Evidence Room
Technical appendix for evaluators — architecture, testing, deployment, and support details.
Architecture Notes
Layered Architecture
Systems follow a three-layer architecture: Experience Layer (user interfaces and interaction points), Application Layer (business logic, APIs, and workflow engines), and Infrastructure Layer (hosting, databases, networking, and monitoring). Each layer is independently deployable and maintainable.
API-First Design
All services expose documented REST APIs. This enables integration with existing institutional systems, third-party tools, and future extensions without requiring core system modifications.
Data Architecture
Relational databases for structured operational data. Document stores where flexible schemas are required. All data access governed by role-based permissions with full audit logging.
Security Architecture
SSO-ready authentication (SAML/OIDC compatible). Network segmentation between tiers. Encrypted communications (TLS 1.2+). Secrets management through dedicated vault services. Regular dependency scanning and vulnerability assessment.
Testing Approach
Unit Testing
Core business logic covered by automated unit tests. Run on every code commit.
Integration Testing
API contracts and inter-service communication validated in staging environment.
Functional Testing
Every user story verified against acceptance criteria. Automated where feasible, manual for complex workflows.
Performance Testing
Load testing to validate response times and throughput under expected and peak conditions.
Security Testing
OWASP-aligned vulnerability scanning. Dependency audit. Penetration testing mindset applied to critical paths.
User Acceptance Testing
Structured UAT with real users before production deployment. Sign-off required.
Regression Testing
Automated regression suite run before each release to catch unintended side effects.
Deployment Approach
Environment Strategy
Three environments minimum: Development (continuous integration), Staging (pre-production validation), Production (live operations). Environment parity maintained to catch configuration issues early.
Release Process
Version-controlled releases with documented changelogs. Deployment checklists verified before each release. Approval gate from project stakeholders before production deployment.
Rollback Capability
Every deployment is reversible. Database migrations include rollback scripts. Application versions retained for quick reversion. Rollback procedure documented and tested.
Infrastructure as Code
Infrastructure configuration managed through code, enabling repeatable deployments and reducing manual configuration errors.
Support Model
Incident Management
Defined severity levels (P1–P4) with corresponding response and resolution targets. Escalation procedures documented.
Monitoring & Alerting
System health monitoring with automated alerts on performance degradation, errors, or resource thresholds.
Maintenance Windows
Scheduled maintenance during agreed low-impact periods. Stakeholders notified in advance with impact assessment.
Knowledge Base
Operational runbooks, troubleshooting guides, and system documentation maintained and updated with each release.
Continuous Improvement
Monthly operational reviews identifying optimization opportunities. Performance trends tracked and reported.
Handover Readiness
Full documentation package, training sessions, and transition period for handover to client operations teams.