Roadmap Overview¶

The VSM migration roadmap represents a comprehensive transformation from a monolithic architecture to a modular, scalable ecosystem. This overview provides the strategic context and key principles guiding the migration.

Strategic Goals¶

1. Modularity¶

Transform the monolithic codebase into focused, reusable packages that can be: - Independently versioned - Separately deployed - Community maintained - Easily understood

2. Scalability¶

Enable systems to scale from single-node deployments to distributed clusters: - Horizontal scaling of subsystems - Location transparency - Network partition tolerance - Elastic resource allocation

3. Maintainability¶

Create a sustainable ecosystem for long-term development: - Clear package boundaries - Comprehensive documentation - Automated testing - Community governance

4. Innovation¶

Provide a platform for cybernetic research and development: - Novel contributions (Temporal Variety Channel) - Academic collaboration - Real-world applications - Open-source community

Architecture Evolution¶

Before: Monolithic Structure¶

graph TD
    A[Monolithic Application] --> B[All VSM Subsystems]
    A --> C[Support Systems]
    A --> D[Web Interface]
    A --> E[External Integrations]

    style A fill:#ff9999

After: Modular Ecosystem¶

graph TD
    subgraph "Core Packages"
        C1[vsm-core]
        C2[vsm-telemetry]
        C3[vsm-goldrush]
        C4[vsm-rate-limiter]
    end

    subgraph "VSM Subsystems"
        S1[vsm-s1-operations]
        S2[vsm-s2-coordination]
        S3[vsm-s3-control]
        S4[vsm-s4-intelligence]
        S5[vsm-s5-policy]
    end

    subgraph "Applications"
        A1[vsm-console]
        A2[vsm-api]
        A3[vsm-dashboard]
    end

    C1 --> S1
    C1 --> S2
    C1 --> S3
    C1 --> S4
    C1 --> S5

    S1 --> A1
    S2 --> A1
    S3 --> A1

    style C1 fill:#90EE90
    style A1 fill:#87CEEB

Key Design Principles¶

1. Dependency Inversion¶

• Core packages have minimal dependencies
• Higher-level packages depend on abstractions
• Protocols define boundaries
• Implementations are pluggable

2. Event-Driven Architecture¶

• All state changes emit events
• Loose coupling between subsystems
• Event sourcing for audit trails
• CQRS for read/write optimization

3. OTP Design Patterns¶

• Supervision trees for fault tolerance
• GenServer for stateful components
• GenStage for backpressure
• Registry for service discovery

4. Zero-Downtime Migration¶

• Gradual rollout strategy
• Feature flags for transitions
• Backward compatibility
• Rollback procedures

Package Categories¶

Core Infrastructure (13 packages)¶

The foundation that everything builds upon: - vsm-core: VSM subsystem implementations - vsm-telemetry: Observability and metrics - vsm-goldrush: Event processing engine - vsm-config: Configuration management

Support Libraries (5 packages)¶

Common utilities and patterns: - vsm-test: Testing utilities - vsm-benchmark: Performance testing - vsm-security: Security primitives - vsm-math: Mathematical operations

Applications (4 packages)¶

Complete, deployable systems: - vsm-console: Web-based management - vsm-api: GraphQL/REST API server - vsm-dashboard: Monitoring interface - vsm-gateway: API gateway

Documentation (5 repositories)¶

Learning and reference materials: - vsm-docs: This documentation - vsm-examples: Example implementations - vsm-tutorials: Step-by-step guides - vsm-theory: Academic papers

Technology Stack¶

Core Technologies¶

• Elixir 1.15+: Primary language
• Erlang/OTP 25+: Runtime platform
• Phoenix 1.7+: Web framework
• PostgreSQL 14+: Primary datastore
• Redis: Caching and pub/sub

Development Tools¶

• ExUnit: Testing framework
• Dialyzer: Static analysis
• Credo: Code quality
• ExDoc: Documentation
• Benchee: Performance testing

Infrastructure¶

• Docker: Containerization
• Kubernetes: Orchestration
• Prometheus: Monitoring
• Grafana: Visualization
• GitHub Actions: CI/CD

Migration Approach¶

1. Strangler Fig Pattern¶

Gradually replace monolithic components: 1. Identify boundary 2. Extract interface 3. Implement separately 4. Route traffic 5. Remove old code

2. Branch by Abstraction¶

Create abstractions before extraction: 1. Define protocols 2. Implement for monolith 3. Create new implementation 4. Switch implementations 5. Remove old implementation

3. Parallel Run¶

Validate new implementations: 1. Run both systems 2. Compare outputs 3. Monitor performance 4. Gradual cutover 5. Decommission old

Success Criteria¶

Technical Success¶

• All tests passing
• Performance benchmarks met
• Zero data loss
• Backward compatibility maintained

Business Success¶

• No service disruption
• Improved deployment velocity
• Reduced operational costs
• Enhanced developer productivity

Community Success¶

• Active contributor base
• Regular releases
• Comprehensive documentation
• Vibrant ecosystem

Timeline Overview¶

Months 1-2: Foundation¶

• Organization setup
• Core infrastructure
• Basic VSM extraction

Months 3-4: Expansion¶

• Extended subsystems
• Integration layers
• Application development

Month 4: Finalization¶

• Testing and quality
• Documentation completion
• Production deployment

Getting Involved¶

For Contributors¶

1. Read the contribution guide
2. Check the issue tracker
3. Join discussions
4. Submit pull requests

For Users¶

1. Try the starter template
2. Follow the tutorials
3. Deploy an example application
4. Provide feedback

For Organizations¶

1. Evaluate for your use case
2. Contact for support options
3. Consider sponsorship
4. Share success stories

Next: Phase 1 - Foundation Setup →