Comprehensive Infrastructure

Magento architecture

Adobe Commerce (Magento) is a powerful, customizable solution that balances flexibility and stability through a sophisticated architecture. This, combined with numerous extensions that enhance the platform’s already compelling out-of-the-box features, allows companies to respond quickly to market changes and maximize their platform’s potential. Discover the core principles that have made Adobe Commerce (Magento) the world’s leading e-commerce system.

Request consulting now

Two Diverse Software Developers Having a Meeting in a Conference Room.

Implementation

Adobe Commerce: Symbiosis of the systems

Implementation

Business Integration

System Integration with Adobe Commerce

Integration

Consulting

A guide for the highly competitive market

Consulting

Maximum flexibility Service layer architecture

Adobe Commerce (Magento) supports a rich feature set which closely integrates all the embedded functions and components. This high level of integration has made Magento a global pioneer in e-commerce and eases entry into digital commerce.

However, maintenance and further development can become challenging as an e-commerce platform grows in size and complexity. While the components’ close integration is conducive to efficiency, it can also restrict flexibility when technical changes or new business requirements – such as far-reaching customizations of user interfaces and product types – are needed.

To address these challenges, Adobe Commerce (Magento) implements a service layer that enhances flexibility when customizing and extending an eCommerce platform.

What is the service layer?

A diagram showing four layers: Presentation, Service Layer (with "New" in red), Business Logic, and Resources. Arrows indicate data flow between a User, the layers, and Web Services.

The service layer in Adobe Commerce (Magento) acts as an intermediary between the frontend, or presentation layer, and the backend where all of the platform’s business logic is managed. This dynamic interface is used by developers as a flexible and efficient connector for mapping the needs of any given user interface to the individually required business logic in the backend. This is practical, for example, when an application’s mobile and standard PC versions have different front-ends but both access the same business logic; another example might be a web store which contains various custom marketing landing pages with bespoke content that accesses a generic, integrated checkout process for direct conversions.

From the service layer to a headless architecture

Adobe Commerce’s (Magento’s) service layer architecture ensures maximum flexibility by clearly separating the business logic from the front ends. This simplifies making custom changes to online stores and allows operators to respond quickly and efficiently to the latest market trends. By combining this layered design with clearly defined APIs, Magento improves platform maintainability and modularity, simplifies the integration of third-party systems, and further enhances system extensibility and adaptability.

Adobe’s systematic approach ultimately enables the transition to a headless system, realizing the many downstream benefits of separating an application’s back and front ends. These include the ability to replace frontends and supplement them with additional applications – such as a smartphone app – depending on prevailing needs. Many other benefits can also ensue depending on the specific requirements, although these must be individually assessed and evaluated for each project.

A diagram showing various frontend applications (Mobile Service App, Webshop, Smartwatch App, Refrigerator App) connected through middleware to backend systems (ERP, CMS, Shop-System, CRM/PIM).

While the headless approach offers clear advantages, it also presents certain challenges. In particular, the increased complexity of the application can make its development and operation more challenging. For a deeper understanding of headless architectures and their impact on your eCommerce strategy, we recommend visiting our dedicated headless subpage where you will find detailed information and additional resources.

Hybrid Approach

Adobe Commerce offers an innovative hybrid approach combining the benefits of a headless architecture with the dependability of a traditional multi-page architecture. With this model, certain components of your platform are developed as independent, headless applications, while other areas continue to use a proven multi-page structure. This strategy gives you the flexibility needed to adapt efficiently to future market changes, while simultaneously leveraging the full potential of your e-commerce platform. Consequently, each part of the platform is optimally developed to support your unique business objectives.

This hybrid approach combines the dynamic nature of a headless architecture for customized components with the dependability of a conventional architecture for the core functions. It should be noted, however, that successfully implementing such a solution requires a detailed understanding of the applications involved. Drawing on extensive experience from numerous projects, netz98’s experts will team up with your project manager to identify the best possible solution for your needs.

Magento Extensions Flexible extensibility

Adobe Commerce (Magento) is renowned for its high level of modularization, centered around an extension concept. This approach, where almost all core functions are embedded in extensions, makes the system exceptionally flexible. This design allows core components to be easily modified, extended, and even replaced, facilitating comprehensive customization to meet specific needs.

Functions and customizations beyond the standard features of Adobe Commerce (Magento) can be implemented by adding additional extensions. These extensions can be sourced from third-party providers or developed specifically to meet a project’s unique needs. With its many years of experience, netz98 has built an extensive library of proprietary extensions, often requiring only minimal functional adjustments to meet many projects’ requirements.

Shot of a young man using a digital tablet while working in a warehouse

The enormous success of Adobe Commerce (Magento) has resulted in a wide range of free and paid extensions, covering a wide range of functions. These include payment service provider (PSP) integrations, SEO optimizations, and connections to third-party systems.

This diverse ecosystem allows for tailored solutions taking functionality, maintainability, and security into account. Our experts at netz98 provide comprehensive support in selecting and integrating these third-party solutions, offering their in-depth expertise to assist you every step of the way.

Background tasks for maximum performance

Technologies that offer seamless integration and enhance performance are crucial in state-of-the-art eCommerce platforms. Asynchronous processes that allow certain activities to run in the background without holding up the main process exemplify this principle. Asynchronous operations prevent performance degradation and contribute to a smoother, faster system.

A concrete example of asynchronous operations on eCommerce platforms can be seen in the customer order process. When a customer places an order, various actions are automatically triggered, such as ERP integration, stock control updates, and email confirmations. The customer also receives an immediate purchase confirmation in the front end. Unlike synchronous processes that can delay the user interface by processing each task sequentially, asynchronous processing prioritizes time-sensitive actions for immediate execution. Non-urgent tasks are only handled when adequate system resources are available, ensuring a more efficient and user-friendly customer experience.

Asynchronous processes are crucial in Magento for boosting system performance and scalability, directly benefiting the customer experience – a pivotal factor in online retail reliant on platform performance and usability. This optimization is facilitated through Magento’s Message Queue Framework (MQF) leveraging technologies such as RabbitMQ and MySQL to organize messages into prioritized queues which are then processed sequentially. This approach ensures efficient task handling on a FIFO basis, leading to faster processing, smoother operations, and a reduced load on the primary process.

Request a personal consulting

Ask our experts

Are you looking for the perfect balance between stability and flexibility for your e-commerce platform? Take advantage of the expertise of our Adobe Commerce experts. Contact us to find out more!

Hartwig Göttlicher

valantic

+49 6131 9079898