Interview Prep Roadmap — Backend Engineering, System Design

1. 01

   Node.js Fundamentals

   5 topics

   • Node.js Architectureintermediate
   • Modules & Package Managementbeginner
   • File System & Processbeginner
   • Streams & Buffersadvanced
   • Events & EventEmitterintermediate
2. 02

   Building APIs

   5 topics

   • HTTP Fundamentalsbeginner
   • Express & Fastifybeginner
   • Middleware Patternsintermediate
   • Validation & Error Handlingintermediate
   • CRUD API End-to-Endintermediate
3. 03

   API Design

   6 topics

   • REST Design Principlesintermediate
   • Versioning, Pagination & Filteringintermediate
   • API Documentation & OpenAPIintermediate
   • tRPC & End-to-end Typesintermediate
   • GraphQL Overviewintermediate
   • gRPC & Webhooksadvanced
4. 04

   Databases for Backend

   7 topics

   • SQL Fundamentalsbeginner
   • Relational Data Modelingintermediate
   • Transactions & ACIDadvanced
   • Indexing & Query Performanceadvanced
   • MongoDB & Document Modelingintermediate
   • ORMs & Query Buildersintermediate
   • Redis & Caching Layerintermediate
5. 05

   Authentication & Security

   6 topics

   • Authentication Fundamentalsintermediate
   • JWT in Depthintermediate
   • OAuth 2.0 & OpenID Connectadvanced
   • Password & Credential Securityintermediate
   • API Security (OWASP)advanced
   • Rate Limiting & CORSintermediate
6. 06

   Real-time & Messaging

   3 topics

   • WebSockets on the Serveradvanced
   • Server-Sent Eventsintermediate
   • Message Queues & Background Jobsadvanced
7. 07

   Backend in Production

   6 topics

   • Logging & Monitoringintermediate
   • Testing Backend Servicesintermediate
   • Scaling Node.jsadvanced
   • Backpressure & Streaming Responsesadvanced
   • Multi-tenancy Patternsadvanced
   • Serverless Backend Patternsadvanced
8. 08

   Foundations

   4 topics

   • Scalability Fundamentalsintermediate
   • Back-of-Envelope Estimationintermediate
   • CAP & Consistency Modelsadvanced
   • The Interview Frameworkintermediate
9. 09

   Networking & Traffic

   3 topics

   • DNS, CDN & Edgeintermediate
   • Load Balancingintermediate
   • Proxies & API Gatewaysintermediate
10. 10

    Data Storage at Scale

    4 topics

    • SQL vs NoSQLintermediate
    • Replicationadvanced
    • Sharding & Partitioningadvanced
    • Specialized Storageintermediate
11. 11

    Caching at Scale

    2 topics

    • Caching Architectureintermediate
    • Cache Consistency & Failure Modesadvanced
12. 12

    Messaging & Event-Driven Systems

    3 topics

    • Queues & Pub/Subintermediate
    • Kafka & Event Logsadvanced
    • Event-Driven Architectureadvanced
13. 13

    Distributed Systems Concepts

    5 topics

    • Distributed Fundamentalsadvanced
    • Consensus & Coordinationadvanced
    • Idempotency & Reliable Deliveryadvanced
    • Distributed Transactionsadvanced
    • Rate Limiting & Load Sheddingadvanced

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