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Roadmap

The vizOps roadmap outlines our strategic development priorities and guides the project’s evolution. This section presents a series of milestones designed to align our team and community around shared goals. By highlighting upcoming features and capabilities, we aim to expand the tool’s value and meet the needs of our users.

6.1 Planned Features​

We are excited to share the upcoming features and improvements planned for vizOps. These enhancements are grouped by priority and impact, focusing on delivering the most value to our users.

1. Core Feature Enhancements​

Expanded Language and Framework Support​

  • Backend Integrations:

    • Python/Django: Extend support to Python applications using the Django framework.
    • Go: Introduce agents for Node.js applications utilizing Express.js.
    • .NET: Provide support for applications built on the .NET platform.
    • and many more

  • Frontend Integrations:

    • Angular: Develop agents compatible with Angular applications.
    • Vue.js: Extend support to projects using Vue.js.

  • Goal: By expanding our language and framework support, we aim to make vizOps accessible to a broader range of development teams, fostering inclusivity and encouraging widespread adoption.

Improved CI/CD Integration​

  • Deeper Tool Integration:

    • GitLab CI: Seamless integration with GitLab’s CI pipelines.
    • CircleCI: Support for CircleCI workflows.
    • Azure DevOps: Integration with Azure DevOps pipelines.

  • Automated Architecture Validation:

    • Pull Request Hooks: Implement hooks that automatically validate architecture changes during pull request reviews.
    • Build Status Reporting: Provide real-time feedback on architectural compliance within CI/CD pipelines.

  • Goal: Enhancing CI/CD integration ensures that architectural validation becomes an integral part of the development process, promoting best practices and reducing the likelihood of issues reaching production.

2. Visualization and Analysis Features​

Layered Architecture Views​

  • Feature: Support for layered views (e.g., client-service-database) to provide more granular insights into system components.
  • Benefit: Offers a clearer understanding of the system’s structure, aiding in troubleshooting and optimization efforts.

Historical Architecture Playback​

  • Feature: Replay architecture changes over time to see how the system evolved and where regressions were introduced.
  • Benefit: Allows teams to track progress, understand the impact of past decisions, and learn from historical trends.

3. Enhanced Architecture Validation​

Advanced Contract Validation​

  • Feature: Introduce customizable contract validation rules to enforce internal API standards and guidelines.
  • Benefit: Ensures consistency and compliance across services, reducing integration issues and improving overall quality.

Dependency Rule Enforcement​

  • Feature: Define rules for service dependencies, such as prohibiting direct dependencies between specific service layers.
  • Benefit: Promotes a clean and maintainable architecture by preventing undesirable coupling between services.

4. Enterprise and Security Features​

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)​

  • Feature: Implement RBAC to restrict access to sensitive architecture data.

  • Roles:

    • Viewer: Can view architecture diagrams and reports.
    • Editor: Can modify configurations and annotations.
    • Architect: Can define validation rules and dependency policies.
    • Admin: Has full access, including user management and system settings.

  • Benefit: Enhances security by ensuring that only authorized personnel can access or modify critical architectural information.

On-Premises Deployment​

  • Feature: Provide on-premises deployment options for enterprises with strict security or compliance requirements.
  • Benefit: Allows organizations to maintain full control over their data and comply with regulatory standards.

6.2 Long-Term Vision​

Our long-term vision for vizOps is ambitious and transformative. We are committed to revolutionizing how distributed systems architectures are managed, making complex systems more accessible and easier to maintain.

1. Comprehensive Language and Framework Support​

  • Goal: Achieve support for all major programming languages and frameworks.

  • Strategy:

    • Develop highly adaptable agents capable of handling custom frameworks and internal tooling.
    • Foster community contributions to accelerate support for diverse technologies.

  • Impact: By being inclusive of various technologies, vizOps will become a universal tool for architecture visualization and management, breaking down barriers across development teams.

2. Full Lifecycle Architecture Management​

  • Goal: Expand from visualization to full lifecycle management.

  • Features:

    • Change Management: Track and manage architectural changes with approval workflows.
    • Compliance Tracking: Monitor adherence to architectural standards and guidelines.
    • Detailed Impact Analysis Reports: Generate comprehensive reports on the potential impact of proposed changes.

  • Impact: Empower organizations to proactively manage their architectures, reduce technical debt, and streamline the development process.

3. AI-Powered Insights​

  • Goal: Introduce machine learning models to provide intelligent insights.

  • Features:

    • Architecture Optimization Recommendations: Suggest refactoring opportunities and dependency realignments based on historical data and industry best practices.
    • Impact Prediction Models: Predict the impact of changes before implementation, such as performance implications or potential bottlenecks.

  • Impact: Enable teams to make data-driven decisions, optimize system performance, and foresee challenges before they arise.

4. Community-Driven Expansion​

  • Goal: Build a strong open-source community around vizOps.

  • Initiatives:

    • Plugin Ecosystem: Create a platform for community-built visualizations and extensions.
    • Contribution Guide: Provide comprehensive documentation for building custom agents or integrations.

  • Impact: Encourage collaboration and innovation, accelerating the tool’s growth and fostering a sense of ownership within the community.

5. Business and System Metrics Integration​

  • Goal: Integrate business metrics into the architecture view.

  • Features:

    • Performance Metrics Overlay: Display response times, error rates, and throughput directly on architecture diagrams.
    • Correlation Analysis: Correlate system behavior with architecture changes to identify causality.

  • Impact: Bridge the gap between technical architecture and business outcomes, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions that drive organizational success.

6.3 Release Milestones (Conceptual)​

To provide a clear path forward, we’ve organized our planned features into conceptual milestones. Each milestone represents a significant step toward realizing our vision for vizOps.

Milestone 1: Core Architecture Visualization​

  • Objectives:

    • Achieve minimal configuration with only the API key required.
    • Provide real-time compile-time analysis for supported languages (Java/Spring Boot).
    • Deliver basic C4 model visualizations to represent system architecture.

  • Value to Users:

    • Immediate access to architecture insights with minimal setup.
    • Foundation for more advanced features and integrations.

Milestone 2: Language and Framework Expansion​

  • Objectives:

    • Add support for popular backend frameworks like Python/Django and Node.js/Express.
    • Introduce agents for frontend frameworks such as React, Angular, and Vue.js.
    • Implement service contract visualization and validation features.

  • Value to Users:

    • Broader applicability across different tech stacks.
    • Enhanced ability to enforce and validate service contracts.

Milestone 3: Historical and Impact Analysis​

  • Objectives:

    • Implement a historical view of architecture changes over time.
    • Enable impact analysis for service modifications and contract updates.
    • Introduce visualization enhancements like layered views and heatmaps.

  • Value to Users:

    • Deeper understanding of architectural evolution.
    • Tools to assess the potential impact of changes before implementation.

Milestone 4: Advanced Security and Enterprise Features​

  • Objectives:

    • Implement role-based access control and permissions.
    • Provide on-premises deployment options for enterprise customers.
    • Integrate with additional CI/CD tools for comprehensive coverage.

  • Value to Users:

    • Enhanced security and compliance capabilities.
    • Greater control over data and infrastructure for enterprise environments.

General Guidelines for the Roadmap​

  1. Strategic Focus: We are concentrating on high-impact features and core capabilities that will drive the project’s growth and deliver maximum value to our users.
  2. Community Contributions: We warmly invite community members to contribute to vizOps. Areas such as language support and visualization plugins are excellent opportunities for collaboration.
  3. User Value Proposition: Every feature and milestone is designed with the end-user in mind. We aim to clearly articulate the benefits and address real-world challenges faced by development teams.

By sharing this roadmap, we hope to inspire excitement and confidence in the future of vizOps. Together with our community, we are committed to transforming how microservices architectures are visualized and managed, paving the way for more efficient and reliable software development.