Dr. Q

Dr. Q's architecture is composed of several key components working in concert. The Address Parser is responsible for dissecting the input address string into its constituent parts: street number, street name, city, province, and postal code.

This component uses sophisticated parsing algorithms to handle various address formats. The Validation Engine then takes the parsed address components and validates them against a comprehensive database of Canadian postal addresses stored in DB2. This database is regularly updated to ensure accuracy.

The Data Storage component manages the storage and retrieval of postal reference data. Communication between these components is primarily internal, using optimized data structures and inter-process communication mechanisms. Dr.

Q exposes a SOAP API for external integration, allowing other systems to leverage its address validation capabilities. The API endpoints, such as `/DrQ/ValidateAddress`, accept address data as input and return validated and corrected address information. Security is enforced through authentication mechanisms, including username/password and API keys.

The system also provides audit logging capabilities for tracking user activities and system events. Competing products like Canada Post Address Complete and Melissa Data's Canadian Address Verification offer similar functionalities, but Dr. Q distinguishes itself with its optimized architecture for Canadian postal addresses.