Relay Mono Connector Campusonline Bundle Laravel Package

Technical Evaluation

Architecture Fit

• Purpose Alignment: The package is a CampusOnline payment connector for the Relay API Gateway (mono-bundle architecture). It fits well in a Laravel-based microservice or monolithic system requiring payment gateway integration with CampusOnline’s API.
• Modularity: Designed as a Symfony Bundle, it integrates cleanly into Laravel via Symfony’s bridge (e.g., symfony/http-client, symfony/options-resolver). This aligns with Laravel’s service container and dependency injection patterns.
• API Gateway Pattern: The Relay API Gateway abstraction suggests this is part of a decentralized payment processing layer, which could be useful for:
  • Decoupling payment logic from business services.
  • Centralized rate-limiting, retries, and logging for CampusOnline transactions.
• Event-Driven Potential: If Relay supports webhooks/events, this could enable asynchronous payment confirmations (e.g., via Laravel’s events or queues).

Integration Feasibility

• Laravel Compatibility:
  • Uses Symfony components (common in Laravel via symfony/http-client, symfony/options-resolver).
  • No native Laravel-specific dependencies (e.g., no Eloquent, Blade, or Laravel-specific contracts), reducing friction.
  • Service Provider Pattern: Can be bootstrapped via Laravel’s AppServiceProvider or a custom Bundle wrapper.
• Relay Dependency:
  • Requires Relay API Gateway (relay/mono-bundle). If your system does not already use Relay, this adds architectural debt (another microservice to manage).
  • If Relay is new, evaluate whether its abstraction layer justifies the complexity vs. direct CampusOnline SDK integration.
• Configuration Override:
  • Likely uses YAML/XML/ENV config (common in Symfony Bundles). Laravel’s .env can map to Relay’s expected config format.

Technical Risk

Key Questions

1. Does your system already use Relay?
   • If no, assess whether Relay’s abstraction layer provides enough value over direct SDK integration.
2. What is the expected transaction volume?
   • High-volume systems may need direct SDK optimizations (e.g., batching, connection pooling).
3. How are payment failures currently handled?
   • Relay’s retry/fallback mechanisms must align with SLA requirements.
4. Is CampusOnline the only payment provider?
   • If multi-provider, ensure Relay supports strategy pattern for swapping connectors.
5. What is the compliance requirement for payment logs?
   • AGPL + payment data may require audit trails beyond Relay’s defaults.

Integration Approach

Stack Fit

Migration Path

1. Assessment Phase:
   • Audit existing payment flows (e.g., direct CampusOnline SDK calls).
   • Identify critical paths (e.g., high-value transactions) for phased migration.
2. Proof of Concept (PoC):
   • Set up Relay locally (Docker) + connector bundle.
   • Test single transaction vs. direct SDK (compare latency, success rate).
3. Incremental Rollout:
   • Phase 1: Replace SDK calls in non-critical endpoints (e.g., webhooks).
   • Phase 2: Migrate high-volume but low-risk endpoints (e.g., subscription renewals).
   • Phase 3: Replace core checkout flows (requires A/B testing).
4. Fallback Strategy:
   • Implement a circuit breaker (e.g., spatie/circuit-breaker) to fall back to direct SDK if Relay fails.

Compatibility

Sequencing

1. Setup Relay Infrastructure:
   • Deploy Relay (Docker/K8s) and configure CampusOnline credentials.
   • Set up monitoring (e.g., Prometheus for Relay metrics).
2. Bundle Integration:
   • Install via Composer: composer require dbp/relay-mono-connector-campusonline-bundle.
   • Publish config: php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Dbp\RelayMonoConnectorCampusonlineBundle\RelayMonoConnectorCampusonlineBundle".
3. Service Registration:
   • Bind Relay client to Laravel’s container in AppServiceProvider.

   $this->app->bind(
       \Relay\MonoBundle\Client::class,
       fn($app) => new \Relay\MonoBundle\Client($app['config']['relay'])
   );
   

4. Test End-to-End:
   • Use Laravel’s HttpTests to verify payment flows.
   • Test edge cases (failed auth, rate limits, webhook retries).
5. Deploy with Feature Flag:
   • Route 10% of traffic through Relay first (using Laravel’s feature() helper).
   • Monitor error rates and latency before full cutover.

Operational Impact

Maintenance