A domain-driven event backbone for operational communication and real-time intelligence.
DigiSpine is a structural approach to building event-native, domain-aligned, and long-lived systems in complex, legacy-heavy environments.
It implements the Reality Layer of the Adaptive Operational Intelligence (A-OI) architecture by representing operations as authoritative streams of domain events.
Instead of centralizing data and logic, DigiSpine enables:
- Continuous observation of operational reality
- Loose coupling between systems
- Real-time data flow within and across domains
DigiSpine does not centralize reality — it makes domain-specific reality observable through events.
Each domain remains autonomous, while integration emerges through explicit semantic translation and controlled event exchange.
Industrial environments typically consist of:
- Legacy systems (PLCs, MES, LIMS, historians)
- Domain-specific applications
- Data silos and tight integrations
Traditional approaches try to unify this complexity into central systems.
Result:
- Loss of domain semantics
- High-integration effort
- Limited flexibility
DigiSpine replaces centralized integration with:
- Self-contained domain systems
- Event-based communication
- Explicit domain boundaries
- Semantic translation between domains
Each domain operates its own DigiSpine:
- Captures events from operational systems
- Distributes them within the domain
- Exposes them for controlled consumption
graph TD
subgraph Global ["<b>DIGISPINE ARCHITECTURE OVERVIEW - Within a Domain</b>"]
direction TB
%% Der horizontale Backbone über allem
DS{{"<b>EVENT BACKBONE</b> \n (Centralized Event Streams)"}}
%% Styling für den Backbone
style DS fill:#ffcc00,stroke:#333,stroke-width:3px,color:#000
%% SCS A
subgraph SCSA ["SCS A (Microservice)"]
direction TB
UIA["UI"]:::fixedSize
BKA["DDD Backend"]:::fixedSize
STA[("Storage")]:::fixedSize
STA <--> BKA <--> UIA
end
%% Domain B
subgraph SCSB ["SCS B (Legacy System)"]
direction TB
InvisibleB[" "]:::fixedSize
BKB["Event Recreation"]:::fixedSize
STB[("Legacy System/DB")]:::fixedSize
InvisibleB ~~~ BKB
BKB <--> STB
end
%% Domain C
subgraph SCSC ["SCS C (PLC Access)"]
direction TB
BKC["Event Creation <br> (optional)"]:::fixedSize
PLC["PLC / Sensor Gateway"]:::hardware
MCH["Machine / Production Line"]:::hardware
BKC <--> PLC
PLC <--> MCH
end
end
%% Verbindungen: Genau eine Verbindung pro SCS zum Backbone
DS <==> SCSA
DS <==> SCSB
DS <==> SCSC
%% Globale Stylings (Orientiert an deinem Bild)
style UIA fill:#d1e9ff,stroke:#333
style InvisibleB fill:none,stroke:none,stroke-width:0px,color:#
style BKA fill:#d5f5e3,stroke:#333
style BKB fill:#d5f5e3,stroke:#333
style BKC fill:#d5f5e3,stroke:#333
style STA fill:#fff4e5,stroke:#333
style STB fill:#fff4e5,stroke:#333
DigiSpine represents the authoritative streams of observable operational reality within a Domain —not a shared data model.
All interactions are modeled as events:
- Immutable
- Timestamped
- Business-relevant
- Versioned
Event types:
- Domain Events → originate from operational systems
- Translated Events → semantically transformed across domains
- Feedback Events → drive actions back into operations
Shift the responsibility for business logic from IT departments back to the domain experts.
While legacy systems often function as "black boxes"—producing results through opaque processes—DigiSpine prioritizes transparency:
-
Logic in SQL: Decision logic is formulated in SQL, a language accessible to both developers and technologists. This ensures that the "why" behind every event and decision is readable and auditable.
-
Direct Expert Contribution: Because the logic is transparent, a domain expert can directly review a rule and identify missing conditions or errors. This eliminates the "lost in translation" effect between business needs and IT implementation.
-
True Domain Ownership: This approach embodies the principle of Domain Ownership. The business unit owns and maintains its logic, while IT provides the robust infrastructure to run it.
Each domain applies continuous analytics on its event streams using:
- RisingWave (or similar streaming engines)
Capabilities:
- Continuous queries
- Stateful stream processing
- Pattern detection
- Real-time aggregations
Analytics derive insights — they do not redefine domain semantics.
Insights are fed back into operations via events:
- Trigger actions
- Adjust processes
- Enable continuous improvement
Cross-domain interaction is handled via an explicit Translation Layer:
- Semantic mapping between domains
- Context-aware transformation
- Versioned contracts
Example:
graph LR
%% Definition der Knoten
A["<b>Domain A \n(Blast Furnace)</b><br>MoltenIronTapped"]
B["<b>Domain B \n(Steel Plant)</b><br>ChargeReady"]
Trans(("<b>TRANSLATION</b>"))
%% Verbindungen (Rechts nach Links)
A --- Trans
Trans --> B
%% Styling für den Translation-Knoten (Größer & Hervorgehoben)
style Trans fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px,color:#000
%% Styling für die Domains
style A fill:#f4f4f4,stroke:#666,color:#333
style B fill:#e1f5fe,stroke:#01579b,color:#01579b
- Domains MUST NOT consume raw events from other domains
- Cross-domain interaction MUST go through translation
- Domain semantics MUST originate in the domain
- Analytics MUST NOT redefine domain truth
- Systems MUST be loosely coupled via events
DigiSpine is supported by complementary frameworks:
DigiSpine is technology-agnostic, commonly implemented with:
- Apache Kafka → event streaming
- RisingWave → real-time analytics
Technologies are implementation choices — not the architecture itself.
- Event-first architecture
- Domain-driven design
- Explicit semantics
- Feedback over control
- Decentralized intelligence
- Continuous improvement
Observe. Interpret. Signal. Decide. Act. Improve.
DigiSpine provides the foundation for:
- Domain-driven integration
- Real-time operational intelligence
- Cross-domain coordination via semantic translation
- Closed-loop, adaptive systems
It replaces:
- Centralized integration
- Shared data models
- Tight system coupling
with:
Event-driven, domain-aligned, continuously improving systems
This repository provides:
- Structural foundation
- Reference architecture
- Integration patterns