Optimize Performance and Collaboration for
SaaS Platform
Overcoming challenges in platform scalability and user experience through innovative and real-time collaboration tools.
About
The Client
The client offers a subscription-based research platform designed to cater specific needs of K-12 students, educators, and researchers. This platform delivers an extensive research experience, featuring advanced tools for research, citation management, feedback, and collaboration. The interface supports genuine research practices and facilitates smooth collaboration among users. Key features include real-time collaboration, resource sharing, and the ability for educators to provide feedback on student projects.
The
Challenge
A leading provider of cloud-based EdTech faced challenges including:
Platform Scalability
Needed to scale efficiently to accommodate a growing user base of 1.5 million while maintaining high performance.
Monolithic Architecture
The legacy design limited the ability to update the platform quickly, creating bottlenecks.
User Experience
Required an interface that was user-friendly for students and educators, ensuring ease of use across a diverse audience.
Performance
Needed to deliver fast response times globally, accommodating users with varying internet speeds.
Real-Time Collaboration
Required support for seamless, real-time collaboration among multiple users working on shared projects simultaneously.
What Forgeahead Did
Microservices Architecture
Rebuilt the platform as microservices for easier updates and scalability.
Real-Time
Collaboration
Implemented Server-Sent Events (SSE) for instant, seamless updates during collaboration.
Enhanced
Search
Integrated Elasticsearch for fast and intuitive search across a large dataset.
Scalable
Backend
Upgraded to Python (FastAPI, Flask) and PHP8 for efficient, asynchronous request handling.
Optimized Data Handling
Used MySQL and DynamoDB for quick, scalable data management.
Real-time collaboration and a modern UI boosted user interaction.
Microservices cut go-to-market time for new features by 50%.
Handled 60,000 requests per second with sub-200ms response times.
Improved design led to more student engagement, project submissions, and collaborations.
Ensured compliance with data privacy regulations
Technology Stack
Python
PHP
JavaScript
Backbone
Server-Sent Events
Elasticsearch
ECS, S3, Lambda
LocalDB
Redis
DynamoDB
MySQL
Clever
Python
Microsoft365
What’s next?
Developing a Secure, Multi-Tenant SaaS Platform for Modern Learning
