Architecture

Zens Architecture

This document provides a detailed overview of the Zens system architecture, explaining how different components interact to create a robust and scalable virtual city simulation platform.

System Overview

Zens is built on a modular architecture that consists of several key components:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Zens Platform              │
├─────────────┬───────────┬───────────────┤
│  Core Engine │ API Layer│ Event System  │
├─────────────┼───────────┼───────────────┤
│  Extensions │ Database  │ Auth Service  │
└─────────────┴───────────┴───────────────┘

Core Components

1. Core Engine

• Handles the main simulation logic

• Manages city resources and infrastructure

• Processes citizen behaviors and interactions

• Implements time progression and event scheduling

2. API Layer

• RESTful API endpoints for external interactions

• WebSocket support for real-time updates

• Authentication and authorization middleware

• Rate limiting and security features

3. Event System

• Pub/sub architecture for system events

• Real-time event processing

• Event logging and monitoring

• Custom event handlers for extensions

4. Database Layer

• Persistent storage for city data

• Caching system for frequently accessed data

• Data migration and backup systems

• Query optimization

5. Extension System

• Plug-and-play architecture for new features

• Standardized extension API

• Resource isolation

• Version compatibility management

Data Flow

1. Input Processing

   • User commands

   • System events

   • Extension triggers

2. Core Processing

   • Event validation

   • State updates

   • Business logic execution

3. Output Generation

   • Response formatting

   • Event notifications

   • State synchronization

Security Architecture

• JWT-based authentication

• Role-based access control

• API key management

• Rate limiting

• Input validation

• SQL injection prevention

• XSS protection

Scalability

The system is designed to scale both vertically and horizontally:

• Microservices architecture

• Load balancing

• Database sharding

• Caching layers

• Asynchronous processing

Monitoring and Logging

• Centralized logging system

• Performance metrics

• Error tracking

• Resource utilization monitoring

• User activity logging

Deployment Architecture

┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐
│   Load      │────│   API       │
│   Balancer  │    │   Gateway   │
└─────────────┘    └──────┬──────┘
                          │
     ┌───────────────────┼───────────────────┐
     │                   │                   │
┌────┴─────┐      ┌─────┴─────┐      ┌──────┴────┐
│  Service  │      │  Service  │      │  Service  │
│  Node 1   │      │  Node 2   │      │  Node 3   │
└──────────┘      └───────────┘      └───────────┘

Future Architecture Considerations

• Kubernetes integration

• Serverless computing options

• Edge computing capabilities

• AI/ML pipeline integration

• Blockchain integration possibilities

Technical Requirements

• Node.js 14+ for backend services

• PostgreSQL 12+ for primary database

• Redis for caching

• Docker for containerization

• Nginx for reverse proxy

Development Environment Setup

See Getting Started for detailed setup instructions.

Related Documentation

• API Reference

• Core Concepts

• Advanced Usage