Nexus Platform Mockup

Nexus

Vishal Aidasani
EdTech / Resource Aggregation
Backend Developer
Role
2024
Timeline
1,200+ Active
Users
Visit Nexus
Nexus Screenshot 1
Nexus Screenshot 2
Nexus Screenshot 3

About this project

A resource aggregation platform serving 1,200+ students through zero-auth architecture backed by server-side caching.
Python Flask React Google Drive API Caching

The Problem

Students at PDEU relied on scattered Google Drive links shared across WhatsApp groups and social media. Resources were hard to find, links broke without notice, and there was no unified interface to browse, filter, or search course materials. Nexus solves this by aggregating Drive-hosted files into a single, fast interface — with no login required.

Design Decisions

Zero Authentication

No login walls. Google Drive folders are set to public access, and the backend proxies metadata without exposing API credentials to the client.

Server-Side Caching

TTL-based in-memory cache reduces Drive API calls from thousands per hour to a handful. Serves stale responses if the API is unreachable.

Fast Iteration

React frontend consumes a clean REST endpoint. File metadata is served pre-processed — thumbnails, names, sizes — so the UI stays responsive.

System Architecture

The backend acts as a thin caching proxy between the client and Google Drive. This keeps the API key server-side, enforces rate limits locally, and enables serving pre-processed metadata to the frontend.

Data Flow

Google Drive
API
Flask Cache Layer
REST API
React UI

Technical Details

  • Data Source: Course-wise Google Drive folders set to public link sharing. The backend fetches file metadata via the Drive API v3.
  • Cache Strategy: TTL-based in-memory cache with configurable expiry. Cache invalidation via manual trigger or periodic refresh.
  • API Key Security: The Google API key is stored server-side and never exposed to the frontend. All Drive interactions happen through the Flask middleware.
  • Frontend: React SPA consumes the REST endpoint. Supports search, semester filtering, and file-type based rendering.

Why No Auth?

Authentication adds unnecessary friction for students who need quick access to study materials. By using public Drive folders and proxying metadata server-side, we get zero-login access while keeping API credentials secure. The backend acts as a trust boundary — the frontend never touches Google APIs directly.

Trade-offs & Metrics

Cache Hit Ratio

~98%

API calls reduced from thousands/hour to a handful per cache cycle.

Response Time

<50ms

Cached responses vs 300-500ms cold Drive API calls.

API Cost

Zero

Stays well within Google Drive API free quota thanks to caching.

Failover

Graceful

Stale cache serves content even if Drive API is temporarily unreachable.