CALM Test Area

This repository contains a collection of FINOS CALM (Common Architecture Language Model) examples demonstrating architecture patterns, concrete implementations, and compliance controls.

Overview

CALM is an open standard from FINOS for describing software system architectures in a machine-readable format using JSON Schema. This test area serves as a sandbox for creating, testing, and refining CALM architecture definitions.

Repository Structure

Architecture Files (.architecture.json)

Concrete architecture implementations representing specific system designs:

• Web Applications: web-app.architecture.json, simple.architecture.json
• Database Variants: my-app-mysql.architecture.json, my-app-mongodb.architecture.json
• Conference Systems: conference2.architecture.json, mysql-conference.architecture.json, postgres-conference.architecture.json
• Messaging Systems: kafka.architecture.json, rabbitmq.architecture.json, rabbitmq-broker.architecture.json, sqs.architecture.json

Pattern Files (.pattern.json)

Reusable architecture patterns with JSON Schema validation:

• conference.pattern.json: Conference signup system with Kubernetes
• conference2.pattern.json: Alternative conference architecture
• app-component.pattern.json: Conference system with message broker integration
• message-broker.pattern.json: Service with message broker (RabbitMQ/Kafka)
• messaging.pattern.json: Messaging architecture pattern
• my-app.pattern.json: Generic application pattern
• web-app.pattern.json: Web application pattern

Control Files (.control.json)

Security and compliance control definitions:

• encryption-in-transit.control.json: Data encryption requirements (NIST-800-53 SC-8)

Documentation (docs/)

Generated Docusaurus documentation sites that visualize the architectures as static websites. These include node descriptions, relationship diagrams, and architecture decision records for various system configurations.

Chat Logs (chat_logs/)

GitHub Copilot chat logs documenting pattern creation, refinement, and summarization sessions showing the iterative design process.

Architecture Validation (architecture-validation/)

Demonstrates how to create and enforce organization-specific standards on top of FINOS CALM:

• the-company.standard.json: Company-specific JSON Schema standard extending CALM nodes
• the-company.pattern.json: Pattern that enforces the company standard
• my-app-standard-compliant.architecture.json: Example compliant architecture
• my-app-non-standard-compliant.architecture.json: Example non-compliant architecture
• architecture-validate-process.md: Detailed explanation of the validation process and how the three files connect

Key Concepts

Nodes

Components in the architecture (services, databases, web clients, clusters)

Relationships

Connections between nodes with protocols and relationship types:

• connects: Direct connections between components
• deployed-in: Deployment relationships
• options: Alternative architecture choices

Interfaces

Communication endpoints with hosts, ports, and URLs

Patterns

Reusable architecture templates with validation rules using JSON Schema constraints

Example Architectures

Three-Tier Web Application

• Web Frontend (webclient)
• API Service (service)
• Database (MySQL/PostgreSQL/MongoDB options)

Message-Driven Architecture

• Frontend
• Backend Service
• Message Broker (RabbitMQ/Kafka/SQS)
• Database
• Kubernetes Cluster

Simple Service-Database

• Application Service
• Database (with choice of MySQL or other options)

Usage

These CALM files can be:

1. Validated against the CALM JSON Schema
2. Visualized in architecture diagrams
3. Generated into documentation (Docusaurus)
4. Used as Templates for new architecture designs
5. Analyzed for compliance and patterns

CALM Specification

This repository follows the CALM 1.2 specification:

• Schema: https://calm.finos.org/release/1.2/meta/calm.json
• Core definitions: https://calm.finos.org/release/1.2/meta/core.json
• Interface definitions: https://calm.finos.org/release/1.2/meta/interface.json
• Control definitions: https://calm.finos.org/release/1.2/meta/control.json

File Naming Conventions

• .architecture.json: Concrete architecture instances
• .pattern.json: Reusable architecture patterns
• .control.json: Security/compliance controls
• .standard.json: Organizational standards

Related Resources

• FINOS CALM Specification
• CALM on GitHub
• Docusaurus Documentation