What Is Serverless Architecture and the Domino Effect of Events

Hello everyone! 

Here’s the next post in our Know Catalyst series where we uncover how Catalyst services make development simpler and faster.
If you missed our previous post, do check it out!

Isn’t it exciting to watch domino runs? Each piece follows the one before in perfect order, creating a smooth, continuous chain.

Now, imagine that same seamless flow in backend development. When every process moves sequentially and in harmony, the system runs effortlessly, each step supporting the next for flawless performance.

That’s exactly what Zynchronise did with Catalyst while building Zimple, an integration between Zoho People (HRMS) and SimplePay (payroll).

The Payroll Event

To eliminate manual data entry between Zoho People and SimplePay, the team used Catalyst to automate the workflow .
Just like the first domino, the trigger was simple , a new leave submission or payroll update

The Chain Reaction

Once the event occurred, Catalyst orchestrated a seamless, automated workflow:

• Functions  handling the heavy or long-running business logic.
• Job Scheduling automating CRON-like polling and workflow triggers, making processes reliable and consistent.
• SmartBrowz  generating PDF payslips automatically attached to customer records.
• Data Store (with ZCQL) storing structured transactional data efficiently.
• AppSail hosting the full-stack application, supporting complex sync-heavy workflows without worrying about infrastructure.
• API Gateway  managing and securing APIs, simplifying integrations with external platforms.
• Mail & Notification APIs are keeping customers informed with email and push notifications.
• Authentication  - Catalyst’s plug-and-play OAuth system, saving time on custom login flows.
• DevOps logging tools are helping troubleshoot and fix issues quickly.
• Domain mapping & SSL are making deployment and access effortless.

From the Zynchronise team "Coming from a background where setting up things like authentication, CI/CD, and hosting usually meant juggling multiple tools or even needing extra team members, it was super refreshing to have just one developer manage everything. "

- Kyle Ferrara CTO ,Zynchronise, part of the Both& Digital Transformation Group
 

The Developer Win

Catalyst freed the developer to focus on innovation rather than infrastructure. As Kyle Ferrara CTO ,Zynchronise, part of the Both& Digital Transformation Group shared:

“Catalyst provides an incredibly fast and cost-effective way to build and deploy full-stack applications without needing a dedicated DevOps team.One of the biggest strengths of Catalyst is how it simplifies infrastructure. Whether you're setting up authentication, hosting your frontend, managing domains, or deploying APIs, Catalyst handles it all with minimal configuration.

It's much easier and faster to set up than traditional platforms like AWS, making it ideal for teams who need to launch quickly.
If you're working on a lean team or don't have infrastructure experts, Catalyst is excellent. ”

With Catalyst, one small trigger  a payroll or leave update set a full workflow into motion: data sync, PDF generation, notifications, storage, and API management all happened seamlessly.

Impact on Users

The Zimple integration delivered measurable results:

• Eliminated manual data duplication between HR and payroll systems.
• Delivered real-time visibility of leave allocation and payroll information.

If you want to know more about the Zimple implementation by Zynchronise, check out the full story here. Discover how Catalyst powers seamless integrations, simplifies backend processes, and helps businesses build reliable, efficient systems effortlessly.

Quick links for reference:

Cookbook - https://catalyst.zoho.com/cookbook/
Help docs- https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/