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The ZEN Engine runs natively on mobile devices, enabling offline rule evaluation without network round-trips.

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Why mobile rules?

Offline evaluation. Rules execute locally on the device, working without network connectivity. Low latency. No network round-trips means instant evaluation, critical for responsive UX. Reduced server load. Offload rule evaluation to client devices, reducing backend infrastructure costs. Privacy. Sensitive data never leaves the device when rules are evaluated locally.

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Architecture patterns

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Bundled decisions

Ship decision files with your app bundle. Best for rules that change infrequently.
App Bundle
assets
rules
pricing.json
eligibility.json
Pros: Always available, no network dependency, fastest startup. Cons: Requires app update to change rules.

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Remote decisions with caching

Fetch decisions from a remote source and cache locally. Best for rules that update periodically. Pros: Rules can be updated without app releases, offline fallback. Cons: More complex, requires cache invalidation strategy.

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Firebase Remote Config

Use Firebase to distribute decision files across your mobile fleet. Setup:
  1. Export decision JSON from BRMS
  2. Upload to Firebase Remote Config as a string parameter
  3. Fetch and cache on app startup
  4. Evaluate locally using the SDK
Benefits:
  • Gradual rollouts and A/B testing
  • Instant updates without app store review
  • Built-in caching and offline support
  • Analytics integration

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Cloud Storage distribution

Store decisions in cloud storage (S3, GCS, Azure Blob) and sync to devices. Setup:
  1. Configure BRMS to publish to cloud storage
  2. Mobile app checks for updates on startup or periodically
  3. Download and cache new versions locally
  4. Evaluate using cached decisions

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Offline-first patterns

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Cache-first strategy

Always evaluate using cached decisions, update cache in background.

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Version checking

Include version metadata to minimize unnecessary downloads. 
{
  "version": "1.2.3",
  "updated": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "decisions": ["pricing.json", "eligibility.json"]
}
Check version before downloading full decision files.

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Fallback hierarchy

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Platform SDKs

Android

Native Android SDK with Kotlin coroutines support

iOS

Native iOS SDK (closed beta)

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Best practices

Bundle a fallback. Always include a bundled decision as fallback for first launch or network failures. Cache aggressively. Decision files are typically small; cache them persistently rather than in memory only. Version your decisions. Include version metadata to enable efficient cache invalidation. Handle errors gracefully. Network failures are common on mobile; design for offline-first. Test offline scenarios. Simulate airplane mode and poor connectivity during development.