Why architecture matters here

Flags fail on unbounded proliferation, missing cleanup, and unreliable SDKs. Architecture matters because SDK + rule engine + cleanup all combine.

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The architecture: every piece explained

The top strip is machinery. Flag definition. Evaluation SDK. Rule engine. Kill switch.

The middle row is usage. Rollout stages. A/B experiments. Audit trail. Cleanup process.

The lower rows are reliability. SDK reliability offline default. Metrics flag count + age. Ops — governance + tech-debt tracking.

Feature flags — evaluation + targeting + kill switch + audit + cleanupship code without shipping featuresFlag definitionboolean / multivariateEvaluation SDKin-process cacheRule enginetargeting + percentageKill switchinstant offRollout stagesinternal / beta / GAA/B experimentsmeasure impactAudit trailwho / when / whatCleanup processretire old flagsSDK reliabilityoffline defaultMetricsflag count + ageOps — governance + tech-debt trackingstagetestlogretireresilientwatchwatchoperateoperate
Feature flag lifecycle from definition to cleanup.
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End-to-end flow

End-to-end: engineer creates flag. Rollout stages internal → 1% → 100%. A/B measures lift. Kill switch stops if regression. After GA + 30 days, cleanup process retires flag. Audit trail records all changes.