Architecting Multi-Application Solutions
Decide When to Split into Multiple Applications
Split when one or more drivers apply:
- Team ownership: One team owns and administers a domain exclusively (Sales Ops, HR, Finance).
- Security boundaries: Sensitive data (payroll, individual salaries) must be isolated with minimal user exposure.
- Release cycles: Domains need independent Test & Deploy cadences or structural change schedules.
- Size and complexity: Dozens of blocks serve one function but only one output metric is shared downstream.
- Dimension divergence: A business unit needs different time granularity, country lists, or version cadence.
- Planning cadence: Revenue plans daily with ten scenarios; OPEX plans monthly with one scenario.
Multiple applications share data in real time via Libraries — no import/export latency.
Place Shared Reference Data in a Hub Application
The Hub is a central application holding shared reference data.
Place in the Hub:
- Common dimensions: Region, Cost Center, Product, Chart of Accounts, Time, Version
- Shared external data: accounting actuals, CRM opportunities, FX rates, global parameters
- Master access-rights dimensions and mapping metrics
Rule of thumb: If two or more applications need a dimension or dataset, put it in the Hub — unless segregation of duty requires keeping it in a domain app (e.g., employee master in HR).
Keep out of the Hub:
- Domain-specific calculation chains with many intermediate metrics
- Sensitive employee-level data (share from HR app instead)
Keep the Version dimension in the Hub and share it across all planning apps for synchronized planning cycles.
User Navigation Constraint
Users cannot natively navigate between applications — manual links on boards are required. Architect each application to provide a complete journey for a specific user type, minimizing cross-application navigation.
Dimension Placement Exception
When dimension items are created by end users or business logic within a specific application, that dimension stays local to that application and is shared outward (not placed in the Hub).
Share Blocks between Applications
For sharing mechanics and cross-application formulas, see skill:sharing-data-between-applications.
