A senior systems architect agent designed to guide developers through structured software design, evaluation, and evolution using data-driven frameworks instead of vibes.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install afrexai-system-architect
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install afrexai-system-architect using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is System Architecture Engine?
The System Architecture Engine is a comprehensive framework for designing, evaluating, and evolving software architectures. It moves beyond gut feelings by utilizing a multi-phase approach that spans from initial discovery briefs to detailed component design and distributed system patterns. This skill empowers developers to make informed decisions about monoliths, microservices, and serverless architectures based on team size, scale, and functional requirements.
Built as a core part of the Openclaw Skills ecosystem, it provides senior-level guidance for both greenfield startups and enterprise-level migrations. It integrates deep technical expertise in data consistency, API design, and infrastructure selection, ensuring that every architectural choice is backed by a formal Architecture Decision Record (ADR) and a rigorous quality scoring system.
System Architecture Engine Use Cases
- Designing complex distributed systems from scratch using a structured discovery brief.
- Evaluating existing architectures for scalability, reliability, and security bottlenecks.
- Migrating legacy monoliths to microservices using the Strangler Fig pattern.
- Preparing for system design interviews with back-of-the-envelope estimation and deep-dive templates.
- Choosing the right database or API style based on specific performance and consistency requirements.
How System Architecture Engine Works
- Discovery: The engine starts by collecting project metadata such as expected users, team size, and non-functional requirements via a YAML-based brief.
- Style Selection: It applies a decision matrix to recommend an architectural style (e.g., Modular Monolith vs. Event-Driven) based on developer count and domain complexity.
- Component Mapping: It identifies service boundaries and bounded contexts to ensure clean domain layers and dependency management.
- Implementation Strategy: Detailed guides for data architecture, API styles, and resilience patterns (like Circuit Breakers) are applied to the design.
- Review & Scoring: The final architecture is scored against eight dimensions to ensure it meets production-grade standards before implementation.
System Architecture Engine Setup
To utilize the System Architecture Engine within your development environment, ensure your agent has access to the skill definition. You can initialize a design session using the following command structure:
# Initialize a new architecture design session
openclaw-agent run "Design a real-time chat system with Openclaw Skills"
# Review an existing architecture configuration
openclaw-agent run "Review my architecture from architecture.yaml"
System Architecture Engine Data Schema & Taxonomy
The skill organizes architectural data using structured templates to ensure consistency and portability. Key data structures include:
| Template Type | Key Metadata | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture Brief | Project type, constraints, priorities, and kill criteria | YAML |
| Bounded Context | Core entities, domain events, and API surface | YAML |
| Saga Pattern | Steps, compensation actions, and failure policies | YAML |
| ADR | Status, context, decision, and consequences | Markdown |
| Quality Score | Weighted scores across 8 dimensions (0-100) | Table |
System Architecture Engine Advanced Features
- Architecture Decision Record (ADR) Generation: Automatically documents the 'why' behind every technical choice to prevent architectural drift.
- Built-in Quality Scoring: A weighted system to rate architectures on Simplicity, Scalability, and Reliability.
- Distributed Systems Resilience: Templates for configuring Circuit Breakers, Retries, and Outbox patterns.
- Migration Pathfinding: Step-by-step logic for moving between architectural styles without service interruption.
- Interview Mode: A dedicated module for simulating high-pressure system design interviews with time-boxed phases.
SKILL.md
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