Cohesive Systems
  • Products
  • Building Blocks
  • Vision
  • Information
  • GitHub
Cohesive Systems

Contact

About

FAQ

© Cohesive Systems 2026

GitHubXLinkedIn
Cohesive Systems
/Cohesive Building Blocks
Cohesive Building Blocks
/Cohesive in Context
Cohesive in Context
Cohesive in Context

Cohesive in Context

Cohesive defines a semantic model for entities, transitions, processes, relations, and host execution. Cohesive is not another framework, but a semantic layer that can be hosted on many frameworks and implemented through many architectural styles, while keeping state changes, derivations, and workflows explicit and analyzable.

The following reference maps that model to widely used architectural patterns, paradigms, and frameworks.

  • Truncated Reference
  • Expanded Reference
  • Architectural Patterns & Modeling
  • Execution & Messaging Frameworks
  • Data Access & Transaction Semantics
  • Distributed Systems & Data Architecture
  • Programming Paradigms
  • UI & Presentation Patterns
  • Formal Methods & Verification
  • AI & Advanced Systems
  • References

Truncated Reference

Below are the core concepts referenced throughout this page.

Pattern / Concept
Relationship to Cohesive
Domain-Driven Design (DDD)
Entities define invariant-preserving consistency boundaries comparable to aggregates.
CQRS
Transitions model command semantics; relations model query semantics.
Event Sourcing
Transitions may emit durable events; projections can rebuild from streams.
Hexagonal Architecture
Host and adapters isolate semantic model from infrastructure.
Saga Pattern
Processes coordinate multi-entity workflows with optional durability.
Temporal / Durable Task
Processes may execute atop durable orchestration engines.
Actor Model (Orleans)
Entities and processes can execute within actor-based runtimes.
ORM
State models can bind to relational storage through adapters.
RDBMS / SQL
Relations may compile to SQL; transitions may execute within database transactions.
Optimistic Concurrency
Version-based conflict detection enforced at the storage layer.
Transaction Isolation Levels
Concurrency guarantees selected at host/storage configuration.
Event-Driven Architecture
Transition events may drive projections and downstream processes.
Materialized Views
Relations maintain asynchronously updated read models.
Data-Oriented Design (SoA / ECS)
State may compile to columnar runtime layouts without altering semantic definitions.
State Machines
Transitions define explicit state progression.
Petri Nets
Processes provide structured coordination comparable to formal concurrent transition systems.
TLA+
State models and transitions provide structured artifacts suitable for formal reasoning.
MVC / MVVM
Presentation adapters bind structured relations to UI surfaces.
ML Pipelines
Processes can orchestrate training/inference workflows with explicit state integration.
ONNX
Inference engines can be integrated as effect handlers with typed transition inputs.

Expanded Reference

Architectural Patterns & Modeling

Pattern / Concept
Primary Emphasis
Relationship to Cohesive
Aggregate Root
Consistency boundary in DDD
Entities define invariant-preserving transition boundaries comparable to aggregate roots.
Anti-Corruption Layer
Boundary translation between systems
Adapters and relations can serve as translation layers between external schemas and internal state models.
Bounded Context
Explicit domain boundary
Cohesive models can define explicit semantic partitions aligned with bounded contexts.
Clean Architecture
Dependency direction toward core
Entities, transitions, and processes form the inner semantic core.
CQRS
Separation of command and query models
Transitions model command semantics; relations/projections model query semantics.
Decider (Decision Model)
Pure command-to-event decision logic
Cohesive transitions correspond to explicit decision points; effects and persistence occur outside the decision semantics via host/adapters.
Domain-Driven Design (DDD)
Aggregates, invariants, bounded contexts
Entities correspond to aggregates; transitions formalize invariant-preserving state changes.
Event Sourcing
Append-only event log
Transitions may emit durable events; projections can rebuild from streams; event sourcing remains optional.
Event Storming
Collaborative domain discovery
Entities, transitions, and events map directly from storming artifacts.
Hexagonal Architecture
Domain isolated from infrastructure
Cohesive Host + adapters separate semantic model from infrastructure concerns.
Layered Architecture
Separation of concerns across tiers
Cohesive defines a semantic core (entities, transitions, processes) that can be hosted within layered systems.
Microservices
Independently deployable services
Processes and model boundaries can define service partitions independent of deployment topology.
Ports & Adapters
Explicit boundary interfaces
Storage, messaging, and UI bind to the semantic model through adapters.
SOLID
Class-level design discipline
Transitions and processes structure responsibility and dependency boundaries at system level.
Specification Pattern
Declarative business rule definition
Relations and transition guards provide declarative rule definitions.
Transaction Script
Procedural orchestration of business logic
Transitions formalize state changes that might otherwise be implemented as transaction scripts.

Execution & Messaging Frameworks

Framework
Primary Emphasis
Relationship to Cohesive
Akka
Actor-based distributed runtime
Cohesive entities can execute on actor systems while retaining explicit transition semantics.
Axon Framework
CQRS + Event Sourcing (JVM)
Entities and transitions parallel aggregates and command handlers; event sourcing remains optional.
Azure Durable Task
Durable orchestration runtime
Processes can run on durable task hosts while preserving semantic definitions.
MassTransit
Distributed messaging abstraction
Effect requests and domain events can publish through bus adapters.
MediatR
In-process request/response dispatch
Transitions can be dispatched through mediator-style pipelines without altering semantics.
NServiceBus
Message-driven architecture, sagas
Processes can execute over message buses; transitions define domain semantics independent of transport.
Orleans
Virtual actor runtime
Entities and processes can execute within actor-based hosting environments.
Saga Pattern
Long-running compensating workflows
Cohesive processes coordinate multi-entity workflows with optional durability and compensation logic.
Temporal
Durable workflow orchestration
Processes may execute atop durable orchestration engines.

Data Access & Transaction Semantics

Pattern / Concept
Primary Emphasis
Relationship to Cohesive
AutoMapper
Object-object mapping
Relations formalize semantic transformations rather than implicit DTO mapping.
Change Data Capture
Incremental state propagation
Projection runners may subscribe to change feeds to maintain derived models.
Dapper
Lightweight SQL access
Storage adapters can integrate direct SQL access while preserving transition semantics.
Entity Framework
ORM for relational databases
State models may bind to EF-backed persistence via adapters.
Eventual Consistency
Relaxed cross-boundary consistency model
Cohesive projections and processes can operate under eventual consistency guarantees.
Mapster
Compile-time object mapping
Relations can compile deterministic transformation logic for transport and indexing.
Materialized Views
Derived read models
Relations and projection runners maintain asynchronously updated read models.
Multi-Version Concurrency Control (MVCC)
Concurrent versioned state management
Underlying storage engines may use MVCC without affecting semantic transition definitions.
Optimistic Concurrency
Version-based conflict detection
Version checks or ETag semantics can be enforced at the storage adapter level.
ORM (Object–Relational Mapping)
Mapping object graphs to relational tables
Cohesive state models can bind to relational storage through ORM adapters; transition semantics remain independent of persistence strategy.
RDBMS
ACID-compliant relational persistence
Host configuration may execute transitions within database transactions while keeping state and transition semantics explicit.
Repository
Collection-like abstraction over persistence
Storage bindings can expose entity persistence through repository-style adapters.
Snapshotting
Periodic materialization of state
Entities backed by event streams may snapshot without altering transition definitions.
SQL
Declarative relational algebra over structured data
Cohesive relations may compile into SQL projections and joins without exposing domain logic to storage-specific constructs.
Transaction Isolation Levels
Concurrency visibility guarantees (Read Comitted, Repeatable Read, Serializable, etc.)
Cohesive Host configures isolation guarantees at the persistence layer; transition semantics remain explicit while concurrency behavior is defined by storage configuration.
Two-Phase Commit (2PC)
Distributed atomic commit
Multi-system coordination strategy (2PC vs saga) is selected at the host/infrastructure layer.
Unit of Work
Coordinated persistence boundary
Host can execute transitions within transactional scopes (RDBMS, event store, document DB).

Distributed Systems & Data Architecture

Concept
Primary Emphasis
Relationship to Cohesive
API-First Design
Contract-driven APIs
Presentation adapters expose transitions and relations as stable endpoints.
CAP Theorem
Tradeoff between consistency, availability, partition tolerance
Cohesive Host selection determines tradeoff behavior; semantic transitions remain explicit.
Consensus (Raft / Paxos)
Agreement across distributed nodes
Underlying storage or runtime may rely on consensus protocols while preserving domain semantics.
Data Mesh
Domain-oriented data ownership
Bounded semantic models align with domain-owned data products.
ETL / Reverse ETL
Data transformation pipelines
Projections can feed analytical and operational systems.
Event-Driven Architecture
Reactive messaging
Transition events may drive projections and downstream processes.
Gossip Protocols
Distributed state dissemination
Cohesive state may propagate across nodes using gossip-based substrates.
GraphQL
Flexible query surfaces
Relations may compile into GraphQL schemas.
gRPC
Strongly typed service transport
Transitions and relations can be surfaced via typed RPC adapters.
OLTP / OLAP
Operational transactions vs analytical aggregation and reporting
Cohesive governs OLTP semantics (entities, transitions, invariants). OLAP systems consume derived projections and exports without contaminating transactional state logic.
PACELC
Latency vs consistency tradeoff
Infrastructure configuration determines consistency/latency balance.
RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access)
Low-latency direct memory access across nodes
Cohesive execution semantics are independent of transport; high-performance runtimes may leverage RDMA-enabled infrastructure while preserving explicit entity and transition semantics.
Redux
Predictable frontend state transitions
Transition semantics parallel explicit state mutation models on the client side.
Sagas
Long-running distributed coordination
Processes coordinate multi-entity workflows with optional durability.
Streaming Platforms (Kafka / Event Hubs)
Ordered event streams
Domain events can publish to streaming infrastructure.

Programming Paradigms

Paradigm
Primary Emphasis
Relationship to Cohesive
Actor Model
Isolated state + message passing
Entities and processes can execute atop actor runtimes.
CRDTs
Convergent distributed state
State models may incorporate convergent data structures when required.
Data-Oriented Design (SoA / ECS-style storage)
Compact, cache-friendly runtime representation using columns indexed by entity IDs
Cohesive state models can compile to SoA/columnar layouts for efficient in-memory execution and transport, while preserving semantic field and transition definitions.
Datalog
Stratified rule-based relational inference
Cohesive relations may express derived views comparable to Datalog rules, while execution remains integrated with state transitions.
Declarative Programming
Specification of what rather than how
Cohesive transitions and relations describe desired state evolution declaratively.
Functional Programming
Pure transformations, immutability
Transitions model deterministic state changes; effects expressed explicitly.
Object-Oriented Programming
Encapsulation, polymorphism
Entities encapsulate state and invariants.
Reactive Programming
Asynchronous data flow propagation
Transition events and projections can integrate with reactive streams.

UI & Presentation Patterns

Pattern / Concept
Primary Emphasis
Relationship to Cohesive
MVC (Model–View–Controller)
Separation of model, view, and control logic
Cohesive entities and relations define the model; presentation adapters implement view/controller bindings.
MVVM
Declarative UI binding to observable state
Relations can provide structured view models; transitions act as explicit command handlers.
Redux / Predictable State Containers
Explicit state transitions on the client
Transition semantics parallel client-side state reducers; projections can generate UI-facing state slices.
Component-Based UI
Composable UI elements
Relations can define structured data surfaces consumed by UI components.
REST
Resource-oriented HTTP interfaces
Transitions and relations can be exposed via RESTful adapters without embedding domain logic in controllers.
GraphQL
Declarative client-driven queries
Relations may compile into GraphQL schemas, preserving domain semantics while allowing flexible query shapes.
Hypermedia (HATEOAS)
State-driven navigation via links
Transitions can be surfaced as discoverable actions derived from current entity state.
BFF (Backend for Frontend)
UI-specific aggregation layer
Relations can materialize view-specific projections without duplicating domain logic.

Formal Methods & Verification

Concept
Primary Emphasis
Relationship to Cohesive
Bigraphs (Milner)
Formal model combining connectivity and spatial containment
Cohesive processes coordinate entity state transitions across explicit boundaries; bigraph theory provides a formal lens for reasoning about interaction and locality.
Jepsen-style Testing
Consistency validation under failure
Explicit invariants enable systematic resilience testing.
Petri Nets
Formal model of concurrent state transitions using places and tokens
Cohesive processes coordinate multi-entity transitions with explicit state and effect semantics; Petri net concepts provide a formal lens for reasoning about concurrency and reachability.
Process Calculus
Concurrent process semantics
Processes coordinate entity interactions with explicit effect modeling.
State Machines
Explicit state evolution
Transitions define formal state progression.
TLA+
Mathematical system specification
State models and transitions provide structured artifacts suitable for formal reasoning.

AI & Advanced Systems

Concept / System
Primary Emphasis
Relationship to Cohesive
ML Pipelines
Training, evaluation, deployment lifecycle
Projections can emit training datasets; processes can coordinate training/inference workflows and feed results back as explicit transitions.
Online Inference
Low-latency model serving
Effect handlers can invoke inference services; outputs re-enter the system as typed transition inputs.
Batch Scoring
Offline inference over large datasets
Processes can orchestrate batch jobs; results materialize into state updates and downstream projections.
ONNX
Portable model interchange for inference
Host can integrate ONNX runtimes as effect handlers; inference outputs are recorded as explicit domain state changes.
Feature Store
Reusable features for training/serving consistency
Relations/projections can define feature extraction as durable, versioned artifacts consumed by training and serving.
Vector Database
Similarity search over embeddings
Adapters can bind vector indexes; relations can define retrieval semantics and join results back into domain views.
Embeddings
Numeric representations for retrieval and matching
Projections can compute embeddings from domain events/state; processes can schedule re-embedding and backfills.
RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)
Grounding generation on retrieved context
Relations can define retrieval views; processes can orchestrate retrieval + generation + persistence of outputs as domain facts.
LLM Tool Use / Function Calling
Model-driven orchestration over tools
Cohesive processes can expose constrained operations as tools; results are captured as transitions rather than ad-hoc side effects.
MCP (Model Context Protocol)
Standardized model–tool interaction protocol
Cohesive relations can define structured context surfaces for models; processes coordinate model-invoked actions and persist outcomes as domain state changes.
Model Registry / Versioning
Managing model versions and provenance
Model versions can be treated as part of system state/config; host controls rollout and compatibility policies.
Monitoring & Drift Detection
Quality, performance, and distribution shifts
Projections can emit metrics and audit trails; processes can trigger retraining or rollback via explicit transitions.
Data Lineage
Traceability from inputs to outputs
Transition and projection artifacts provide a natural backbone for lineage and reproducibility.
RDMA
Low-latency inter-node communication substrate
Execution semantics are transport-independent; advanced runtimes may leverage RDMA while preserving entity/transition semantics.

References

Cohesive PerspectivesCohesive PerspectivesCohesive Building BlocksCohesive Building BlocksCohesive FoundationsCohesive Foundations