Technical Specification Template
Template​
# [Project Name] Technical Specification
## Document Control
- **Last Updated:** [DATE]
- **Version:** [VERSION]
- **Status:** [Draft/In Review/Approved]
- **Author:** [NAME]
- **Reviewers:** [NAMES]
## Overview
[Brief description of the project/feature and its purpose]
## Goals and Non-Goals
### Goals
- [Goal 1]
- [Goal 2]
- [Goal 3]
### Non-Goals
- [Non-Goal 1]
- [Non-Goal 2]
- [Non-Goal 3]
## Background and Context
[Relevant background information, current system state, and context for this project]
## Requirements
### Functional Requirements
- [Requirement 1]
- [Requirement 2]
- [Requirement 3]
### Non-Functional Requirements
- **Performance:**
- [Performance requirement]
- **Security:**
- [Security requirement]
- **Scalability:**
- [Scalability requirement]
- **Reliability:**
- [Reliability requirement]
## Technical Design
### System Architecture
[High-level architecture diagram and description]
```mermaid
graph TD
A[Client] --> B[API Gateway]
B --> C[Service 1]
B --> D[Service 2]
C --> E[Database]
D --> E
Data Model​
[Description of data structures, schemas, and relationships]
interface User {
id: string;
email: string;
name: string;
role: UserRole;
createdAt: Date;
updatedAt: Date;
}
enum UserRole {
ADMIN = 'admin',
USER = 'user',
GUEST = 'guest'
}
API Design​
[Description of API endpoints, methods, and data formats]
Endpoint: /api/v1/resources​
POST /resources​
- Purpose: Create a new resource
- Request:
{
"name": "string",
"description": "string",
"type": "string"
} - Response:
{
"id": "string",
"name": "string",
"description": "string",
"type": "string",
"createdAt": "string"
}
Security Considerations​
- Authentication mechanism
- Authorization rules
- Data encryption
- Input validation
- Rate limiting
Performance Considerations​
- Caching strategy
- Database indexing
- Query optimization
- Load balancing
- Resource limits
Implementation Plan​
Phase 1: Foundation​
- Task 1
- Task 2
- Task 3
Phase 2: Core Features​
- Feature 1
- Feature 2
- Feature 3
Phase 3: Enhancement​
- Enhancement 1
- Enhancement 2
- Enhancement 3
Testing Strategy​
Unit Testing​
- Test cases
- Coverage requirements
- Mocking strategy
Integration Testing​
- Test scenarios
- Environment setup
- Data requirements
Performance Testing​
- Load testing
- Stress testing
- Benchmarks
Deployment Strategy​
Infrastructure Requirements​
- Server specifications
- Network requirements
- Storage requirements
- Third-party services
Deployment Process​
- [Step 1]
- [Step 2]
- [Step 3]
Rollback Plan​
- [Rollback step 1]
- [Rollback step 2]
- [Rollback step 3]
Monitoring and Alerting​
Metrics​
- [Metric 1]
- [Metric 2]
- [Metric 3]
Alerts​
- [Alert condition 1]
- [Alert condition 2]
- [Alert condition 3]
Documentation Requirements​
- API documentation
- User guides
- Operational procedures
- Troubleshooting guides
Risks and Mitigations​
Identified Risks​
| Risk | Impact | Likelihood | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Risk 1] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | [Strategy] |
| [Risk 2] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | [Strategy] |
Open Questions​
- [Question 1]
- [Question 2]
- [Question 3]
Appendix​
References​
- [Reference 1]
- [Reference 2]
- [Reference 3]
Glossary​
- Term 1: Definition
- Term 2: Definition
- Term 3: Definition
## Usage Guide
### When to Use
- Starting new projects
- Planning major features
- Documenting system design
- Proposing architectural changes
### Best Practices
1. **Document Control**
- Keep versions updated
- Track reviewers
- Document status
- Include dates
2. **Requirements**
- Be specific
- Use measurable criteria
- Include constraints
- Consider edge cases
3. **Technical Design**
- Use diagrams
- Show relationships
- Document interfaces
- Include examples
4. **Implementation**
- Break into phases
- Set milestones
- Define dependencies
- Include timeline
### Example
```md
# User Authentication Service Technical Specification
## Document Control
- **Last Updated:** February 4, 2024
- **Version:** 1.0.0
- **Status:** Draft
- **Author:** Jane Smith
- **Reviewers:** John Doe, Sarah Johnson
## Overview
This technical specification outlines the design and implementation of a new user authentication service that will provide secure authentication and authorization capabilities for all company applications.
## Goals and Non-Goals
### Goals
- Implement OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect protocols
- Support multi-factor authentication
- Provide rate limiting and brute force protection
- Enable single sign-on (SSO) across all applications
### Non-Goals
- User management features (will be handled by separate service)
- Social authentication providers
- Password-less authentication
- Hardware token support
## Technical Design
### System Architecture
```mermaid
graph TD
A[Client] --> B[Auth Service]
B --> C[Token Service]
B --> D[User Service]
C --> E[Redis Cache]
D --> F[PostgreSQL]
Data Model​
interface User {
id: string;
email: string;
passwordHash: string;
mfaEnabled: boolean;
mfaSecret?: string;
lastLogin: Date;
failedAttempts: number;
lockedUntil?: Date;
createdAt: Date;
updatedAt: Date;
}
interface Session {
id: string;
userId: string;
token: string;
expiresAt: Date;
deviceInfo: DeviceInfo;
createdAt: Date;
}
interface DeviceInfo {
userAgent: string;
ip: string;
location?: string;
}
API Design​
POST /auth/login​
- Purpose: Authenticate user and create session
- Request:
{
"email": "[email protected]",
"password": "password123",
"deviceInfo": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0...",
"ip": "192.168.1.1"
}
} - Response:
{
"token": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIs...",
"expiresIn": 3600,
"mfaRequired": false,
"user": {
"id": "123",
"email": "[email protected]"
}
}
Implementation Plan​
Phase 1: Core Authentication (Week 1-2)​
- Set up project structure and dependencies
- Implement password hashing and validation
- Create login and logout endpoints
- Add rate limiting and brute force protection
Phase 2: MFA Implementation (Week 3-4)​
- Integrate TOTP library
- Add MFA setup and verification endpoints
- Implement backup codes generation
- Create MFA enrollment flow
Phase 3: Token Management (Week 5-6)​
- Implement JWT signing and validation
- Add token refresh mechanism
- Create session management
- Add device tracking