Azure-hosted 

Flow runs in Microsoft Azure, using as main components:

• Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) for APIs and core services.
• Azure Functions for event‐driven tasks, orchestrations, and custom logic.
• Azure Storage for asset storage.
• Azure SQL Database for configurations and internal logs. 

Multitenancy 

Flow is designed to serve multiple tenants (customers) from a shared set of Azure resources, with strict logical isolation of data and configurations per tenant.

Integration with Fotoware SaaS 

Flow relies on SaaS for backend services and FotoWeb for user identity. Flow reuses FotoWeb accounts (plus new Flow‐specific roles/permissions) to manage authentication and authorization.

Stateless, microservices approach 

Flow services are containerized or run as serverless functions, allowing horizontal scaling and more granular deployments.

Data flow summary 

Azure regions and Availability Zones 

• Flow is deployed in one or more Microsoft Azure regions, each withmultiple Availability Zones.
• Azure Availability Zones are physically separate data centers within the same region, providing fault tolerance if a single data center experiences downtime.
• Core services, such as Azure SQL Database and Azure Storage, run in a zone‐redundant configuration. This means that if one zone becomes unavailable, the system remains operational in other zones.

Data location 

• Customer data (assets and workflow configurations) is stored in the Azure region selected for the Flow service.
• We can accommodate data residency preferences (for example, storing data in a specific region) based on customer requirements and available Azure regions.

Data backups and retention 

• Automated backups: Flow’s primary data stores (Azure SQL, Azure Storage) are regularly backed up by Azure’s built‐in backup processes. These backups are stored redundantly and retained for a defined period, allowing for point‐in‐time recovery.
• Geo‐redundant storage (optional): By default, Azure Storage and Azure SQL Databases replicate data across geographically paired regions. This helps safeguard against region‐wide outages and supports faster disaster recovery scenarios.
• Disaster recovery planning: We periodically test restore procedures and backup integrity, ensuring that Flow can be recovered swiftly in case of unexpected incidents.

Isolation and segregation 

• Each tenant’s data is logically isolated, with network and application‐level controls ensuring no cross‐tenant data exposure.
• Azure resource grouping and private network configurations minimize the risk of unauthorized access.

Encryption 

• Data in Transit: All external access requires TLS (HTTPS). Internal service‐to‐service communication also uses TLS where possible.
• Data at Rest: Azure Storage and Azure SQL encrypt data automatically with AES‐256.

Authentication and authorization 

• Single sign‐on (SSO): Flow delegates login to FotoWeb, which stores user identities and credentials.
• Role‐based access control: Flow defines roles (View, Manage) that govern who can view and modify workflows.

Secure development and deployment 

• Infrastructure as Code: We define our environment (container resources, functions, networks) programmatically, reducing configuration drift.
• Automated CI/CD: Code goes through static analysis, security scans, and automated tests before deployment.
• Regular Patching: Azure resources and Flow container images are updated promptly with security fixes.

Monitoring and incident response 

• Monitoring service: Collects logs, metrics, and error traces in real time.
• 24/7 alerting: Automated alerts for key metrics (error rates, resource usage).
• Audit logging: Critical configuration changes are tracked, aiding compliance and forensics.

Scalable cloud services 

Azure Functions and container orchestration allow Flow to scale dynamically to handle high loads with minimal downtime.

Redundancy 

• Multiple Availability Zones: If one data center zone fails, the system remains available in another.
• Geo‐redundancy: Azure replicates data across regions, so a major incident in one region will not automatically result in data loss.

Zero‐downtime deployments 

Flow uses rolling updates to minimize interruption, employing multi‐stage pipelines and feature flags for safe feature rollouts.

Continuous delivery 

Flow is developed in short cycles, with small, frequent releases.

Feature flags 

New functionality can be toggled on/off, enabling phased rollouts and quick rollbacks if necessary.

Environment tiers 

We maintain Development, Staging, and Production environments, ensuring all new changes are tested before release.