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Version: 1.0.0

Architecture & Technology

This page provides an overview of MantisTable UI's high-level architecture and technology stack.

MantisTable UI Architecture

High-level architecture of MantisTable UI showing the main components and their interactions.

Frontend​

The frontend layer is built with Next.js and TypeScript, providing the web-based user interface for MantisTable UI. It handles:

  • User Interface: Interactive components for table management and STI operations
  • Routing: Next.js-based navigation between different sections of the application
  • Theming: Consistent visual design using Tailwind CSS
  • Plugin Integration: Interface for interacting with the plugin system

The frontend communicates with the backend through a well-defined API interface, enabling seamless data flow and user interactions.

Backend for plugins / APIs​

The backend serves as the core orchestration layer, built with Python and managing:

  • Plugin Invocation: Handles requests to execute export, add-on, and transformation plugins
  • Service Isolation: Ensures plugins run in isolated environments for security and stability
  • API Management: Provides RESTful endpoints for frontend communication
  • STI Service Integration: Connects to external STI services (LamAPI, s-elBat) for semantic table interpretation

The backend utilises containerisation to ensure consistent deployment and execution environments across different platforms.

Data persistence​

MantisTable UI employs a multi-database architecture to handle different types of data:

PostgreSQL​

  • Purpose: Primary database for plugin-related data
  • Storage: Configuration settings, user preferences, and plugin metadata
  • Integration: Managed through Drizzle ORM for type-safe database operations
  • Schema Management: Database schema is defined and versioned using Drizzle configuration

MongoDB​

  • Plugin Database: Stores plugin-specific data and configurations
  • STI Data: External MongoDB instances store semantic interpretation results from LamAPI and s-elBat services
  • Flexibility: NoSQL structure allows for dynamic schema changes as STI requirements evolve

Configuration & environment variables​

MantisTable UI uses environment variables and configuration files to manage application settings. For detailed installation and configuration instructions, see the Installation Guide.

Key configuration areas include:

  • Database connection strings
  • STI service endpoints
  • Plugin execution parameters
  • Security settings

Deployment options​

Development Environment​

  • Local Setup: Direct installation for development and testing
  • Docker Compose: Containerised development environment using docker-compose-dev.yml
  • Hot Reloading: Real-time updates during development with Next.js
  • Environment Configuration: Development-specific settings via .env.example.dev

Production Environment​

  • Docker Deployment: Containerised production deployment using docker-compose.yml
  • Environment Configuration: Production settings via .env.example.prod
  • Scalability: Horizontal scaling capabilities for high-traffic scenarios
  • Monitoring: Built-in logging and monitoring for production environments

The containerised approach ensures consistent behaviour across different deployment environments and simplifies the deployment process.