Architecture

Grand Central iPaaS connects core connectors, core banking systems, fintechs, and third parties. It handles data exchange, workflow automation, and real-time communication on Backbase Managed Hosting. Integrations run on platform-level SLAs. Managed Hosting provides high availability, disaster recovery, and operational efficiency for integration workloads.

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Request flow

The following diagram shows the flow of interactions between the functional application (in this example, Engagement Banking Platform), Grand Central, and a third-party system (for example, a core banking system): Engagement Banking Platform initiates a request to Grand Central. Azure API Management (APIM) authenticates the request. Upon successful authentication, APIM identifies the appropriate connector and forwards the request to it. The connector performs additional validation where applicable on the request and upon successful validation, transforms and sends the request to the third-party system. The connector receives a response from the third-party system, transforms the response, and sends it back to the Engagement Banking Platform.

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Managed connectors

Grand Central connectors are fully managed by Backbase’s support team, ensuring they remain available, high performing, and compliant with SLAs. This managed service includes both application-level functionality and secure hosting of the underlying runtime. See [Grand Central Connectors] (connector/marketplace/connectors/core-connectors/overview.mdx) for more information on the key benefits.

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API management

Grand Central’s API Management (APIM) is a fully managed platform that enables secure creation, publication, monitoring, and governance of APIs. Acting as a gateway between backend services and API consumers, APIM enforces policies such as authentication, rate limiting, and request transformation. APIM provides the following benefits:

• Simplified API lifecycle management with tools for scaling, analytics, and monitoring.
• Enhanced security through centralized governance.
• Seamless integration across diverse systems while ensuring APIs are discoverable and performant.

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Managed hosting

Partnering with Microsoft Azure, iPaaS Managed Hosting provides the cloud infrastructure for hosting connectors, with the following benefits:

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Infrastructure management

Grand Central is responsible for hosting and managing the underlying infrastructure required to run the integration platform. This includes servers, networking, storage, and related components.

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High availability and disaster recovery

Managed Hosting ensures high availability, optimal performance, and disaster recovery of the iPaaS environment through the following: SLA uptime guarantee

• Three geographically redundant availability zones.
• Active-active-active deployment capable of withstanding outages in two availability zones without service impact.
• A disaster recovery region for catastrophic loss scenarios.

Geographic deployment locations

• Primary deployment: A full Backbase reference deployment in one region, with high availability across multiple data centers.
• Disaster recovery: A secondary region deployment to ensure continuity in case of primary region failure.

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Scalability

The hosting service is designed to be scalable, allowing the iPaaS environment to handle varying workloads and adapt to changing demands without requiring direct intervention from the customer.

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Security

Grand Central implements security measures to protect the iPaaS environment and data. This includes access controls, encryption, vulnerability management, and compliance with relevant standards. Grand Central offers a wide array of supported methods for different connectivity scenarios catering for different requirements and security needs:

• Azure hosted services via Azure Private Link.
• Third-party services on the internet using mTLS/IP allowlists.
• On-premise services using secure site-to-site VPNs.

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Authentication and authorization

Grand Central supports the following authentication mechanisms:

• Subscription key: Default inbound authentication using product-based API keys allowing secure system to system API calls.

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Technical support

Customers benefit from technical support provided by Grand Central. This support covers issues related to the hosting environment and infrastructure.

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Unified APIs and BIAN

The unified API layer is critical for insulating applications and channels from system complexities and changes, while BIAN standards ensure interoperability across the banking industry.

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The value of unified APIs

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API layer architecture

The unified API architecture provides abstraction layers that insulate consumers from backend complexity.

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System API unification

System API unification abstracts digital channels and internal applications from underlying complexities of System of Record APIs. This critical layer enables gradual migration strategies, multi-core coexistence scenarios, consistent API contracts across consumers, and complete insulation from backend system changes. Key benefits include unlocking incremental modernization paths, enabling legacy and modern core banking systems to coexist harmoniously, providing stable API contracts regardless of backend implementations, and shielding consuming applications from system-of-record volatility.

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Process API unification

Process API unification provides aggregated data via orchestration across multiple system APIs. This orchestration layer handles complex business process workflows, enabling data aggregation from disparate systems, sophisticated business process orchestration, intricate workflow management spanning multiple services, and cross-system transaction coordination with proper compensation handling.

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BIAN: Banking Industry Architecture Network

Backbase BIAN membership - Backbase is a proud member of the Banking Industry Architecture Network (BIAN), leveraging standardized service domains to create a seamless and interoperable banking ecosystem. BIAN provides the following benefits for Backbase customers. Backbase products use BIAN standards to achieve: 200+ Features within Backbase are powered by BIAN service domains, demonstrating deep commitment to industry standardization and interoperability across the banking ecosystem.

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Key BIAN service domain implementations

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API standardization benefits

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Development benefits

Standardized APIs provide the following development benefits:

• Faster development - standardized APIs reduce learning curve and accelerate development cycles by providing familiar patterns and consistent interfaces.
• Code reusability - consistent patterns enable component reuse across different implementations, reducing duplication and improving code quality.
• Reduced integration time - standardized interfaces minimize custom integration development, allowing teams to focus on business value rather than technical plumbing.

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Operational benefits

Standardized APIs provide the following operational benefits:

• Simplified maintenance - consistent patterns reduce operational complexity and maintenance overhead by providing predictable behavior across all API endpoints.
• Better monitoring - standardized APIs enable consistent monitoring and observability, making it easier to track performance, identify issues, and maintain SLAs.
• Easier troubleshooting - common patterns make issue identification and resolution faster by reducing the cognitive load on support teams.

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Business benefits

Standardized APIs provide the following business benefits:

• Vendor flexibility - standardized interfaces reduce vendor lock-in and increase choice by making it easier to swap implementations without disrupting consumers.
• Faster time to market - reusable components and patterns accelerate product delivery by reducing development time and enabling rapid prototyping.
• Cost optimization - reduced development and maintenance costs through standardization, code reuse, and operational efficiency gains.

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Implementation strategy

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Unified API coverage

Discover the full extent of the unified API coverage across different banking systems. This comprehensive overview helps you understand which endpoints are available and how they map to various core banking platforms and third-party integrations.