Fundamentals of Backend Engineering

Course Title: Fundamentals of Backend Engineering

Headline: Master Backend Communication Design Patterns, Protocols, Execution, and Proxying! 🚀

Description:

Backend engineering is not just about writing code; it's a complex discipline that involves understanding the intricacies of how backend applications interact with clients. In this comprehensive course, I, Hussein Nasser—with over 18 years of experience in the field—will guide you through the fundamental principles and patterns that govern backend communication.

🚀 Core Communication Design Patterns:

• Learn about the most prevalent design patterns, such as request-response, publish-subscribe, streaming (short and long), and push.
• Understand how these patterns influence the way clients interact with backend systems.

🛠️ Common Protocols Explained:

• Dive into the world of high-level protocols like HTTP/1.1, HTTP/2, HTTP/3, gRPC, and WebRTC.
• Discover how protocols like QUIC enhance performance by building on top of TCP or UDP to solve specific problems.
• Get insights into the advantages and limitations of each protocol and their use cases.

🤝 Connection Establishment Insights:

• Gain a deep understanding of how connections are established from the kernel level to the backend application process.
• Learn techniques for optimizing connection acceptance rates to prevent kernel queue overflows.

✨ Request Parsing and Execution:

• Explore what constitutes a request and the importance of parsing it efficiently.
• Understand the impact of request parsing on performance and troubleshooting.

⚙️ Execution Patterns and Concurrency:

• Discover the various execution styles, including process-based, thread-based, multi-process, and multi-threaded models.
• Learn how CPU cores and hardware threads influence your choice of backend execution patterns.

🎓 Who Should Take This Course: This course is tailored for intermediate to advanced engineers who have hands-on experience with backend applications. A solid foundation in both programming and networking is expected, as this course will build upon those skills. If you're coming from a different background or need to sharpen your network engineering knowledge, I recommend starting with my "Fundamentals of Network Engineering" course before jumping into this one.

Why Take This Course?

• Practical Demos: Real-world examples and live demonstrations will help solidify the concepts covered.
• Expert Insights: Leverage Hussein Nasser's 18 years of backend engineering experience to enhance your knowledge.
• Engaging Content: This course is designed to be both educational and engaging, ensuring you stay interested from start to finish.

Join Us on a Journey to Master Backend Engineering! Whether you're looking to deepen your understanding or expand your skillset, this course will equip you with the knowledge needed to excel in backend engineering. Let's embark on this learning adventure together! 💻🎉

🌟 Overall Course Rating: 4.72/5

Pros:

• Expert Instructor: Hussein Nasser's passion for the subject matter and his ability to explain complex concepts in an understandable manner has been highly praised by students. His experience is evident and his teaching style is engaging, making learning enjoyable.
• Comprehensive Coverage: The course covers a wide range of fundamental topics, from HTTP basics to networking and backend systems, providing a solid foundation for learners at all levels, especially those transitioning into full-stack or backend development.
• Real-world Examples: Many reviewers appreciated the practical examples, particularly in the context of TCP/UDP servers, which helped them understand theoretical concepts better.
• Visual Aids: The use of diagrams and clear explanations has been beneficial for visual learners, helping to clarify complex ideas like OSI Model.
• Diverse Audience: The course is suitable for a range of audiences, from beginner to more experienced developers who want to fill in knowledge gaps or refresh their understanding of the basics.
• Engaging Content: The freestyle delivery has been described as entertaining and effective, with some learners finding it more accessible than formal or technical presentations.
• Deeper Insights: Some students reported gaining new perspectives on learning and software development in general, appreciating the course's approach to teaching.
• High Quality Information: The content is considered timeless and highly beneficial for any software engineer looking to deepen their understanding of backend systems and networking fundamentals.

Cons:

• Lengthy Lectures: Some reviewers found the lectures too long, with a few mentioning that they would have appreciated more concise explanations for certain topics.
• Assumed Knowledge: A few students felt that the course was aimed at a beginner level despite expecting an intermediary course, leading to some repetition of basic concepts.
• Pace and Clarity: A handful of reviewers found it challenging to follow the lecture's pace or felt that critical points were not always emphasized.
• Overwhelming Information: For some learners, especially those not familiar with IT/CS, the amount of new terminology and concepts could be overwhelming without prior knowledge.
• Chatting Style: A minor complaint was about the informal and sometimes chatty teaching style which could be confusing or distracting for learners who prefer a more structured approach.
• Redundancy: Some topics were explained multiple times, which some students found unnecessary and redundant.

Recommendations:

• Pre-requisites: It is recommended that learners have a foundational understanding of software engineering before diving into this course to fully benefit from the advanced content.
• Supplement with Other Resources: For those who find the course too basic or too advanced, it might be beneficial to use it as part of a larger curriculum alongside other resources tailored to their level.
• Engage with Content Actively: To maximize learning, students should actively engage with the material, replaying sections if necessary and supplementing with personal projects or exercises.

Final Verdict:

This course is highly recommended for its comprehensive coverage of backend systems, networking fundamentals, and real-world application through examples. It stands out due to its engaging teaching style and the expertise of Hussein Nasser. However, potential students should consider their current knowledge level and learning preferences to determine if this course aligns with their educational goals. For those who are committed to investing time and energy into understanding the backend landscape, this course offers valuable insights that can be applied throughout a career in software development.