Understanding Instances in Vidos
An instance is a fundamental concept in Vidos that represents a specific configuration of a service within a region. Understanding instances is key to grasping how Vidos provides flexible, application-specific services while maintaining regional boundaries.
What are Instances?
An instance represents a distinct configuration of a Vidos service that operates within a region. Each instance exists to serve a specific application's needs, independent of other instances of the same service. For example, within a region, you might have multiple authorizer instances - one configured for an application that requires OAuth authentication, and another for an application that uses API keys.
The diagram above illustrates how different use cases can leverage specialized instances of the Authorizer service. Identity Verification and Authentication both use the Mdl (Mobile Driving License) instance, which is configured for secure identity verification, while Financial Transactions use the Payments instance configured specifically for handling financial operations.
Regional Context
Instances exist within regions, which are fundamental organizational units in Vidos. This relationship means that:
- Each instance belongs to a specific region
- An instance's scope is limited to its region
- Management of instances occurs within their region
- Data and processing remain within regional boundaries
Instance Management
Each instance-capable service in Vidos has a corresponding management service within the same region. This management relationship reflects three key aspects:
- Creation and removal of instances
- Configuration of instance behavior
- Management of instance status
Instance-Capable Services
In Vidos, four core services support instances:
- Authorizer instances handle different authentication mechanisms
- Resolver instances manage identifier and address resolution
- Verifier instances perform different types of verification
- Validator instances apply varying validation rules
Each of these services can exist as multiple instances within a region, with each instance tailored to specific application requirements.
Configuration and State
Every instance maintains:
- Configuration: The settings that define its behavior for a specific application
- State: The information needed for operation
These aspects are managed regionally, ensuring that each instance maintains its intended purpose while operating within regional boundaries.