation Strategy

1. Protocol-First Development

1. Define the core protocols and interfaces first
2. Ensure all services implement these protocols
3. Use code generation where appropriate (e.g., gRPC, OpenAPI)

2. Core Framework as Optional Dependency

1. Package the core framework as an optional dependency
2. Provide clear documentation on how to implement services without it
3. Use dependency injection to allow alternative implementations

3. Service Discovery and Integration

1. Implement a simple service discovery mechanism
2. Allow services to discover and connect to each other dynamically
3. Support both local and remote service configurations

4. Containerization and Deployment

1. Each service has its own Dockerfile
2. Provide docker-compose for local development
3. Support Kubernetes for production deployment

Example: Multi-Language Implementation

Python REST Service

# Using core framework
from core.logging import get_logger
from core.config import load_config

# Or implementing directly
import logging
def get_logger(name):
    return logging.getLogger(name)

Go gRPC Service

// Implementing the same protocol contract
package main

import (
    "google.golang.org/grpc"
    pb "myproject/protocols/process"
)

type ProcessServer struct {
    // Implementation details
}

func (s *ProcessServer) ProcessText(ctx context.Context, req *pb.ProcessRequest) (*pb.ProcessResponse, error) {
    // Implementation
}

Benefits of This Approach

1. True Modularity: Services can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently
2. Language Flexibility: Choose the right language for each service
3. Simplified Dependencies: Minimal coupling between components
4. Enhanced Maintainability: Changes to one service don’t affect others
5. Scalability: Services can be scaled independently based on load
6. Future-Proofing: New services can be added without changing existing ones

Practical Example: Adding a New Service

To add a new WebSocket service:

1. Create a new directory websocket/
2. Implement the service using the protocol contracts
3. Optionally use the core framework
4. Deploy independently or alongside other services

This can be done without modifying any existing code, demonstrating the true modularity of the architecture.

Conclusion

This enhanced modular architecture preserves the independence of services while providing optional shared functionality through the core framework. It allows for true polyglot implementation, where each service can be written in the most appropriate language while still maintaining compatibility with the overall system.

By focusing on clear protocol contracts and minimal dependencies, the system becomes more maintainable, flexible, and future-proof.

This site is open source. Improve this page.