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Bridge Architecture

Pattern: The central abstraction layer between workers and integrations.

The Concept​

In distributed systems, you need a way to:

  • Manage state consistently across multiple processors
  • Provide a common API for all operations
  • Centralize integration logic (payments, messaging, ERPs)
  • Enforce multi-tenant isolation
  • Coordinate between stateless workers

The Bridge Architecture solves this by creating a central abstraction layer that sits between your workers (the processors) and your integrations (external systems, databases, caches).

Core Principle​

The Bridge provides a common application interface to abstract integrations.

Workers don't call databases, payment APIs, or ERPs directly — they call Bridge functions. The Bridge handles the complexity.

This prevents:

  • Integration logic scattered across workers
  • Duplicate integration code
  • Inconsistent multi-tenant handling
  • Direct coupling to external systems

What the Bridge Provides​

1. Common API Interface​

Workers call Bridge functions instead of directly accessing systems. The Bridge abstracts the complexity of integrations, state management, and multi-tenant coordination.

2. State Management​

The Bridge owns all persistent and cached state. Workers are stateless (between instances) and fetch everything they need through the Bridge.

3. Integration Foundation​

Shared integrations (payments, shipping, messaging) are implemented once in the Bridge and reused by all workers.

4. Multi-Tenant Coordination​

The Bridge enforces tenant isolation, manages tenant-specific configurations, and ensures secure data access.

Why This Matters​

Without the Bridge: Each worker would need to implement its own database connections, caching strategies, payment integrations, and multi-tenant logic. This leads to duplication, inconsistency, and maintenance nightmares.

With the Bridge: Workers stay focused on business logic. They call simple Bridge functions like getEngagement(), calculatePrice(), or allocateInventory(), and the Bridge handles all the complexity.

Extend, Don't Modify​

The Bridge is designed to be extended with your specific integrations and business logic. You create a custom Bridge that inherits from the base and adds your ERP sync, custom pricing rules, or specialized workflows.

This keeps the core clean and upgradeable while giving you complete flexibility.

Learn More​

For detailed implementation guidance, see:

Bridge Architecture: One interface, infinite integrations.