System Overview
Comprehensive overview of SysManage system architecture, components, and data flow patterns.
Architecture Overview
SysManage is built as a distributed system with a central server coordinating multiple lightweight agents across your infrastructure. The architecture emphasizes security, scalability, and reliability while maintaining simplicity for both deployment and operation.
High-Level Architecture
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SysManage Server │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Web UI │ │ REST API │ │ WebSocket Gateway │ │
│ │ (React) │ │ (FastAPI) │ │ (Real-time Updates) │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └─────────────────────────┘ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Auth/RBAC │ │ Business │ │ Task Queue │ │
│ │ Service │ │ Logic Layer │ │ (Background Jobs) │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └─────────────────────────┘ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Data Access │ │ Message │ │ Certificate │ │
│ │ Layer │ │ Queue │ │ Management │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └─────────────────────────┘ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ PostgreSQL Database │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
mTLS Communication
│
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SysManage Agents │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Connection │ │ Package │ │ System Monitor │ │
│ │ Manager │ │ Manager │ │ (Metrics Collection) │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └─────────────────────────┘ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Task │ │ Security │ │ Local SQLite DB │ │
│ │ Executor │ │ Manager │ │ (State & Cache) │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └─────────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Core Components
🖥️ SysManage Server
The central coordination hub that manages all agents, processes requests, and maintains the global state of your infrastructure.
Key Features:
- RESTful API for all operations
- Real-time WebSocket communication
- Role-based access control (RBAC)
- Asynchronous task processing
- Certificate authority for agent authentication
🤖 SysManage Agents
Lightweight agents that run on managed hosts to collect information, execute tasks, and maintain communication with the server.
Key Features:
- Cross-platform support (Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD)
- Secure mTLS communication
- Package management integration
- System metrics collection
- Configurable privilege escalation
🌐 Web Interface
Modern React-based web application providing a comprehensive management interface for administrators and operators.
Key Features:
- Responsive design for desktop and mobile
- Real-time updates via WebSocket
- Interactive dashboards and charts
- Bulk operations and filtering
- Internationalization support
🔌 REST API
Comprehensive API built with FastAPI providing programmatic access to all SysManage functionality.
Key Features:
- OpenAPI 3.0 specification
- JWT-based authentication
- Rate limiting and throttling
- Comprehensive error handling
- Automated documentation
Data Flow Architecture
Agent-to-Server Communication
Agent Server Database
│ │ │
│ 1. mTLS Handshake │ │
├─────────────────────→ │ │
│ │ │
│ 2. System Info │ 3. Validate & Store │
├─────────────────────→ ├────────────────────────→ │
│ │ │
│ 4. Package Inventory │ 5. Update Database │
├─────────────────────→ ├────────────────────────→ │
│ │ │
│ 6. Heartbeat/Status │ 7. Log Activity │
├─────────────────────→ ├────────────────────────→ │
│ │ │
│ ← 8. Commands/Tasks ← │ ← 9. Fetch Pending ← ← │
│ │ │
│ 10. Task Results → │ 11. Update Status → │
├─────────────────────→ ├────────────────────────→ │
User Request Processing
Web UI/API Server Layers Agent
│ │ │
│ 1. User Request │ │
├─────────────────────→ │ │
│ │ │
│ ┌─┴─┐ 2. Authentication │
│ │Auth│ │
│ └─┬─┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌─┴─┐ 3. Authorization │
│ │RBAC│ │
│ └─┬─┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌─┴─┐ 4. Business Logic │
│ │BLL│ │
│ └─┬─┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌─┴─┐ 5. Data Access │
│ │DAL│ │
│ └─┬─┘ │
│ │ │
│ │ 6. Queue Task │
│ ├─────────────────────→ │
│ │ │
│ ← 7. Response ← ← ← │ 8. Async Execution │
│ │ │
│ ← 9. Real-time ← ← ← │ ← 10. Results ← ← ← │
│ Updates │ │
Security Architecture
Certificate-Based Authentication
SysManage uses a robust mTLS (mutual TLS) authentication system:
- Server Certificate Authority: Issues and manages agent certificates
- Agent Certificates: Unique certificates for each agent with automatic rotation
- Certificate Validation: Continuous validation of certificate status and revocation
- Secure Enrollment: Automated certificate enrollment with approval workflows
Network Security
Transport Layer
- TLS 1.3 for all communications
- Certificate pinning for enhanced security
- Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS)
Application Layer
- JWT tokens for web authentication
- API rate limiting and throttling
- Request validation and sanitization
Data Layer
- Encrypted database connections
- Sensitive data encryption at rest
- Audit logging for all operations
Scalability Design
Horizontal Scaling
SysManage is designed to scale horizontally across multiple dimensions:
Server Scaling
- Stateless Design: Servers maintain no session state, enabling easy horizontal scaling
- Load Balancing: Support for standard load balancers with session affinity for WebSocket connections
- Database Clustering: PostgreSQL clustering support for high availability
- Shared Storage: Certificate and configuration storage can be shared across instances
Agent Scaling
- Lightweight Footprint: Minimal resource usage per agent
- Efficient Communication: Optimized protocols to minimize network overhead
- Connection Pooling: Intelligent connection management and pooling
- Regional Distribution: Support for geographically distributed deployments
Performance Characteristics
Agent Capacity
Single server instance can manage:
- Small: 100-500 agents
- Medium: 500-2,000 agents
- Large: 2,000-10,000 agents (with optimization)
Response Times
- API Responses: < 100ms typical
- Agent Commands: < 5s delivery
- Real-time Updates: < 1s propagation
Resource Usage
- Server RAM: 2-8GB baseline
- Agent RAM: 10-50MB per agent
- Network: 1-10KB/s per agent
Deployment Patterns
Single Instance Deployment
Use Cases:
- Small to medium environments (< 500 hosts)
- Development and testing
- Single-location deployments
Architecture:
┌─────────────────────┐
│ Load Balancer │ (Optional)
│ (Nginx/HAProxy) │
└─────────┬───────────┘
│
┌─────────┴───────────┐
│ SysManage Server │
│ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ Application │ │
│ └─────────────┘ │
│ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ PostgreSQL │ │
│ └─────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────┘
High Availability Deployment
Use Cases:
- Production environments requiring 99.9%+ uptime
- Large-scale deployments (> 1000 hosts)
- Business-critical infrastructure management
Architecture:
┌─────────────────────┐
│ Load Balancer │
│ (Active/Passive) │
└─────────┬───────────┘
│
┌─────────┴───────────┬─────────────────────┐
│ SysManage #1 │ SysManage #2 │
│ ┌─────────────┐ │ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ Application │ │ │ Application │ │
│ └─────────────┘ │ └─────────────┘ │
└─────────┬───────────┴─────────┬───────────┘
│ │
┌─────────┴─────────────────────┴───────────┐
│ PostgreSQL Cluster │
│ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ │
│ │Primary │ │Replica 1│ │Replica 2│ │
│ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────┘
Multi-Region Deployment
Use Cases:
- Global organizations with distributed infrastructure
- Compliance requirements for data locality
- Disaster recovery across regions
Architecture:
Region 1 (Primary) Region 2 (Secondary)
┌─────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────┐
│ SysManage Cluster│ │ SysManage Cluster│
│ ┌─────────────┐ │ │ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ Application │ │ │ │ Application │ │
│ └─────────────┘ │ │ └─────────────┘ │
│ ┌─────────────┐ │ ←──→│ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ PostgreSQL │ │ │ │ PostgreSQL │ │
│ └─────────────┘ │ │ └─────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────┘
│ │
▼ ▼
┌─────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────┐
│ Regional Agents │ │ Regional Agents │
└─────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────┘
Technology Stack
Backend Technologies
- Python 3.11+: Core runtime environment
- FastAPI: Modern, fast web framework
- SQLAlchemy: ORM and database abstraction
- PostgreSQL: Primary database system
- Redis: Caching and session storage
- Celery: Distributed task queue
Frontend Technologies
- React 18: UI framework
- TypeScript: Type-safe JavaScript
- Vite: Build tool and development server
- React Query: Data fetching and state management
- Chakra UI: Component library
- Chart.js: Data visualization
Communication & Security
- WebSocket: Real-time communication
- mTLS: Mutual TLS authentication
- JWT: JSON Web Tokens for API auth
- OpenSSL: Cryptographic operations
- Protocol Buffers: Efficient serialization
DevOps & Deployment
- Docker: Containerization
- Kubernetes: Container orchestration
- Nginx: Reverse proxy and load balancing
- Prometheus: Metrics and monitoring
- Grafana: Observability dashboards
Integration Points
External System Integration
Authentication Systems
- LDAP/Active Directory
- SAML 2.0 providers
- OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect
- Multi-factor authentication
Monitoring & Alerting
- Prometheus metrics export
- Grafana dashboard integration
- Email/SMS notifications
- Webhook integrations
Automation & Orchestration
- Ansible integration
- Terraform providers
- CI/CD pipeline hooks
- Infrastructure as Code
Package Repositories
- APT repositories (Debian/Ubuntu)
- YUM/DNF repositories (RHEL/CentOS)
- Homebrew (macOS)
- Chocolatey (Windows)