After successfully setting up a Linux server and configuring Nginx in Stage 0, I took things further in Stage 1 by building and deploying a minimal backend API — focusing not just on development, but on how services run in production.
What I Built
A lightweight API with 3 endpoints:
-
/→ Confirms the API is running -
/health→ Health check endpoint -
/me→ Returns my profile details
All endpoints:
✔ Return JSON (application/json)
✔ Respond with HTTP 200
✔ Optimized for <500ms response time
Deployment Approach
- Provisioned a cloud VPS
- Ran the app on a non-public port (security best practice)
- Configured Nginx as a reverse proxy to handle public traffic
- Ensured high availability using a persistent service (
systemd)
Key Learning
As a DevOps engineer, deploying isn’t just about infrastructure — it’s about understanding the application lifecycle, performance, and reliability from the inside out.
Live API: http://my-live-domain-or-ip
GitHub Repo: https://github.com/Techgirli
This project strengthened my skills in:
- Linux server management
- Reverse proxy configuration with Nginx
- Service reliability & process management
- API structure and performance optimization
On to the next stage
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