BMAD-METHOD/docs/system-architecture

BMAD System Architecture Documentation

This section provides comprehensive visual documentation of the BMAD system architecture, component relationships, and data flows.

Architecture Overview

The BMAD (Business, Management, Architecture, Development) system is built on a modular, AI-driven architecture that enables seamless coordination between specialized personas through an intelligent orchestrator.

Quick Navigation

Document	Description	Audience
System Overview	High-level system architecture	All stakeholders
Component Architecture	Detailed component breakdown	Technical teams
Data Flow Diagrams	Information flow patterns	Architects & Developers
Integration Architecture	External system integrations	Integration teams
Deployment Architecture	Infrastructure and deployment	DevOps & Operations

Architecture Principles

1. Modular Design

• Separation of Concerns: Each component has a single, well-defined responsibility
• Loose Coupling: Components interact through well-defined interfaces
• High Cohesion: Related functionality is grouped together
• Pluggable Architecture: Components can be easily replaced or extended

2. AI-First Approach

• Intelligent Orchestration: AI-driven coordination between personas
• Context-Aware Processing: Decisions based on complete project context
• Adaptive Behavior: System learns and improves from interactions
• Natural Language Interface: Human-friendly interaction patterns

3. Scalability & Performance

• Horizontal Scaling: System can scale across multiple instances
• Efficient Resource Usage: Optimized for memory and processing efficiency
• Caching Strategies: Multi-level caching for improved performance
• Asynchronous Processing: Non-blocking operations where possible

4. Security & Reliability

• Defense in Depth: Multiple layers of security controls
• Data Protection: Encryption at rest and in transit
• Fault Tolerance: Graceful degradation and error recovery
• Audit Trail: Complete logging of all system activities

System Architecture Layers

```mermaid title="BMAD System Architecture Layers" type="diagram" graph TB subgraph "Presentation Layer" WEB[Web Interface] IDE[IDE Extensions] CLI[Command Line Interface] API[REST API] end

subgraph "Application Layer"
    ORCH[Orchestrator Engine]
    PERSONAS[Persona Management]
    TASKS[Task Execution Engine]
    WORKFLOW[Workflow Manager]
end

subgraph "Business Logic Layer"
    TEMPLATES[Template Engine]
    CHECKLISTS[Checklist Processor]
    VALIDATION[Validation Engine]
    QUALITY[Quality Assurance]
end

subgraph "Data Access Layer"
    KB[Knowledge Base]
    CONFIG[Configuration Store]
    CACHE[Caching Layer]
    SEARCH[Search Engine]
end

subgraph "Infrastructure Layer"
    STORAGE[File Storage]
    DATABASE[Database]
    QUEUE[Message Queue]
    MONITOR[Monitoring]
end

WEB --> ORCH
IDE --> ORCH
CLI --> ORCH
API --> ORCH

ORCH --> PERSONAS
ORCH --> TASKS
ORCH --> WORKFLOW

PERSONAS --> TEMPLATES
TASKS --> CHECKLISTS
WORKFLOW --> VALIDATION
VALIDATION --> QUALITY

TEMPLATES --> KB
CHECKLISTS --> CONFIG
VALIDATION --> CACHE
QUALITY --> SEARCH

KB --> STORAGE
CONFIG --> DATABASE
CACHE --> QUEUE
SEARCH --> MONITOR

```

Key Architectural Decisions

1. Orchestrator-Centric Design

Decision: Central orchestrator manages all persona interactions Rationale: Ensures consistent coordination and context management Trade-offs: Single point of coordination vs. distributed complexity

2. Template-Driven Output

Decision: All deliverables generated from standardized templates Rationale: Ensures consistency and quality across all outputs Trade-offs: Standardization vs. flexibility

3. Context-Aware Processing

Decision: All personas have access to complete project context Rationale: Enables informed decision-making and reduces errors Trade-offs: Memory usage vs. decision quality

4. Multi-Environment Support

Decision: Support both web and IDE environments Rationale: Flexibility for different user preferences and workflows Trade-offs: Development complexity vs. user adoption

Performance Characteristics

Response Time Targets

• Simple Queries: < 200ms
• Template Generation: < 2 seconds
• Complex Analysis: < 10 seconds
• Bulk Operations: < 30 seconds

Scalability Metrics

• Concurrent Users: 1000+ simultaneous users
• Request Throughput: 10,000+ requests/minute
• Data Volume: 100GB+ knowledge base
• Geographic Distribution: Multi-region deployment

Availability Requirements

• Uptime Target: 99.9% availability
• Recovery Time: < 5 minutes for critical failures
• Backup Frequency: Real-time data replication
• Disaster Recovery: < 1 hour full system recovery

Security Architecture

Authentication & Authorization

• Multi-factor Authentication: Required for all users
• Role-based Access Control: Granular permission management
• API Key Management: Secure external system integration
• Session Management: Secure session handling and timeout

Data Protection

• Encryption: AES-256 encryption for data at rest
• Transport Security: TLS 1.3 for all communications
• Key Management: Hardware security module (HSM) integration
• Data Classification: Automated sensitive data identification

Compliance & Auditing

• Audit Logging: Complete activity trail
• Compliance Monitoring: Automated compliance checking
• Data Retention: Configurable retention policies
• Privacy Controls: GDPR and CCPA compliance features

Next Steps

1. Review System Overview: Start with System Overview
2. Understand Components: Explore Component Architecture
3. Analyze Data Flows: Study Data Flow Diagrams
4. Plan Integrations: Review Integration Architecture
5. Design Deployment: Examine Deployment Architecture

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This architecture documentation provides the foundation for understanding, implementing, and extending the BMAD system.