Engineering Glossary
Core methodologies, frameworks, and definitions used by Slickrock architects to build superior enterprise systems.
Agentic Systems Integration
Wrapping enterprise operations into machine-discoverable capability nodes.
Model Context Protocol (MCP)
Open standard for exposing tools to AI runtimes.
Agent-to-Agent (A2A) Protocol
The network standard for machine-to-machine discovery and negotiation.
Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
Connecting LLMs to proprietary vector databases for grounded responses.
Zero-Debt Architecture
Engineering methodology to eliminate technical debt via AI refactoring.
The SaaS Tax
The compounding financial bleed of per-seat software licensing.
Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)
Standardized JSON schema for agentic cart structuring.
Agent Payments Protocol (AP2)
Cryptographic escrow for machine-to-machine transactions.
Enterprise Subregistry
Private, tokenized clearinghouse for internal MCP tools.
Digital Twin Architecture
Local-first state synchronization for physical assets.
Strangler Fig Migration Pattern
Zero-downtime strategy for replacing legacy monolithic software.
Offline-First Progressive Web App (PWA)
Web applications that function natively without cellular signal.
Vector Embeddings
Mathematical representation of text for semantic search.
Edge Computing (Vercel Edge)
Executing code physically closer to the user for zero-latency.
Headless Commerce Architecture
Decoupling the frontend UI from the backend inventory/checkout engine.
LLMOps (Large Language Model Operations)
The infrastructure required to deploy and monitor LLMs in production.
Model Fine-Tuning
Training a foundational AI model on proprietary company data.
Fractional AI CTO
Executive-level AI strategy integrated on a part-time basis.
CI/CD pipelines
Automated testing and deployment of software updates.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
Archaic B2B communication protocol replaced by JSON APIs.
Single-Tenant Architecture
Isolated database environments for maximum security.
Composable Architecture
Building systems from modular, interchangeable API components.
SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) Integration
Connecting factory-floor hardware to cloud software.
React Server Components (RSC)
Executing React UI logic on the server to eliminate client-side JavaScript.
PostgreSQL (Supabase)
The world's most advanced open-source relational database.