Architecture (Written Exam): Enterprise Structure, Security, Deployment, and Performance
The Architecture written exam tests enterprise-level decisions: how you structure reusable applications with the Enterprise Class Structure and Situational Layer Cake, secure them, deploy them through environments, and keep performance predictable. Expect scenario questions where two answers both work but only one preserves upgradeability.
Layer the application stack
Build from the top down: Organization, Division, and Unit form the enterprise layer; Framework and Application form the application layer; implementation classes hold case-type specialization. Put shared case types and data types in the framework or organization layer, and use directed inheritance plus circumstancing for local variation. An application stack should be composed of built-on applications; do not copy rules between applications. Keep environment-specific values in Dynamic System Settings, not in ruleset rules.
Secure and deploy deliberately
Access groups bind a user to an application, portal, and roles. Use role-based access plus attribute-based access control policies for row-level and context-sensitive authorization; division and organization access control can restrict data by user affiliation. For deployment, model promotion through Deployment Manager pipelines, treat schema changes as first-class, and keep hotfixes separate from application rulesets. Cluster design must account for node types-web, stream, search, and background processing-because stream and search nodes carry different resource profiles.
Worked example
A global insurer needs one claims case type used in 40 countries, with local tax calculation. Model the shared case type and data types in the organization or framework layer. Put country-specific tax rules in division-layer subclasses using directed inheritance, and circumstance the tax calculation rule on country. Applications for each country assemble the shared framework as a built-on application. Reasoning: shared behavior is maintained once, local variation is versioned and tested independently, and upgrades do not require merging 40 copies.
Traps
- Treating the application layer as the default home for every rule; that defeats enterprise reuse.
- Confusing class inheritance with ruleset stack order-both affect rule resolution, but they solve different problems.
- Putting environment URLs or credentials in ruleset rules instead of DSS or secure stores.
- Ignoring data page scope and stale-cache behavior when designing integration architecture.
- Assuming access groups alone enforce row-level security; ABAC policies may be required.