--- title: Optimizely Commerce Connect system overview slug: commerce-connect-13/docs docTags: createdAt: 2026-07-23T09:44:51.000Z --- ## Subsystems Optimizely Commerce Connect consists of an *ecommerce engine* with many subsystems, together with Optimizely Content Management System (CMS) for the creation and display of product content on the front-end website. The ecommerce part of Commerce Connect is built on these components and frameworks: - Microsoft .NET Framework and ASP.NET - Microsoft Windows Communication Foundation (Catalog System) - Business Foundation (Customer Management) - Meta Data Plus (legacy Order and Catalog Systems) - Security and Permissions These are the main subsystems of Commerce Connect: - [Catalogs](docId\:oPuKsGK1xA1yU_KZq6AYl). Define catalog schemas, import existing catalogs, and define price lists. - [Marketing and campaigns](docId:92D5r2rWFlY5NX-botQVP). Create campaigns, custom discounts/promotions, and define promotion policies. - [Orders](docId\:ATgt1HpWoPim_mld4e5WD). Manage orders, connect payment and shipment gateways, customize order workflows, and manage taxes. - [Customers](docId\:BZyNNadNHocs8qzm_JeJX). Create organization structures, set roles and permissions, and extend customer or organization objects. - [Markets](docId\:XzaBaIJ_Z3bIsHpBMiiAr). Define multiple markets for market-specific features. ## Data model Below is a data model of the entities in commerce and the logical relationships they have to each other. The *1 to many* relationship means that for each 1 instance of an entity there are 1 or more other related instances. An example is orders and order lines, where for every *order* there is at least one *order line*. The*1 to many (optional)\_relationship means that it \_can* be related but does not have to be related. A good example is customers and organizations. Customers do not have to be associated with an organization, so the relationship is an optional one to many between organization and customer. :::Iframe{code=""} ::: See also [Commerce Connect class library](https://world.optimizely.com/csclasslibraries/commerce/index?version=13) for the REST API service layer.