---
title: Key concepts
description: The mental models and architecture you need to build on the Kibana platform: plugins and packages versus core, the platform lifecycle, saved objects,...
url: https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts
products:
  - Kibana
---

# Key concepts
The mental models and architecture you need to build on the Kibana platform: plugins and packages versus core, the platform lifecycle, saved objects, security, data views, embeddables and other UI building blocks, and plugin performance.

## Platform architecture

How Kibana is composed of plugins, packages, and core, and the patterns that hold them together.
- [Plugins, packages, and the platform](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/platform-architecture/plugins-packages-and-the-platform)
- [Anatomy of a plugin](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/platform-architecture/anatomy-of-a-plugin)
- [Scoped services and patterns](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/platform-architecture/scoped-services)
- [Routing, navigation, and URL](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/platform-architecture/routing-navigation-and-url)
- [API documentation](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/platform-architecture/api-documentation)


## Security

Authentication, authorization, privileges, RBAC, audit logging, and encrypted saved objects.
- [Security overview](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/security/overview)
- [API authorization](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/security/api-authorization)
- [Feature privileges](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/security/feature-privileges)
- [RBAC and saved objects](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/security/rbac-and-saved-objects)
- [System user](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/security/system-user)
- [Encrypted saved objects](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/security/encrypted-saved-objects)
- [Audit logging](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/security/audit-logging)


## Saved objects

Treating Elasticsearch like a primary database from a plugin, plus migrations, sharing, and persistence.
- [Saved Objects](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/saved-objects) — overview and full sub-topic index


## Data

How queryable data sets are modeled and accessed.
- [Data Views](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/data/data-views)


## UI

Architectural building blocks for plugin UIs.
- [Building blocks](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/ui/building-blocks)
- [Embeddables](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/ui/embeddables)
- [UI Actions](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/ui/ui-actions)
- [Lens (visualization framework)](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/ui/lens)


## Performance

Keeping the Kibana platform fast as plugins grow.
- [Plugin performance and optimization](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/performance/plugin-performance-and-optimization)
- [Client performance](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/performance/client-performance)
- [Server performance](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/kibana/tree/main/extend/key-concepts/performance/server-performance)