Ride-Hailing Backend

Overview

The Ride-Hailing Backend is a distributed system built using microservice architecture, designed to handle the diverse requirements of a ride-hailing platform. The system consists of multiple independent services, each focusing on specific responsibilities, such as managing users, drivers, payments, rides, notifications, and analytics.

We primarily employ the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern for our Node.js services, while the Django-based Ride Service follows the Model-View-Template (MTV) pattern, ensuring consistency and maintainability across the system.

Architecture

System Architecture Diagram

[Frontend Clients]
        ↓
[API Gateway or Service Router]
        ↓
+-------------------+ +------------------+
| Driver Service    | | User Service     |
| (Node.js, MVC)    | | (Node.js, MVC)   |
+-------------------+ +------------------+
         ↓                  ↓
+-------------------+ +------------------+
| Ride Service      | | Payment Service  |
| (Django, MTV)     | | (Node.js, MVC)   |
+-------------------+ +------------------+
         ↓                  ↓
+-------------------+ +------------------+
| Notification Svc  | | Analytics Svc    |
| (Node.js, MVC)    | | (Nest.js, MVC)   |
+-------------------+ +------------------+

Key Features of Microservice Architecture

1. Independence: Each service is independently developed, deployed, and scaled.
2. Loosely Coupled: Services communicate via APIs, ensuring minimal dependency.
3. Technology Flexibility: Each service uses the technology best suited to its requirements.
4. Fault Tolerance: Failures in one service do not cascade across the system.
5. Scalability: Each service can scale independently based on traffic and resource demands.

Architectural Patterns

• MVC (Model-View-Controller): Used for Node.js-based services to maintain separation of concerns:

  • Model: Handles data and business logic.
  • View: Responsible for presenting the output (not directly applicable for backend APIs).
  • Controller: Processes incoming requests and delegates logic to the service layer.

• MTV (Model-View-Template): Used in Django for the Ride Service:

  • Model: Defines the database structure.
  • View: Handles business logic and queries models.
  • Template: Renders the UI (not extensively used in an API-driven backend).

---

Services Overview

1. Driver Service (Node.js, MVC)

• Purpose: Manages driver data, onboarding, and statuses.
• Technology: Node.js, Express, TypeScript.
• Responsibilities:
  • Driver registration and management.
  • Real-time status updates (e.g., availability).

2. User Service (Node.js, MVC)

• Purpose: Handles user authentication and profile management.
• Technology: Node.js, Express, TypeScript.
• Responsibilities:
  • User registration and login.
  • Managing user profiles and preferences.

3. Ride Service (Django, MTV)

• Purpose: Manages ride requests, matching, and ride tracking.
• Technology: Django, Python.
• Responsibilities:
  • Matching drivers to users based on proximity and availability.
  • Ride status management (e.g., booked, ongoing, completed).

4. Payment Service (Node.js, MVC)

• Purpose: Processes payments and handles transactions securely.
• Technology: Node.js, Express, TypeScript.
• Responsibilities:
  • Payment gateway integration.
  • Transaction tracking and refunds.

5. Notification Service (Node.js, MVC)

• Purpose: Sends real-time notifications to users and drivers.
• Technology: Node.js, Express, TypeScript.
• Responsibilities:
  • Multi-channel notifications (Email, Telegram).
  • Customizable notification templates.

6. Analytics and Reporting Service (Nest.js, MVC)

• Purpose: Generates analytics and reports for business insights.
• Technology: Nest.js, TypeScript.
• Responsibilities:
  • Collecting and analyzing service data.
  • Generating usage reports and KPIs.

---

Communication

• Inter-Service Communication:

  • Services communicate via REST APIs.
  • Asynchronous messaging (e.g., RabbitMQ or Kafka) is planned for event-driven operations.

• Data Sharing:

  • Each service maintains its own database for a decentralized approach.
  • APIs are used to share required data between services.

---

Technology Stack

Service	Technology	Architecture
Driver Service	Node.js, Express, MVC	MVC
User Service	Node.js, Express, MVC	MVC
Ride Service	Django, MTV	MTV
Payment Service	Node.js, Express, MVC	MVC
Notification Service	Node.js, Express, MVC	MVC
Analytics Service	Nest.js, MVC	MVC

---

Scalability and Fault Tolerance

• Horizontal Scaling: Each service can be scaled independently.
• Database Isolation: Each service uses a dedicated database to ensure autonomy.
• Resilience: Services are loosely coupled to prevent cascading failures.

---

Security

• Authentication: User and driver authentication via secure tokens (e.g., JWT).
• Data Encryption: All sensitive data is encrypted in transit and at rest.
• API Gateway: Centralized API gateway for secure communication and routing.

---

Installation and Deployment

Prerequisites

• Docker (recommended for containerized deployment).
• Node.js, Python, and PostgreSQL installed locally (if not using Docker).

Steps

1. Clone the repositories for all services.

   git clone <repository_url>

2. Set up .env files for each service with appropriate configurations.

3. Run services:

   • Using Docker Compose:

     docker-compose up

   • Or manually start each service:

     npm start # Node.js services
     python manage.py runserver # Django service

4. Access APIs via the centralized API Gateway or directly at their respective endpoints.

---

Future Improvements

• Event-Driven Architecture: Introduce message queues for inter-service communication.
• Load Balancing: Implement load balancers to distribute traffic.
• Push Notifications: Integrate push notification services (e.g., Firebase).

This README provides a comprehensive guide to the architecture, components, and setup of the Ride-Hailing Backend.