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Architectural Overview Template
Project Documentation - Architectural Overview
This document provides a concise overview of the complete architectural setup of the project. It outlines whether the project is structured as a monolith or uses a microservices architecture, naming and describing the constituent services or major components at a high level. Detailed architectural information is covered in subsequent documentation.
Architectural Summary
The Odoo project employs a hybrid architecture combining modular monolith design with service-oriented principles through its extensible addon system. The core platform acts as a unified backend implemented primarily in Python, handling business logic, data models, and workflows. Multiple key modules — such as project management, accounting, and invoicing — encapsulate domain-specific responsibilities within the monolith but are logically separated for maintainability and scalability.
Frontend components leverage web technologies, delivering dynamic interfaces including project tracking, invoice portals, and real-time collaboration tools. Middleware components handle integrations such as email-based task/project creation and document attachments.
Communication between components primarily uses internal Python method calls within the monolith while exposing RESTful HTTP routes for client interactions and external API access. Shared libraries and common codebases support cross-module features like authentication, permissions, and messaging (chatter). Architectural patterns emphasize modularity and domain-driven design principles to maintain clear boundaries between business domains, facilitating extensibility and collaboration across internal teams and external partners.
Overall, the architecture balances extensibility and integration within a cohesive framework, enabling real-time collaboration, secure access, and comprehensive project and billing management in a unified yet distributed system environment.
Microservices and Components
| Name | Purpose | Technology Stack / Framework | Key APIs / Endpoints | Relationships / Interactions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odoo Core Framework | Provides the base ERP platform and core modules support | Python, PostgreSQL | Various internal APIs across modules | Serves as platform foundation, called by all addons |
| Project Management Addon | Manage projects, tasks, subtasks, dependencies, and sharing | Python (Odoo framework), JavaScript | GET /my/projects, GET /my/project/<project_id>, GET /my/task, POST /project_sharing/attachment/add_image | Consumes core services; interacts with email and invoicing |
| Accounting Addon | Handle financial accounting, invoicing, bank reconciliation | Python (Odoo framework) | GET /account/download_invoice_documents/<invoice>, GET /account/download_invoice_attachments/<attachment> | Linked to project management for timesheet invoicing |
| Customer Portal | Provides external users access to invoices and projects | Odoo framework, Web client | GET /my/invoices, GET /my/invoices/<invoice_id>, GET /my/invoices/overdue, GET /my/projects | Calls project and accounting services; secured access |
| Email Integration | Automates project/task creation via email commands | Odoo framework, Email servers | GET /mail_plugin/project/create, GET /mail_plugin/task/create, GET /mail_plugin/project/search | Triggers project/task addon workflows |
| Attachment Handling Service | Manages uploading & secure access to task/project attachments | Odoo framework, token-based authentication | POST /project_sharing/attachment/add_image | Integrates with Project Management addon |
| Chatter / Collaboration | Supports messaging, comments, notifications in projects | Odoo framework & JavaScript components | Related APIs embedded within project and task interfaces | Supports communication inside project and task addons |
System Architecture Diagram
Additional Notes
The architecture emphasizes secure collaboration and modularity, supporting multiple user roles with role-based access controls to ensure data confidentiality. The system is designed for scalability, leveraging stateless REST APIs and token-based authentication to facilitate horizontal scaling and secure external integrations. Deployment relies on container orchestration tools such as Kubernetes for automated scaling, high availability, and environment-specific configurations managed via environment variables and secrets management. Security considerations include secure handling of access tokens, encrypted communication channels, and strict validation rules to maintain data integrity across project and invoicing workflows. Additionally, the system supports seamless environment promotion with configuration flexibility to adapt to development, staging, and production deployments.