Glossary of Terms

Optimistic Consistency

Optimistic Consistency (noun): A data consistency model for cBFF architectures that adopts a trade-off approach, prioritizing reduced complexity and improved performance over strict guarantees of data consistency across distributed systems. This model operates under the assumption that conflicts or inconsistencies are relatively infrequent and can be resolved when they occur, rather than enforcing stringent synchronization mechanisms upfront. Optimistic Consistency emphasizes the efficient handling of read and write operations, allowing for higher availability and responsiveness in situations where eventual consistency through manual intervention is deemed acceptable.

Virtual graph

Virtual Graph (noun): A concept introduced in WunderGraph (opens in a new tab), which involves the amalgamation of multiple GraphQL schemas into a single, unified schema. Enabled by the use of a JSON RPC compiler instead of direct GraphQL exposure, the Virtual Graph serves as a development tool that allows developers to perceive APIs as dependencies and treat GraphQL as the programming language for interacting with those APIs.

In production, the GraphQL to JSON RPC compiler automatically converts defined GraphQL operations into JSON RPC endpoints, rendering the Virtual Graph a virtual entity. The power of the Virtual Graph lies in its ability to facilitate meta-programming of APIs using GraphQL, ultimately generating an API Gateway and one or more clients that communicate using JSON RPC over HTTP.