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Status: ActiveAuthor: Platform TeamCreated: Nov 10, 2025Updated: Nov 15, 2025

MEMO-045: Demo System Build Process and Deliverables

Executive Summary​

This memo documents the construction, architecture, and deliverables of the Prism Data Access Gateway demo system. Built over 22 days (October 15 - November 6, 2025), the demo system provides executive-level stakeholders with a comprehensive view of Prism's technical capabilities, implementation maturity, and path to production.

Key Achievement: Complete demo system with interactive slides, automated execution, and comprehensive documentation, ready for stakeholder presentations.

Purpose​

The demo system serves multiple audiences:

  1. Executive Stakeholders: High-level business case and ROI analysis
  2. Technical Decision Makers: Architecture validation and implementation details
  3. Engineering Teams: Reference implementation and testing patterns
  4. Future Contributors: Onboarding and knowledge transfer

Build Approach​

Philosophy: Documentation-First Development​

The demo system embodies Prism's core development philosophy:

  1. Document Before Build: Every feature documented in ADRs/RFCs before implementation
  2. Real Data, Not Mocks: Demo uses actual test results, load test data, code metrics
  3. Modular Execution: Each demo section runs independently
  4. Self-Service: Complete documentation allows anyone to run the demo

Timeline and Velocity​

Development Period: 22 days (Oct 15 - Nov 6, 2025)

Commit Velocity:

  • 102 total commits across the project
  • ~34 commits/week (4.6 commits/day)
  • 54 documentation commits (53% of total)
  • 48 implementation commits (47%)

Demo-Specific Work: Last 4 days (Nov 3-6)

  • Created presentation materials
  • Built Python demo automation
  • Integrated with Task build system
  • Validated all execution paths

Build Process Phases​

Phase 1: Content Foundation (Day 1-2)​

Deliverable: MEMO-010 Demo Presentation Narrative

Activities:

  • Extracted key talking points from 154 design documents
  • Identified 4 vertical slice demonstrations
  • Compiled business metrics (cost, time, risk)
  • Structured 20-minute presentation flow

Outcome: Complete script with section timing and transition points

Phase 2: Interactive Slides (Day 2-3)​

Deliverable: docs-demo/index.html (48 slides)

Technology Stack:

  • reveal.js 4.6.0: Web-based presentation framework
  • Mermaid.js: Architecture diagrams from text
  • Highlight.js: Code syntax highlighting
  • Custom CSS: Dark theme with green accents (#42b983)

Key Features:

  • Speaker notes for each slide
  • Overview mode (press 'O' to see all slides)
  • Keyboard navigation and fullscreen
  • Mobile-responsive design
  • Offline-capable (CDN with fallback)

Content Structure (48 slides):

  1. Business Problem (3 slides) - Pain points and costs
  2. Prism Solution (4 slides) - Architecture and vision
  3. Current Status (4 slides) - Implementation maturity
  4. Demo 1: Multi-Backend (4 slides) - KeyValue flexibility
  5. Demo 2: Load Test (3 slides) - Performance validation
  6. Demo 3: Interface Testing (5 slides) - Quality assurance methodology
  7. Demo 4: Documentation (3 slides) - Design maturity
  8. Technical Differentiators (4 slides) - vs Alternatives
  9. Path to Production (6 slides) - Timeline and investment
  10. Key Takeaways (3 slides) - Decision maker summary
  11. Q&A (6 slides) - Pre-answered common questions
  12. Next Steps (1 slide)

Phase 3: Automation Script (Day 3)​

Deliverable: tooling/demo.py (Python demo orchestration)

Design Decisions:

  • Python over Bash: Consistency with project tooling (uses uv)
  • Click CLI Framework: Professional argument parsing
  • Color-Coded Output: Rich terminal formatting
  • Modular Execution: Run all demos or select individual sections

Capabilities:

# Interactive mode with manual progression
uv run tooling/demo.py

# Automatic mode with configurable pauses
uv run tooling/demo.py --mode auto --pause 1

# Individual demo selection
uv run tooling/demo.py --demo 1  # Multi-backend only
uv run tooling/demo.py --demo 2  # Load test only
uv run tooling/demo.py --demo 3  # Testing only
uv run tooling/demo.py --demo 4  # Documentation only

# Skip infrastructure setup (if already running)
uv run tooling/demo.py --skip-setup

Error Handling:

  • Validates backend services are running
  • Checks for required files (load test results)
  • Provides clear error messages with remediation steps
  • Graceful degradation if optional components missing

Phase 4: Task Integration (Day 3-4)​

Deliverable: 9 new Task commands in Taskfile.yml

Integration Strategy: Make demo execution one command away

Commands:

# Primary commands
task demo          # Full interactive demo
task demo:auto     # Auto-run with 1s pauses
task demo:quick    # Quick run with 0.5s pauses

# Individual demos
task demo:1        # Demo 1: Multi-Backend KeyValue
task demo:2        # Demo 2: Load Test Results
task demo:3        # Demo 3: Interface Testing
task demo:4        # Demo 4: Documentation

# Presentation support
task demo:slides   # Open slides in browser
task demo:serve    # Serve slides on localhost:8000

Dependency Management:

  • Demos 1-3 automatically start backends (test:infra-up)
  • Demo 4 is standalone (documentation browsing)
  • Proper cleanup on exit

Phase 5: Documentation Package (Day 4)​

Deliverables: Complete documentation set

Files Created (9 documents):

  1. README.md - Quick start guide and navigation
  2. DEMO-NARRATIVE.md - Complete presentation script
  3. DEMO-README.md - Detailed setup and troubleshooting
  4. DEMO-PREPARATION-SUMMARY.md - Executive summary
  5. COMPLETION-SUMMARY.md - Build status and metrics
  6. UPDATES.md - Change log
  7. .instructions.txt - Ultra-quick start
  8. DEMO-SCRIPT.sh - Legacy bash script (deprecated)
  9. MEMO-011 (this document) - Build process documentation

Documentation Principles:

  • Self-Service: Anyone can run the demo without help
  • Multiple Entry Points: Quick start, detailed guide, troubleshooting
  • Layered Detail: Executive summary → Full narrative → Technical deep dive
  • Clear Ownership: Each document has specific audience and purpose

Deliverables​

1. Interactive Web Presentation​

File: docs-demo/index.html Size: Single HTML file, ~150KB Dependencies: CDN-loaded (reveal.js, Mermaid, Highlight.js)

Key Statistics:

  • 48 slides
  • 20-minute presentation
  • 8 major sections
  • 6 pre-answered Q&A slides
  • 4 live demo sections

Viewing Options:

  1. Direct Open: open docs-demo/index.html (works offline)
  2. Task Command: task demo:slides
  3. Web Server: task demo:serve → http://localhost:8000

Presentation Features:

  • Speaker Notes: Press 'S' for presenter view with notes
  • Overview Mode: Press 'O' to see all slides
  • Fullscreen: Press 'F' for immersive mode
  • Keyboard Navigation: Arrow keys, Home, End
  • Timer: Built-in presentation timer

2. Automated Demo Script​

File: tooling/demo.py Lines of Code: ~400 (estimated) Language: Python 3.11+ Framework: Click CLI

Demo Sections (4 total):

Demo 1: Multi-Backend KeyValue Pattern (3 minutes)​

Focus: Backend flexibility without code changes

Execution:

cd tests/acceptance/patterns/keyvalue
go test -v -run TestPatternService_Store/MemStore
go test -v -run TestPatternService_Store/Redis

Key Message: "Same test code, different backend. Configuration, not code."

Metrics:

  • MemStore: <1ms latency
  • Redis: ~0.7ms latency
  • Both: 100% test pass rate

Demo 2: Multicast Registry Load Test (2 minutes)​

Focus: Production-scale performance validation

Execution:

cat cmd/prism-loadtest/load-test-results.txt

Key Message: "Real load test, real numbers. 100+ req/sec sustained."

Metrics:

  • 6,099 operations over 60 seconds
  • 101.81 requests/second
  • 100% success rate (zero errors)
  • Operations: Register, Enumerate, Multicast

Demo 3: Interface-Driven Testing Framework (3 minutes)​

Focus: Test reuse across backends

Execution:

cd tests/acceptance/patterns/keyvalue
go test -v -parallel 10 -timeout 10m

Key Message: "One test suite validates every backend. Add backend in 1 day, not 2 weeks."

Metrics:

  • 32 test assertions × 8 backends = 256 validations
  • 64 tests run in ~19 seconds
  • Zero test maintenance when adding backends

Demo 4: Documentation-Driven Development (2 minutes)​

Focus: Design maturity and de-risked implementation

Execution:

tree docs-cms/adr/
tree docs-cms/rfcs/
tree docs-cms/memos/

Key Message: "154 design documents de-risk implementation. POCs completing ahead of schedule."

Metrics:

  • 61 ADRs (Architecture Decision Records)
  • 50 RFCs (Request for Comments)
  • 43 MEMOs (Technical analysis and planning)

3. Task Integration​

File: Taskfile.yml (lines 986-1056, estimated) Commands Added: 9 Dependencies: Proper integration with test:infra-up

Benefits:

  • One Command Demo: task demo for complete presentation
  • Modular Execution: Individual demos for deep dives
  • Consistent UX: Same command structure as build/test
  • Documented: task --list shows all demo options

4. Documentation Package​

Directory: docs-demo/ Files: 9 documents Total Size: ~50KB markdown + 150KB HTML

Document Types:

  • Quick Start: README.md, .instructions.txt
  • Presentation: DEMO-NARRATIVE.md, index.html
  • Setup: DEMO-README.md, DEMO-PREPARATION-SUMMARY.md
  • Status: COMPLETION-SUMMARY.md, UPDATES.md
  • Archive: DEMO-SCRIPT.sh (deprecated bash version)

Audience Coverage:

  • Executives: DEMO-PREPARATION-SUMMARY.md (1 page)
  • Presenters: DEMO-NARRATIVE.md (full script)
  • Operators: DEMO-README.md (setup and troubleshooting)
  • Developers: This memo (build process)

High-Level Focus Areas​

1. Executive Communication​

Goal: Translate technical work into business value

Approach:

  • Business Metrics: $200K savings per migration, 6-12 month timelines
  • Risk Analysis: Technical (LOW), Execution (MEDIUM), Timeline (MEDIUM)
  • ROI Focus: Vendor lock-in elimination, operational simplification
  • Clear Path: Alpha → Beta → Production with specific milestones

Slide Examples:

  • "Backend migrations: Configuration change vs. 6-12 months"
  • "Unified security: One proxy vs. N backend-specific integrations"
  • "Development velocity: 34 commits/week with document-first approach"

2. Technical Credibility​

Goal: Demonstrate engineering rigor and production readiness

Evidence:

  • Real Test Results: Actual load test data, not simulations
  • Code Coverage: 80-86% on core components
  • Architecture Diagrams: Mermaid-rendered, not hand-drawn
  • Design Documents: 154 ADRs/RFCs/MEMOs

Validation Strategy:

  • Live demo execution (not screenshots)
  • Reproducible results (anyone can run task demo)
  • Open source components (Podman, NATS, Redis)
  • Standard protocols (gRPC, Protobuf)

3. Implementation Maturity​

Goal: Show alpha-quality software with clear path to production

Status Indicators:

  • ✅ Completed: 3 POCs (KeyValue, PubSub, Multicast Registry)
  • ✅ Working: 4 patterns, 7 backends, independently tested
  • ✅ Validated: Load test at 100+ req/sec
  • 🔧 In Progress: Rust proxy integration, authentication

Transparency:

  • "Alpha phase - local testing only"
  • "Integration layer needs work"
  • "3-4 months to beta deployment"

4. Development Velocity​

Goal: Demonstrate agentic development effectiveness

Metrics:

  • 102 commits in 22 days
  • 34 commits/week sustained velocity
  • 53% documentation (document-first approach)
  • POCs ahead of schedule: POC 3 completed in 1 day (vs 2-week estimate)

Key Message: "Document-first + agentic tooling = 5x faster implementation with higher quality"

Design Patterns and Best Practices​

Pattern 1: Real Data Over Mocks​

Principle: Use actual test results, not fabricated metrics

Application:

  • Load test results from cmd/prism-loadtest/load-test-results.txt
  • Test coverage from actual test runs
  • Code stats from Git repository analysis
  • POC status from RFC-018 tracking

Benefit: Builds trust with technical stakeholders who can verify claims

Pattern 2: Modular Demo Execution​

Principle: Each demo section runs independently

Application:

task demo:1  # Multi-backend only
task demo:2  # Load test only
task demo:3  # Testing only
task demo:4  # Documentation only

Benefit: Deep dives during Q&A without re-running entire demo

Pattern 3: Layered Documentation​

Principle: Multiple entry points for different audiences

Layers:

  1. Quick Start (.instructions.txt): 3 commands to run demo
  2. Executive Summary (DEMO-PREPARATION-SUMMARY.md): 1-page overview
  3. Full Narrative (DEMO-NARRATIVE.md): Complete script with talking points
  4. Technical Deep Dive (This memo): Build process and architecture

Benefit: Each audience gets appropriate level of detail

Pattern 4: Self-Service Execution​

Principle: Anyone can run the demo without training

Application:

  • One command: task demo
  • Clear error messages with remediation steps
  • Automatic dependency checking
  • Comprehensive troubleshooting guide

Benefit: Scales presentation capability across team

Pattern 5: Version Control Integration​

Principle: Demo materials live with code

Application:

  • All files in docs-demo/ directory
  • Committed to Git alongside implementation
  • Task commands in main Taskfile.yml
  • References actual code paths

Benefit: Demo stays in sync with implementation

Technical Architecture​

Component Diagram​

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Stakeholders                      │
│            (Open browser, view slides)               │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              docs-demo/index.html                    │
│  • reveal.js: Presentation framework                 │
│  • Mermaid.js: Architecture diagrams                 │
│  • Highlight.js: Code syntax highlighting            │
│  • 48 slides with speaker notes                      │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              task demo (Taskfile.yml)                │
│  • Starts backend infrastructure                     │
│  • Runs tooling/demo.py                              │
│  • Handles cleanup on exit                           │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              tooling/demo.py                         │
│  • Section 1: Multi-backend tests                    │
│  • Section 2: Load test results                      │
│  • Section 3: Interface testing                      │
│  • Section 4: Documentation tree                     │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
                      │
        ┌─────────────┼─────────────┬─────────────┐
        │             │             │             │
        ▼             ▼             ▼             ▼
┌───────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐
│ Acceptance│  │ Load Test│  │ Test     │  │ Design   │
│ Tests     │  │ Results  │  │ Framework│  │ Docs     │
│ (Go)      │  │ (File)   │  │ (Go)     │  │ (Markdown)│
└───────────┘  └──────────┘  └──────────┘  └──────────┘

Technology Stack​

Presentation Layer:

  • reveal.js 4.6.0: 500KB framework, battle-tested
  • Mermaid.js 10.x: Text-to-diagram rendering
  • Highlight.js: Syntax highlighting for 200+ languages
  • Custom CSS: Dark theme (#1a1a1a background, #42b983 accents)

Automation Layer:

  • Python 3.11+: Modern Python with type hints
  • Click 8.x: CLI framework with auto-help generation
  • Rich/Colorama: Terminal color output
  • uv: Dependency management (no pip conflicts)

Integration Layer:

  • Task 3.x: Modern Make alternative
  • Bash: Glue scripts for Task commands
  • Git: Version control and history analysis

Data Sources:

  • Go Test Output: Acceptance test results
  • Load Test Files: Performance metrics
  • Git Repository: Code statistics and velocity
  • Design Docs: ADRs, RFCs, MEMOs

Lessons Learned​

What Worked Well​

  1. Document-First Approach

    • Complete narrative before building slides
    • Slides became visual representation of existing content
    • No "writer's block" - content already existed

  2. Modular Demo Design

    • Individual sections for deep dives
    • Easy to skip sections if time constrained
    • Natural Q&A break points

  3. Real Data Usage

    • Test results build credibility
    • No "trust me" claims, everything verifiable
    • Stakeholders can re-run demos themselves

  4. Task Integration

    • One command (task demo) for entire presentation
    • Consistent with existing build/test workflow
    • Easy to remember and document

  5. Python Over Bash

    • Better error handling
    • Professional CLI with Click
    • Consistent with project tooling (uv)

What Could Be Improved​

  1. Time Estimate Messaging

    • Initial slides had "3-5 months" estimates
    • Should lead with velocity metrics instead
    • Lesson: Frame timeline as velocity-driven, not calendar-driven

  2. POC Status Tracking

    • RFC-018 POC status out of sync with reality
    • Should have single source of truth for completion status
    • Lesson: Update design docs as implementation progresses

  3. Authentication Demo

    • Full Dex integration tests exist but not showcased
    • Could add dedicated authentication demo section
    • Lesson: Audit test suite for demo-worthy content

  4. Offline Slide Support

    • Slides depend on CDN for reveal.js
    • Could bundle libraries for airplane-mode presentations
    • Lesson: Consider offline usage in initial design

  5. Demo Recording

    • No video recording of demo execution
    • Would be useful for async stakeholder review
    • Lesson: Add screen recording to documentation

Future Enhancements​

Short-Term (Next 2 Weeks)​

  1. Add Authentication Demo Section

    • Showcase Dex integration tests
    • JWT validation and token refresh
    • Namespace isolation enforcement

  2. Velocity Dashboard Slide

    • Visualize 102 commits over 22 days
    • Show document vs. implementation ratio
    • Compare to traditional development timelines

  3. Acceptance Test Matrix Slide

    • Table showing 6 patterns × backends
    • 78 test functions across 25 files
    • Interface-driven methodology visualization

  4. Update Timeline Messaging

    • Replace "Weeks 1-4" with "Phase 1-4"
    • Add velocity-based projections
    • Remove fixed time estimates

Medium-Term (Next Month)​

  1. Video Recording

    • Record demo execution with narration
    • Upload to internal portal
    • Provide async review option

  2. Interactive Architecture Diagram

    • Clickable components linking to code
    • Hover for metrics (coverage, tests, lines)
    • Component status indicators

  3. Bundle Offline Assets

    • Download reveal.js, Mermaid, Highlight.js
    • Include in docs-demo/lib/
    • Update index.html to use local files

  4. Add Live Health Dashboard

    • Real-time backend status
    • Pattern health checks
    • Resource utilization metrics

Long-Term (Next Quarter)​

  1. Demo Environment in Cloud

    • Deploy to staging VPC
    • Provide shareable URL
    • Remote stakeholder access

  2. Automated Demo Recording

    • CI job to record demo execution
    • Generate video on each commit
    • Track demo performance over time

  3. Interactive Notebook Version

    • Jupyter notebook with embedded demos
    • Executable code cells
    • Mix narrative with live execution

  4. Localization Support

    • Slides in multiple languages
    • Regional business metrics
    • Timezone-aware scheduling

Success Metrics​

Adoption Metrics​

Primary:

  • 5+ stakeholder presentations completed
  • 3+ technical deep dives with engineering teams
  • Demo executed by team members other than original author

Secondary:

  • Zero setup failures by new presenters
  • <5 minutes from "never seen it" to "ran demo successfully"
  • Positive feedback from 80%+ of stakeholders

Quality Metrics​

Technical:

  • All 4 demo sections execute without errors
  • Demo completes in <15 minutes (auto mode)
  • Slides render correctly on 3+ browsers

Documentation:

  • README comprehensible to newcomers (<10 min to understand)
  • Troubleshooting guide covers 90%+ of issues
  • No frequently asked questions unanswered in docs

Impact Metrics​

Business:

  • 2+ executive stakeholders approve continued investment
  • Technical decision makers validate architecture
  • Engineering teams adopt testing patterns

Development:

  • Demo system referenced in onboarding
  • Patterns reused in other presentations
  • Documentation approach adopted for other projects

Conclusion​

The Prism demo system represents a complete stakeholder communication package, built with the same rigor as production software. Key achievements:

✅ 48-slide interactive presentation with real metrics and live demos ✅ Automated execution via Python script and Task integration ✅ Comprehensive documentation for multiple audiences ✅ Real data validation using actual test results and code stats ✅ Modular design allowing flexible presentation flows

Build Time: 4 days of focused work, enabled by 18 days of prior implementation and documentation

Next Steps:

  1. Present to initial stakeholder group
  2. Gather feedback and iterate
  3. Add authentication demo section
  4. Update timeline messaging to focus on velocity
  5. Record video for async review

The demo system validates Prism's document-first development approach: comprehensive design documentation enabled rapid, high-quality demo creation with minimal rework.

References​