Teachers

Week 9 Overview

Previously in Week 7 - Project you built a complete backend REST API connected to a relational database and an external service. You designed endpoints, wrote unit tests, and delivered a working backend system.

This week you will go beyond relational databases and explore modern storage techniques. You will learn that different types of data need different types of storage and that professional backends rarely rely on a single database. You will work with flexible JSON storage inside PostgreSQL, understand when to reach for a document or key-value database, and store real files in the cloud using object storage.

Learning Goals

By the end of this week, you will be able to:

Types of Databases: Compare relational, document-based, and key-value databases and explain the trade-offs of each when to use PostgreSQL, when MongoDB makes more sense, and when Redis is the right tool.
Polyglot Persistence: Explain what it means to use multiple databases in one system, describe real-world examples of this pattern, and articulate the benefits and costs of adding a new database to a system.
PostgreSQL jsonb: Add a jsonb column to an existing table, insert and update JSON data, query nested fields and arrays using operators such as >, >>, and @>, and create a GIN index to make JSON queries fast.
Object Storage: Explain what object storage is, how it differs from a database and a filesystem, and when to use it. Understand the key concepts: buckets, objects, keys, and pre-signed URLs.
Public vs Private Buckets: Explain the difference between public and private buckets, choose the right access policy for a given use case, and generate pre-signed URLs to give temporary access to private files.
Backblaze B2: Create a bucket and application key on Backblaze B2, connect it to a Spring Boot application using the AWS SDK, and implement upload and presigned URL endpoints that work against a real cloud storage provider.

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