This index explains what each document covers and suggests reading paths depending on your time budget and role.
Core Documents (Series Pages)
| Page | What it covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Summary | The story, the numbers, and the 3 pillars | Execs, CTO/VP Eng, PMs |
| Phase 1: Timeline | Key milestones and why the architecture had to change | Everyone |
| Phase 2: Architecture | LDC/unitization, multi-active, DB and MQ foundations | Architects, senior engineers |
| Phase 3: Operations | Capacity planning, full-link stress testing, incident command | Engineering leadership, SRE |
| Phase 4: Technology Overview | Middle platform, payment flow, risk control, SOFAStack | Architects, ICs |
| Phase 4: Deep Dive | Internals: RPC, MQ, storage engine, transactions, ML risk control | Deep technical readers |
| Modern Tech Comparison | Mapping to Kubernetes, Kafka/Pulsar, gRPC, modern DBs, service mesh | Teams modernizing today |
| Phase 5: Synthesis | Patterns, anti-patterns, KPIs, decision framework | Leaders + architects |
Reading Paths (By Time Budget)
10–15 minutes (Executive)
60–90 minutes (Engineering leadership)
6–10 hours (Full technical deep dive)
Read everything above, then:
Quick Reference (What to Copy)
If you are building a high-throughput system:
- Copy the ideas: unitization/cells, multi-active, deterministic readiness, downgrade strategies, and automation as a product.
- Don’t blindly copy the tooling: the modern equivalents are often different (Kubernetes, modern DBs, Kafka/Pulsar, gRPC, service mesh).
Notes
This series focuses on repeatable peak reliability, not just peak performance. Peak success is treated as an operational system: architecture + testing + monitoring + playbooks.