Design NATS Subject Hierarchy

Design a subject architecture that subscribers can efficiently navigate using wildcards, with proper segment ordering, account-aware tenant isolation, and growth path.

Interview Phase

Skip interview if ALL of these are already specified:

• Messaging patterns (pub/sub, request/reply, streaming)
• Multi-tenancy needs (single/multi-tenant, scale requirements)
• Security requirements (authorization, tenant isolation)
• Persistence needs (JetStream vs core NATS)

Always interview if: Migrating existing subjects (needs anti-pattern audit first)

Questions

1. Scope — "Is this greenfield design or migrating existing subjects?"
   • Impact: Migration needs anti-pattern audit first (see references/anti-patterns.md)