SynapseSync

SynapseSync is a scalable, real-time social media platform designed for seamless user interaction, dynamic content sharing, and instant messaging. Built with a decoupled microservices-inspired architecture, it leverages a highly optimized MERN stack with persistent WebSocket connections for low-latency communication.

🚀 System Architecture

The application is deployed across a distributed infrastructure to ensure high availability and strict security separation between the client and server:

• Frontend Client: Served globally via Vercel's Edge Network for sub-millisecond CDN caching and optimal React (Vite) rendering.
• Backend API: Containerized using Docker and hosted on an AWS EC2 (Ubuntu) instance.
• Reverse Proxy: Traffic is routed through Nginx with automatic SSL encryption handled by Let's Encrypt (Certbot).
• Database: Fully managed MongoDB Atlas cluster for robust data persistence and automated backups.

✨ Core Features

• Real-Time Bi-directional Communication: Instant messaging and live feed updates powered by Socket.io.
• Enterprise-Grade Authentication: Stateless JWT architecture utilizing secure, httpOnly, SameSite=None cross-domain cookies with silent token refreshing.
• Two-Factor Verification: Secure email-based OTP verification for account creation and recovery using Nodemailer.
• Media Management: Direct-to-cloud image uploads and transformations handled via the Cloudinary API and Multer.
• Responsive UI: Utility-first CSS styling via Tailwind CSS and DaisyUI components for a native feel across all device sizes.

💻 Tech Stack

Domain	Technologies Utilized
Frontend	React 19, Vite, Redux Toolkit, Tailwind CSS, DaisyUI, Axios
Backend	Node.js, Express.js, Socket.io, JWT, bcrypt, Validator
Database & Cloud	MongoDB Atlas, Cloudinary, AWS EC2
DevOps & Tooling	Docker, Nginx, Let's Encrypt, Git, ESLint

🛠️ Local Development Setup

1. Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed on your local machine:

• Node.js (v18 or higher)
• Docker Desktop (optional, for isolated backend execution)
• MongoDB Atlas Account
• Cloudinary Account

2. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/synapsesync.git
cd synapsesync

3. Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root of your backend directory and configure the following variables. Do not use quotes or trailing spaces.

Variable	Description	Example
PORT	Local backend port	5000
FRONTEND_URL	Allowed CORS origin	http://localhost:5173
MONGO_URL	MongoDB connection string	mongodb+srv://user:pass@cluster...
JWT_SECRET_KEY	Cryptographic key for tokens	your_secure_random_string
JWT_ACCESS_TOKEN_EXPIRY_TIME	Lifespan of access token	2h
JWT_REFRESH_TOKEN_EXPIRY_TIME	Lifespan of refresh token	7d
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME	Cloudinary identifier	dcl25...
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY	Cloudinary access key	123456789...
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET	Cloudinary secret key	abc123def...
EMAIL_ID	SMTP sender email	admin@synapsesync.com
NODE_MAILER_APP_PASSWORD	App-specific SMTP password	abcd efgh ijkl mnop

Create a .env file in the root of your frontend directory:

VITE_BACKEND_URL=http://localhost:5000

4. Initialization

Start the Backend API:

cd backend
npm install
npm run dev

Start the Frontend Client (in a new terminal):

cd frontend
npm install
npm run dev

👨‍💻 Author

Piyush Tiwari

• Full-Stack Software Engineer
• Focused on scalable backend architecture, real-time data engineering, and seamless web experiences.

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Developed for production scalability and real-time connectivity.