System Architecture

Comprehensive overview of Masetra's technical architecture, design principles, and system components

🏗️ Architecture Overview

Masetra follows a modern, scalable microservices architecture designed for high availability, security, and regulatory compliance. The system is built using industry-standard technologies and follows best practices for enterprise software development.

High-Level Architecture Diagram

┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐
│ Web Client │ │ Mobile Client │ │ API Clients │
│ (React/TypeScript) │ │ (React Native) │ │ (Third-party) │
└─────────┬─────────┘ └─────────┬─────────┘ └─────────┬─────────┘
│ │ │
└────────────────────────┼────────────────────────┘
│
┌──────────────▼──────────────┐
│ API Gateway │
│ (Load Balancing) │
└──────────────┬──────────────┘
│
┌──────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────┐
│ │ │
┌───────▼────────┐ ┌──────────▼──────────┐ ┌──────────▼──────────┐
│ Authentication │ │ Business Services │ │ Data Services │
│ Service │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ • Deviation Service │ │ • PostgreSQL │
│ • User Auth │ │ • CAPA Service │ │ • Redis Cache │
│ • JWT Tokens │ │ • Audit Service │ │ • File Storage │
│ • SSO │ │ • Reporting Service │ │ • Elasticsearch │
└────────────────┘ │ • Document Service │ └─────────────────────┘
└──────────┬──────────┘
│
┌──────────────▼──────────────┐
│ Message Queue │
│ (RabbitMQ/Kafka) │
└──────────────┬──────────────┘
│
┌──────────────▼──────────────┐
│ Background Workers │
│ │
│ • Email Notifications │
│ • Report Generation │
│ • Data Processing │
│ • Compliance Checks │
└─────────────────────────────┘

🛠️ Technology Stack

Frontend Technologies

  • Framework: React 18+ with TypeScript
  • UI Library: Material-UI v5
  • State Management: Redux Toolkit
  • Routing: React Router v6
  • Build Tool: Vite
  • Testing: Jest, React Testing Library
  • Mobile: React Native for mobile apps

Backend Technologies

  • Framework: Django 4.2+ with Django REST Framework
  • Database: PostgreSQL 14+
  • Caching: Redis 7+
  • Message Queue: RabbitMQ or Apache Kafka
  • Search: Elasticsearch
  • File Storage: AWS S3 or Azure Blob Storage
  • Authentication: Django OAuth Toolkit, JWT
  • Testing: pytest, Django Test Framework

Infrastructure

  • Cloud Platform: AWS or Azure
  • Containerization: Docker
  • Orchestration: Kubernetes
  • Monitoring: Prometheus + Grafana
  • Logging: ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana)
  • CI/CD: GitHub Actions
  • Security: SSL/TLS, OWASP ZAP

📦 Core Services

Authentication Service

Responsibilities:

  • User authentication and authorization
  • JWT token generation and validation
  • Single Sign-On (SSO) integration
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Session management

Components:

  • User management
  • Role-based access control
  • Permission system
  • Audit logging

Deviation Management Service

Responsibilities:

  • Deviation creation and lifecycle management
  • Investigation workflow
  • Approval processes
  • Reporting and analytics

Components:

  • Deviation records
  • Attachment management
  • Workflow engine
  • Notification system

CAPA Management Service

Responsibilities:

  • Corrective and preventive action management
  • Root cause analysis tools
  • Action planning and tracking
  • Effectiveness verification

Components:

  • CAPA records
  • Task management
  • Milestone tracking
  • Integration with deviation service

Document Management Service

Responsibilities:

  • Electronic document control
  • Version management
  • Approval workflows
  • Search and retrieval

Components:

  • Document repository
  • Version control system
  • Approval workflow engine
  • Metadata management

Audit Management Service

Responsibilities:

  • Internal audit scheduling
  • Audit finding management
  • Compliance tracking
  • Reporting

Components:

  • Audit planning
  • Finding tracking
  • Corrective action linkage
  • Compliance dashboard

Reporting Service

Responsibilities:

  • Real-time dashboards
  • Custom report generation
  • Data analytics
  • Export capabilities

Components:

  • Report engine
  • Charting library
  • Data visualization
  • Export formats (PDF, Excel, CSV)

🗄️ Data Architecture

Database Schema

Primary Database: PostgreSQL with the following key tables:

Core Tables

  • users - User accounts and profiles
  • organizations - Company/organization data
  • roles - Role definitions and permissions
  • deviations - Deviation records and metadata
  • capas - Corrective and preventive actions
  • documents - Document management
  • audits - Audit records and findings
  • notifications - User notifications
  • audit_trail - Comprehensive audit logging

Relationship Design

  • One-to-Many: Organization → Users
  • Many-to-Many: Users ↔ Roles
  • One-to-Many: Deviations → Attachments
  • One-to-One: Deviations ↔ Investigations
  • One-to-Many: CAPAs → Tasks
  • Many-to-Many: Users ↔ Notifications

Data Flow

  1. Input: User actions, API calls, system events
  2. Processing: Business logic validation
  3. Storage: Database persistence with transaction support
  4. Indexing: Search engine indexing for fast retrieval
  5. Caching: Frequently accessed data in Redis
  6. Output: API responses, reports, notifications

Backup and Recovery

  • Daily Backups: Full database snapshots
  • Hourly Backups: Transaction log backups
  • Point-in-Time Recovery: Restore to specific timestamps
  • Geographic Replication: Multi-region redundancy
  • Backup Validation: Automated restore testing

🔒 Security Architecture

Authentication and Authorization

  • Multi-Factor Authentication: Optional or required
  • Role-Based Access Control: Granular permission system
  • Session Management: Secure session handling
  • Token Expiration: Automatic token refresh
  • Single Sign-On: Integration with corporate directories

Data Protection

  • Encryption at Rest: AES-256 encryption for stored data
  • Encryption in Transit: TLS 1.3 for all communications
  • Database Security: Row-level security and masking
  • API Security: Rate limiting and input validation
  • File Security: Secure file storage and access

Compliance Features

  • Audit Trail: Comprehensive logging of all actions
  • Electronic Signatures: 21 CFR Part 11 compliant
  • Data Retention: Configurable retention policies
  • Privacy Controls: GDPR and data protection compliance
  • Immutable Logs: Non-modifiable audit records

Network Security

  • Firewall Rules: Restrictive network access
  • DDoS Protection: Cloud-based protection services
  • Intrusion Detection: Real-time monitoring
  • Vulnerability Scanning: Regular security assessments
  • Penetration Testing: Annual third-party testing

🚀 Scalability and Performance

Horizontal Scaling

  • Microservices: Independent service scaling
  • Database Sharding: Data distribution across nodes
  • Load Balancing: Traffic distribution
  • Auto-scaling: Dynamic resource allocation
  • Caching Layers: Multi-level caching strategy

Performance Optimization

  • Database Indexing: Optimized query performance
  • Query Optimization: Efficient database queries
  • Caching Strategy: Redis for frequently accessed data
  • Content Delivery: CDN for static assets
  • Database Connection Pooling: Efficient connection management

Monitoring and Observability

  • Application Performance Monitoring: Real-time performance metrics
  • Infrastructure Monitoring: System resource utilization
  • Business Metrics: Key performance indicators
  • Error Tracking: Automated error detection
  • User Experience Monitoring: Frontend performance

🌐 Integration Architecture

API Gateway

  • Rate Limiting: Protect against API abuse
  • Authentication: Centralized authentication
  • Routing: Service routing and load balancing
  • Logging: Centralized API logging
  • Analytics: API usage analytics

Third-Party Integrations

  • ERP Systems: SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics
  • LIMS Systems: Laboratory Information Management
  • Email Services: SMTP, SendGrid, Mailgun
  • SMS Services: Twilio, AWS SNS
  • Document Management: SharePoint, Google Workspace

Data Integration Patterns

  • RESTful APIs: Standard web service integration
  • Webhooks: Real-time event notifications
  • Message Queues: Asynchronous processing
  • File Transfer: SFTP, FTPS for bulk data
  • Database Sync: Direct database integration

📈 Monitoring and Logging

Application Monitoring

  • Uptime Monitoring: 99.9% SLA tracking
  • Performance Metrics: Response times, throughput
  • Error Rates: Application error tracking
  • User Experience: Frontend performance monitoring
  • Business Metrics: Key performance indicators

Infrastructure Monitoring

  • Server Health: CPU, memory, disk usage
  • Network Performance: Bandwidth and latency
  • Database Performance: Query performance, connections
  • Cache Performance: Hit rates, latency
  • Container Health: Docker/Kubernetes monitoring

Logging Architecture

  • Structured Logging: JSON-formatted log entries
  • Centralized Logging: ELK Stack for log aggregation
  • Log Retention: Configurable retention policies
  • Alerting: Automated incident notifications
  • Audit Logging: Comprehensive compliance logging

🛠️ Development and Deployment

Development Environment

  • Local Development: Docker-based development setup
  • Version Control: Git with GitHub
  • Code Review: Pull request workflow
  • Continuous Integration: Automated testing
  • Feature Flags: Gradual feature rollout

Deployment Pipeline

  1. Code Commit: Developer pushes code to repository
  2. Automated Testing: Unit and integration tests
  3. Security Scanning: Vulnerability assessment
  4. Build Process: Container image creation
  5. Deployment: Kubernetes deployment
  6. Health Checks: Service verification
  7. Monitoring: Post-deployment monitoring

Environment Strategy

  • Development: Local and shared development environments
  • Staging: Production-like testing environment
  • Production: Live customer environment
  • Disaster Recovery: Backup production environment

📞 Support

For architecture questions, contact info@masetra.com or call +256-760-927180.

Last updated: July 30, 2025