Real-Time Collaborative Workspace

Project Overview

This repository contains the implementation of a Real-Time Collaborative Workspace system, developed as part of a backend-focused assessment.

The project demonstrates the design and development of a production-grade backend service with secure authentication, role-based access control, real-time communication, and scalable architecture.
A lightweight frontend client is included to consume and validate backend functionality.

Primary Focus: Backend Architecture
Secondary Component: Frontend (integration client only)

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What This Project Solves

The system provides a backend platform that enables:

• Secure user authentication
• Role-based access to shared workspaces
• Real-time collaboration events
• Asynchronous background job processing
• Cloud-ready deployment

This is conceptually similar to a simplified collaborative coding or development workspace.

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Backend (Core of the Project)

The backend is designed with a clean, modular, and scalable architecture.

Backend Capabilities

• JWT-based authentication with refresh tokens
• Role-Based Access Control (Owner, Collaborator, Viewer)
• RESTful APIs for:
  • Projects
  • Workspaces
  • Invitations and roles
• Real-time collaboration using WebSockets (Socket.IO)
• Event-driven design (Redis-ready)
• Asynchronous job processing using queues
• OpenAPI (Swagger) documentation
• Secure configuration via environment variables
• Cloud deployment readiness

Backend Technology Stack

• Node.js
• Express.js
• MongoDB (Atlas)
• JWT (Authentication)
• Socket.IO (Real-time communication)
• BullMQ (Background jobs)
• Redis (optional, for scaling)

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• Swagger API Documentation : - https://real-time-collaborative-backend-x37b.onrender.com/api-docs/
• Backend url : - https://real-time-collaborative-backend-x37b.onrender.com/

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Frontend (Supporting Client)

• Authenticate users
• Interact with backend APIs
• Establish WebSocket connections
• Demonstrate workspace-level real-time events

Frontend Technology Stack

• React.js
• Axios
• React Router
• Context API
• Socket.IO Client
• Basic CSS

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High-Level System Flow

1. User registers and logs in
2. Backend issues access and refresh tokens
3. User accesses dashboard and projects
4. User enters a workspace
5. Backend enforces permissions using RBAC
6. Real-time events are broadcast to connected users
7. Background jobs are processed asynchronously

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Real-Time Collaboration Model

• WebSocket connections are established after authentication
• Backend acts as the single source of truth
• Events include:
  • User join / leave
  • Activity updates
  • Mocked file or cursor events
• Architecture supports horizontal scaling

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Running the Project Locally

Prerequisites

• Node.js v18 or higher
• MongoDB Atlas
• (Optional) Redis

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Backend

cd server

npm install

npm run start

Frontend

cd client

npm install

npm start

Deployment :-

• The project is designed to be deployed on cloud platforms.
• Backend can be deployed as a Node.js service (e.g., Render)
• Frontend can be deployed as a static site
• Environment variables are managed securely via the platform
• Docker support is optional and not mandatory
• Deployment links can be added here after deployment.

Design Philosophy : -

• Backend-first development approach
• Clear separation of concerns
• Modular and maintainable codebase
• API-first design
• Real-time and async capabilities built into the core

Scope and Limitations : -

• Frontend UI is minimal by design.
• Avanced collaborative editors and UI enhancements are out of scope
• Focus is on backend quality, scalability, and correctness

Conclusion:-

This project demonstrates the design and implementation of a real-time collaborative backend system, emphasizing secure authentication, role-based access control, real-time communication, and scalable architecture.