External Configuration Server Platform¶
This page describes the ConnectSoft External Configuration Server Platform — a centralized configuration and feature flag management solution for multi-tenant SaaS. It is written for DevOps teams, platform engineers, and architects evaluating configuration management solutions.
The Config Platform provides a single source of truth for application configuration, feature flags, and environment-specific settings with strong versioning, audit trails, and real-time updates.
Tip
The Config Platform enables progressive rollouts, A/B testing, and environment-specific configuration without code deployments. Changes are versioned and audited, with rollback capabilities.
What This Platform Does¶
The Config Platform provides:
- Centralized Configuration - Single source of truth for all application settings
- Feature Flags - Toggle features on/off without code deployments
- Hierarchical Configuration - Organize config by tenant, environment, and application
- Version History - Complete audit trail and version history for all changes
- Real-Time Updates - Push configuration changes to applications in real-time
Core Features¶
- Hierarchical Model - Configuration organized by tenant → environment → application → key
- Feature Flags - Boolean and multi-variant feature toggles
- Configuration Types - Strings, numbers, booleans, JSON objects, arrays
- Version History - Complete change history with who, what, when
- Rollback - Revert to any previous configuration version
- Real-Time Updates - Push notifications to applications via webhooks or polling
- Environment Management - Separate configs for dev, staging, production
- Tenant Isolation - Complete separation of configuration per tenant
- Access Control - Role-based access control for configuration changes
- Audit Logging - All changes logged to the Audit Platform
Typical Integrations¶
Microservices¶
- Microservices fetch configuration via REST/gRPC APIs
- SDKs for .NET, JavaScript, Python, etc.
- Automatic refresh on configuration changes
CI/CD Pipelines¶
- Set configuration values during deployments
- Feature flag toggles for canary releases
- Environment-specific configuration injection
Frontend Applications¶
- Feature flags for UI feature toggles
- A/B testing configuration
- Environment-specific API endpoints
Monitoring and Observability¶
- Configuration-driven alerting thresholds
- Feature flag metrics and analytics
- Configuration change notifications
Ideal Use Cases¶
- Centralized Configuration - Manage all application settings in one place
- Feature Flags - Progressive rollouts, A/B testing, emergency feature toggles
- Environment Management - Different settings for dev, staging, production
- Multi-Tenant Configuration - Tenant-specific settings and feature flags
- Configuration Versioning - Track changes and rollback when needed
- Compliance - Audit trail of all configuration changes
SaaS Consumers by Cycle¶
The Config Platform is a foundational Core Platform service consumed by all ConnectSoft SaaS products across all cycles.
Cycle 1: AI Factory SaaS
- AI Factory SaaS uses Config Platform for feature flags, tenant-specific settings, and Factory configuration
- Factory-generated projects use Config Platform for application configuration
- Factory console configuration managed via Config Platform
Cycle 2: Horizontal SaaS
- Digital Marketing Hub - Campaign settings, email/SMS provider configs, feature flags for campaign features
- Short Links Platform - Link settings, tracking preferences, domain configs, feature flags
- Workflow Orchestrator - Workflow definitions, trigger configs, action settings, feature flags
- Headless CMS - Content model configs, publishing settings, locale configs, feature flags
- CRM / Contacts Hub - Field definitions, workflow configs, integration settings, feature flags
Cycle 3: AI & First Vertical
- AI Bot Framework - Bot behavior configs, channel settings, AI model configs, feature flags
- AI Marketing Copilot - AI model configs, prompt templates, feature flags for AI features
- Digital Forms SaaS - Form templates, approval workflows, notification settings, feature flags
- Insurance Suite - Policy configs, workflow definitions, compliance settings, feature flags
Cycle 4: Marketplaces & Ecosystem
- All marketplace products use Config Platform for feature flags and settings
- Integration Platform - Connector configs, sync schedules, webhook settings, feature flags
- Support & Self-Service Platform - Support workflow configs, KB settings, feature flags
- Vertical suites (AdTech, HR) - All product-specific configurations and feature flags
Relationship to the Factory¶
The Config Platform demonstrates Factory patterns:
- Built by the Factory - Generated using Factory templates with configuration patterns
- Reference Implementation - Shows hierarchical data modeling and multi-tenant patterns
- Template Available - Configuration management patterns available as Factory templates
- Used by Factory - Factory-generated services integrate with Config Platform by default
Note
All Factory-generated microservices include built-in integration with the Config Platform. Configuration is externalized by default, following cloud-native best practices.
Related Documents¶
- SaaS Platforms Business Model - Pricing and licensing
- Factory Overview - How the Factory generates platforms
- Cloud-Native Mindset - Configuration principles