Fortress is a highly customizable, secure database system with multi-layer encryption that combines the simplicity of modern databases with enterprise-grade security. The architecture is designed around a layered approach that provides both security and performance.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Fortress Architecture │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Client Layer │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ REST API │ │ WebSocket │ │ GraphQL │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Security Layer │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ Auth/Z │ │ Rate Limit │ │ Audit │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Encryption Layer │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ Field Level │ │ Key Manager │ │ Rotation │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Storage Layer │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ Memory │ │ Disk │ │ Cloud │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The client layer provides multiple interfaces for interacting with Fortress:
- REST API: Standard HTTP methods with JSON payloads
- WebSocket API: Real-time updates and streaming
- GraphQL: Complex queries and subscriptions
- SDKs: Python, JavaScript, Rust, Go client libraries
Security is built into every layer of Fortress:
- Authentication: JWT, API keys, OAuth 2.0, SAML
- Authorization: Role-based access control (RBAC)
- Rate Limiting: Configurable limits per client/API key
- Audit Logging: Comprehensive security event tracking
Multi-layer encryption with automatic key management:
- Field-Level Encryption: Encrypt specific fields with different algorithms
- Key Manager: Automatic key generation, rotation, and secure storage
- Key Rotation: Zero-downtime key rotation without service interruption
- Algorithm Support: AEGIS-256, ChaCha20-Poly1305, AES-256-GCM, XChaCha20-Poly1305
Flexible storage backends for different use cases:
- Memory Storage: High-performance caching and temporary data
- Disk Storage: Local and network-attached storage
- Cloud Storage: AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage
- Authentication: Verify client credentials
- Authorization: Check permissions for requested operation
- Rate Limiting: Enforce rate limits
- Encryption: Encrypt sensitive fields before storage
- Storage: Persist data to configured backend
- Audit: Log all operations for compliance
- Retrieval: Fetch data from storage backend
- Decryption: Decrypt sensitive fields
- Filtering: Apply row-level security filters
- Response: Return data in requested format
- Audit: Log data access events
- At Rest: All data encrypted before storage
- In Transit: TLS 1.3 for all network communications
- In Memory: Sensitive data zeroized after use
- Key Management: HSM support for key protection
- GDPR: Data subject rights, consent management
- HIPAA: Healthcare data protection
- PCI-DSS: Payment card industry standards
- SOC 2: Service organization controls
- Connection Pooling: Efficient database connections
- Caching Layer: Intelligent key and data caching
- Compression: Built-in data compression
- Parallel Processing: Concurrent encryption/decryption
- Horizontal Scaling: Multi-node clustering with Raft consensus
- Vertical Scaling: Resource optimization for different workloads
- Load Balancing: Built-in load balancing for high availability
- Auto-tuning: Performance optimization based on workload patterns
- Raft Consensus: Distributed consensus for consistency
- Leader Election: Automatic failover and leader selection
- Data Replication: Synchronous and asynchronous replication
- Split-brain Prevention: Network partition handling
- Backups: Automated backup scheduling
- Point-in-time Recovery: Restore to specific timestamps
- Cross-region Replication: Geographic redundancy
- Failover Testing: Regular disaster recovery drills
- Data Isolation: Complete separation of tenant data
- Resource Limits: Per-tenant resource quotas
- Custom Encryption: Tenant-specific encryption settings
- Audit Separation: Isolated audit logs per tenant
- Dynamic Provisioning: Automatic tenant creation
- Resource Scaling: Elastic resource allocation
- Billing Integration: Usage-based billing support
- Self-service: Tenant administration portals
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Client Application │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────┘
│ Request (JSON/GraphQL/WebSocket)
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ API Gateway Layer │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ REST API │ │ WebSocket │ │ GraphQL │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ • CRUD │ │ • Real-time │ │ • Queries │ │
│ │ • Auth │ │ • Events │ │ • Mutations │ │
│ │ • Validation│ │ • Streaming │ │ • Subscriptions│ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────┘
│ Validated Request
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Security Layer │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ Auth/Z │ │ Rate Limit │ │ Audit │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ • JWT Auth │ │ • IP Limits │ │ • Events │ │
│ │ • RBAC │ │ • Burst │ │ • Logs │ │
│ │ • MFA │ │ • Throttle │ │ • Alerts │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────┘
│ Authorized Request
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Encryption Layer │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ Field Level │ │ Key Manager │ │ Rotation │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ • Encrypt │ │ • Generate │ │ • Schedule │ │
│ │ • Decrypt │ │ • Store │ │ • Rotate │ │
│ │ • Validate │ │ • Version │ │ • Backup │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────┘
│ Encrypted Data
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Storage Layer │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ Memory │ │ Disk │ │ Cloud │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ • Cache │ │ • SSD/HDD │ │ • S3 │ │
│ │ • Temp │ │ • Backup │ │ • Azure │ │
│ │ • Session │ │ • Archive │ │ • GCS │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─────────────────┐ Raft Protocol ┌─────────────────┐
│ Leader Node │◄──────────────────►│ Follower 1 │
│ │ │ │
│ • AppendEntries │ │ • Log Replication│
│ • Heartbeats │ │ • Votes │
│ • Client Requests│ │ • Snapshots │
└─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘
│ │
│ │
▼ ▼
┌─────────────────┐ Raft Protocol ┌─────────────────┐
│ Follower 2 │◄──────────────────►│ Follower 3 │
│ │ │ │
│ • Log Replication│ │ • Log Replication│
│ • Votes │ │ • Votes │
│ • Snapshots │ │ • Snapshots │
└─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Security Layers │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Network Security │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ TLS 1.3 │ │ IP Allow │ │ DDoS Prot. │ │
│ │ │ │ List │ │ │ │
│ │ • ECDHE │ │ • Whitelist │ │ • Rate Limit│ │
│ │ • AES-256 │ │ • Blacklist │ │ • Challenge │ │
│ │ • Forward │ │ • Geo-Fence │ │ • Block │ │
│ │ Secrecy │ │ │ │ │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Application Security │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ Auth/Z │ │ Input Valid │ │ Audit Log │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ • JWT │ │ • Sanitize │ │ • Events │ │
│ │ • RBAC │ │ • Validate │ │ • Tamper │ │
│ │ • MFA │ │ • Rate Limit│ │ • Evidence │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Data Security │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │Encryption at│ │Encryption in│ │ Key Mgmt │ │
│ │ Rest │ │ Transit │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ • AES-256 │ │ • TLS 1.3 │ │ • Rotation │ │
│ │ • Field Lev.│ │ • End-to-End│ │ • HSM │ │
│ │ • Backup │ │ • Perfect │ │ • Backup │ │
│ │ │ │ Forward │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ Secrecy │ │ │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
- WebAssembly: Secure plugin sandboxing
- Plugin Marketplace: Centralized plugin distribution
- Hot Loading: Runtime plugin installation
- Version Management: Plugin version compatibility
- Storage Backends: Custom storage implementations
- Encryption Algorithms: Additional encryption methods
- Auth Providers: Custom authentication methods
- Monitoring: Enhanced monitoring and alerting
- Performance Metrics: Encryption throughput, latency, error rates
- Resource Metrics: CPU, memory, disk, network usage
- Business Metrics: API usage, tenant activity, data volume
- Security Metrics: Authentication failures, authorization violations
- Structured Logging: JSON-formatted logs with consistent schema
- Log Levels: Configurable log verbosity
- Log Aggregation: Integration with log management systems
- Log Retention: Configurable retention policies
- Distributed Tracing: Request flow across services
- OpenTelemetry: Industry-standard tracing integration
- Performance Profiling: Detailed performance analysis
- Error Tracking: Comprehensive error monitoring
- Files: TOML, YAML, JSON configuration files
- Environment Variables: Runtime configuration override
- Command Line: CLI configuration options
- Remote Config: Dynamic configuration from external sources
- Validation: Configuration schema validation
- Hot Reload: Runtime configuration updates
- Versioning: Configuration change tracking
- Rollback: Configuration rollback capabilities
- Modular Design: Clear separation of concerns
- Trait-based: Extensible architecture using Rust traits
- Async/Await: Non-blocking I/O throughout
- Error Handling: Comprehensive error types and handling
- Unit Tests: Comprehensive unit test coverage
- Integration Tests: End-to-end testing
- Performance Tests: Benchmarking and profiling
- Security Tests: Security vulnerability scanning
- Docker: Official Docker images
- Kubernetes: Production-ready K8s manifests
- Helm Charts: Easy deployment and management
- Docker Compose: Local development setup
- AWS: S3, KMS, CloudHSM integration
- Azure: Blob Storage, Key Vault integration
- Google Cloud: Cloud Storage, Cloud KMS integration
- Multi-cloud: Simultaneous cloud provider support
This architecture provides the foundation for Fortress's security, performance, and scalability while maintaining simplicity for developers and operators.