This glossary defines the key terms you’ll encounter when working with Fusioncat. Use it as a quick reference to understand how schemas, messages, servers, resources, applications, projects, and workspaces fit together in logical order from the smallest building blocks to the containers that encapsulate them.

​
Overview

Overview Below is the list of glossary entries in the order they build on each other:
  • Data schema
  • Message
  • Server
  • Resources
  • Application
  • Consumer
  • Producer
  • Project
  • Workspaces

​
Glossary

​
Data schema

A formal definition of the structure and data types within a payload. Fusioncat is designed to support three schema technologies—JSONSchema, Avro, and Protobuf—but currently only JSONSchemas are implemented. Versioning.
Every change to a schema yields a new version, numbered sequentially starting at 1.

​
Message

A communication asset that carries data according to a particular schema version. Each message includes:
  • A name and human-readable description.
  • A reference to a specific schema and its version.
  • Its own version number for tracking changes to the message metadata or payload structure.
Note: One schema can be used by multiple messages.

​
Server

Software or infrastructure that routes messages between producers and consumers. Examples include:
  • Kafka brokers
  • AMQP (RabbitMQ) servers
  • MQTT brokers
  • Simple setups using database tables or webhooks
  • A server can host multiple resources.

​
Resources

Access points through which messages flow inside a server. Depending on server type, a resource might be one of:
  • Kafka topic
  • AMQP exchange or queue
  • MQTT topic
  • Database table
  • Webhook endpoint
Each resource:
  • Belongs to exactly one server.
  • Has one of four modes: read, write, readwrite, or bind.
  • The bind mode (AMQP-specific) links exchanges to queues.
  • Uses a naming convention that fully qualifies its server, mode, and identifier, for example: async+amqp://mainrmq@read/queue/paymentqueue

​
Application

A computer program built on the Fusioncat stack that receives and/or sends messages.
  • Consumer
    • The component responsible for receiving incoming messages.
    • Defined by a list of message-and-resource pairs from which it reads.
  • Producer
    • The component responsible for sending messages.
    • Defined by a list of message-and-resource pairs to which it writes.

​
Project

A self-contained package that stores all schemas, messages, servers, resources, and applications.
  • Everything in Fusioncat lives in a project.
  • In future releases, projects will be able to reference artifacts in other projects.

​
Workspaces

Top-level containers for organizing multiple projects and teams.
  • A workspace typically includes several engineers.
  • Engineers have access controls scoped to the projects within their workspace.