Welcome to the Concepts & Architecture section. This is where you'll build a deep understanding of how Pika works, why we made key design decisions, and how all the pieces fit together.
What You'll Learn
Section titled “What You'll Learn”This section is organized to help you build a comprehensive mental model of the Pika platform:
Platform Overview
Section titled “Platform Overview”Start here to understand what Pika is, why it exists, and when you should use it.
- What is Pika? - Core purpose and positioning
- Core Philosophy - Design principles and values
- When to Use Pika - Use cases and decision criteria
Architecture
Section titled “Architecture”Understand the technical architecture and how Pika leverages AWS services.
- System Architecture - High-level system design
- AWS Infrastructure - How Pika uses AWS services
- Frontend Architecture - Chat app and UI architecture
- Security Architecture - Defense-in-depth security model
- Scalability Model - How Pika scales
Key Concepts
Section titled “Key Concepts”Master the fundamental concepts that drive Pika's design.
- Agents as Configuration - Why config-based agents matter
- Session Management - How conversations persist
- User Memory System - Personalization across sessions
- Model Context Protocol - Tool integration via MCP
- Self-Correcting Loop - Quality assurance architecture
- Authentication & Access - User types and permissions
- Entities & Multi-Tenancy - Organizational boundaries
How Pika Works
Section titled “How Pika Works”See how user requests flow through the system and how key processes operate.
- Request Lifecycle - From user input to response
- Agent Execution Flow - How agents process requests
- Tool Invocation Process - Tool calling mechanics
- Web Component Rendering - Custom UI rendering
- Sync System - Framework update mechanism
- Project Structure - Codebase organization
Design Rationale
Section titled “Design Rationale”Understand the "why" behind key architectural decisions.
- Why AWS? - The AWS foundation
- Why Serverless? - Serverless architecture benefits
- Why Config-Based Agents? - Configuration over code
- Why Self-Correcting? - Quality assurance approach
- Trade-offs We Made - Design constraints and choices
Security & Compliance
Section titled “Security & Compliance”Understand Pika's security model and compliance capabilities.
- Security Model - Defense-in-depth approach
- Data Protection - Encryption and isolation
- Compliance - Regulatory support
- Best Practices - Security recommendations
Learning Path
Section titled “Learning Path”We recommend following this order:
- Start with Platform Overview to understand what Pika is and whether it's right for you
- Read Key Concepts to understand the fundamental building blocks
- Study Architecture to see how components fit together
- Explore How Pika Works to understand internal processes
- Review Design Rationale to understand why we made key decisions
- Understand Security & Compliance for production deployment planning
Navigating Concepts
Section titled “Navigating Concepts”Throughout this section, you'll find:
- Diagrams to visualize complex systems and flows
- Cross-references to related concepts and practical guides
- Design rationale explaining why things work the way they do
- Trade-offs highlighting decisions and their implications
Related Documentation
Section titled “Related Documentation”- Why Pika - Understand the problem Pika solves
- Capabilities - See what you can build with Pika
- Guides - Step-by-step instructions for specific tasks
- Reference - Technical specifications and API docs