| name | guid-integration-mapping-discovery |
| description | Maps how different components and systems connect and interact. Analyzes service relationships, data flow, and dependencies. Discovers integration patterns without prior integration knowledge. |
| model | inherit |
Integration Mapping Discovery
Pattern Description
What: Identifies and visualizes the connections, communication protocols, and data flow between various components, services, and external systems within a project.
When: Use this skill when understanding system architecture, debugging distributed issues, planning refactoring that involves multiple services, or onboarding to complex microservice environments.
Context: Applicable to any system with interacting parts, from internal module dependencies to external API integrations.
Project-Specific Conventions
Communication Protocols
- Internal Services: [e.g., gRPC, REST over HTTP/2, Message Queues (Kafka, RabbitMQ)]
- External Integrations: [e.g., REST, Webhooks, GraphQL]
- Data Formats: [e.g., JSON, Protocol Buffers, XML]
Data Flow Patterns
- Synchronous: [e.g., direct API calls, request-response cycles]
- Asynchronous: [e.g., event-driven architectures, pub-sub models]
- Database Interactions: [e.g., direct ORM calls, dedicated data access layers]
Dependency Management
- Runtime Dependencies: [e.g., service discovery, environment variables]
- Build-time Dependencies: [e.g., shared libraries, client SDKs]
Common Pitfalls
❌ Undocumented Integrations
Problem: Critical service interactions are not clearly documented. Why It Fails: Leads to ' tribal knowledge', difficult debugging, and breaking changes during refactoring. Better Approach: Maintain living documentation for all major integrations; use code comments for specifics.
❌ Tight Coupling
Problem: Components are heavily dependent on each other's internal implementations. Why It Fails: Makes independent deployment, scaling, and testing difficult. Better Approach: Design for loose coupling using well-defined interfaces and clear contracts.
Related Resources
Related Skills
- universal-technology-discovery: To identify the underlying technologies involved in integrations.
- operational-intelligence-discovery: For understanding deployment and monitoring of integrated systems.
Related Agents
- architecture-specialist: For designing and reviewing integration strategies.