docuseal/docs/prd/technical-constraints-and-integration.md

Technical Constraints and Integration

Existing Technology Stack

Languages: Ruby 3.4.2, JavaScript, Vue.js 3, HTML, CSS Frameworks: Rails 7.x, Shakapacker, Vue 3.3.2, TailwindCSS 3.4.17, DaisyUI 3.9.4 Database: SQLite (development), PostgreSQL/MySQL (production) Infrastructure: Docker, Sidekiq for background jobs, Puma web server External Dependencies: AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Cloud (optional), SMTP for emails

Integration Approach

Database Integration Strategy:

• Create new tables: cohorts, cohort_enrollments, institutions, sponsors, document_verifications
• Use foreign keys to link to existing users, submitters, submissions tables
• Maintain existing document relationships through cohort_enrollments → submissions mapping

API Integration Strategy:

• Extend existing DocuSeal API with new endpoints under /api/v1/cohorts/*
• Reuse existing authentication (Devise tokens, JWT)
• Leverage existing submission and document APIs for core signing workflows

Frontend Integration Strategy:

• Add new Vue components for cohort management
• Extend existing navigation to support role-based portal switching
• Reuse existing DocuSeal form builder and signing form components
• Implement portal-specific dashboards using existing UI patterns

Testing Integration Strategy:

• Extend existing RSpec test suite with new model and integration tests
• Add feature tests for all three portal workflows
• Maintain existing test patterns and helpers

Code Organization and Standards

File Structure Approach:

• app/models/cohort.rb, app/models/cohort_enrollment.rb, etc. (new models)
• app/controllers/api/v1/cohorts_controller.rb (API endpoints)
• app/controllers/cohorts_controller.rb (web controllers)
• app/views/cohorts/* (cohort management views)
• app/views/cohorts/portal/admin/* (admin portal views)
• app/views/cohorts/portal/student/* (student portal views)
• app/views/cohorts/portal/sponsor/* (sponsor portal views)
• app/javascript/cohorts/* (Vue components for all portals)
• app/jobs/cohort_*_job.rb (background jobs)

Naming Conventions:

• Models: Cohort, CohortEnrollment, CohortDocumentVerification
• Controllers: CohortsController, Admin::CohortsController, Api::V1::CohortsController
• Views: cohorts/index.html.erb, cohorts/portal/admin/show.html.erb
• Vue components: CohortDashboard.vue, StudentPortal.vue, SponsorPortal.vue

Coding Standards:

• Follow existing RuboCop configuration
• Follow existing ESLint configuration for Vue components
• Use Rails conventions (fat models, thin controllers)
• Use Vue 3 Composition API for new components
• Maintain existing test coverage patterns

Documentation Standards:

• Document all new models with annotations
• Add API endpoint documentation following existing patterns
• Create user guides for each portal
• Update README with new features

Deployment and Operations

Build Process Integration:

• No changes required to existing build process
• New Vue components will be bundled with existing Shakapacker configuration
• New Ruby code will be processed by existing Rails asset pipeline

Deployment Strategy:

• Deploy as incremental feature addition to existing DocuSeal deployment
• Use database migrations for new schema
• No infrastructure changes required beyond existing Docker setup

Monitoring and Logging:

• Extend existing Rails logging with cohort-specific events
• Add cohort workflow metrics to existing monitoring
• Use existing Sidekiq monitoring for background jobs

Configuration Management:

• Use existing environment variable system
• Add new configuration for cohort-specific features (notification templates, etc.)

Risk Assessment and Mitigation

Technical Risks:

• Risk: Performance degradation with large cohorts (100+ students)

  • Mitigation: Implement pagination, lazy loading, and background processing
  • Impact: Medium | Likelihood: Medium

• Risk: State management complexity leading to race conditions

  • Mitigation: Use database transactions and optimistic locking
  • Impact: High | Likelihood: Low

• Risk: Integration conflicts with existing DocuSeal features

  • Mitigation: Thorough testing of existing workflows, maintain feature flags
  • Impact: High | Likelihood: Medium

Integration Risks:

• Risk: Authentication conflicts between portals and existing DocuSeal

  • Mitigation: ⚠️ REQUIRES ARCHITECT REVIEW - See Winston for authentication strategy
  • Impact: High | Likelihood: Medium

• Risk: Document storage capacity with multiple document types per student

  • Mitigation: Monitor storage usage, implement retention policies
  • Impact: Medium | Likelihood: Low

Deployment Risks:

• Risk: Database migration failures with large existing datasets

  • Mitigation: Test migrations on production-like data, have rollback plan
  • Impact: High | Likelihood: Low

• Risk: User adoption challenges with new portal interfaces

  • Mitigation: Comprehensive user training, phased rollout, feedback collection
  • Impact: Medium | Likelihood: Medium

Mitigation Strategies:

1. Architect Review: Winston must review authentication, multi-tenancy, and state machine design
2. Phased Rollout: Implement one portal at a time (Admin → Student → Sponsor)
3. Feature Flags: Allow rollback of individual features without full deployment
4. Comprehensive Testing: Unit, integration, and end-to-end tests for all workflows
5. Performance Testing: Load test with realistic cohort sizes (50-200 students)
6. User Acceptance Testing: Real training institutions testing with actual workflows

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