Backend Project

  • A complete backend project covering requirement analysis, API development, authentication integration, and production deployment.
  • What is the Final Backend Project?

    A real-world backend system built using:

    • Node.js

    • Express.js

    • MongoDB + Mongoose

    • JWT Authentication

    • Validation, Error Handling, Security

    • Deployment on cloud

    This project simulates actual IT company workflow.


    Requirement Analysis

    What is Requirement Analysis?

    Requirement analysis is the process of understanding what the application should do before writing code.


    Key Questions to Answer

    • Who are the users?

    • What problem does the app solve?

    • What features are required?

    • What data will be stored?

    • What APIs are needed?

    Example – Project Idea

    Project: User Management System

    Core Features

    • User Registration

    • User Login

    • Role-based Access (Admin / User)

    • CRUD Operations

    • Secure APIs

    Requirement Flow

Client Needs → Features → APIs → Database Design
  • Output of Requirement Analysis

    • Feature list

    • API list

    • Data models

    • Auth requirements


    API Development

    What is API Development?

    Creating backend endpoints that allow the frontend or client to communicate with the server.


    API Categories

    • Authentication APIs

    • User APIs

    • Protected APIs

    • Admin APIs

    Example – API List

    Method

    Endpoint

    Purpose

    POST

    /api/auth/register

    Register user

    POST

    /api/auth/login

    Login user

    GET

    /api/users

    Get all users

    PUT

    /api/users/:id

    Update user

    DELETE

    /api/users/:id

    Delete user


    API Request Flow

Client → Request → Middleware → Controller → Service → DB → Response
  • Best Practices

    • Follow REST principles

    • Use proper HTTP status codes

    • Validate requests

    • Secure protected routes


    Authentication Integration

    What is Authentication Integration?

    Implementing secure user login and access control using JWT.


    Authentication Flow

User Login → JWT Generated → Token Sent
Client Stores Token → Token Sent in Headers
Server Verifies Token → Access Granted
  • JWT Protected Route Example

router.get("/profile", authMiddleware, getProfile);
  • Security Features

    • Password hashing using bcrypt

    • Token expiration

    • Role-based access

    • Protected APIs

    Auth Checklist

    • Secure login

    • Token verification

    • Unauthorized access blocked

    • Token expiry handling


    Deployment

    What is Deployment?

    Deployment is the process of making your backend live on the internet.


    Deployment Platforms

    • Render

    • Railway

    • AWS / DigitalOcean

    Pre-Deployment Checklist

    • Environment variables configured

    • Production database (MongoDB Atlas)

    • Start script added

    • Error handling enabled

    Deployment Flow

Local Project → GitHub → Cloud Platform → Live API

  • Common Deployment Issues

    • Missing env variables

    • Wrong PORT

    • Database connection error

    • Build failures