How to evaluate this project quickly
This portfolio is meant to show how I think about systems, not just isolated frameworks. If you only have a few minutes, use the path below instead of browsing the repository blind.
1. Read the short summary
See what the project is, what was implemented, and what technical signals it is intended to demonstrate.
Open recruiter summary ->2. Open the public explainer
The interactive site explains the same system visually and makes the 12-layer model easy to inspect.
Open the explorer ->3. Jump to the real code
Use the implementation map below to inspect the API, database, server configs, security layer, and observability wiring.
Open implementation map ->4. Run the stack locally
The repo includes a one-command local demo with API, Postgres, Nginx, Prometheus, Grafana, and alerting.
Open the guided demo ->The 12 Layers
Layer 1 - Frontend
16 certifications, 3,600+ hours verified
Layer 2 - Backend / APIs
Express + Zod + shared metrics
Layer 3 - Database
PostgreSQL + migrations
Layer 4 - Servers
Nginx + PM2 + systemd
Layer 5 - Networking
TCP handshake, teardown, and full lifecycle visualizer
Layer 6 - Cloud Infrastructure
Three architecture scales with Terraform IaC
Layer 7 - CI/CD Pipelines
This site deploys itself and visualizes the pipeline
Layer 8 - Security
Helmet, CSP, rate limiting, and Zod
Layer 9 - Containers
Multi-stage Dockerfiles and runtime packaging
Layer 10 - CDN
Cache hit/miss simulator and Cache-Control builder
Layer 11 - Monitoring
Prometheus + Grafana live
Layer 12 - Backups & Recovery
DR planner with RPO/RTO calculator and runbook
Where the real system lives
If you want code instead of narrative, these are the highest-signal entry points inside the implementation repository.
Layer 2 - API
Express app assembly, middleware order, route composition, validation, and shared error normalization.
View apps/api-server ->Layer 3 - Database
Schema constraints, migrations, and seed data instead of hiding data design behind an ORM only.
View migrations ->Layer 4 - Servers
Nginx, PM2, and systemd configs for the non-container deployment path.
View server configs ->Layer 8 - Security
Focused middleware examples and tests for headers, CORS, rate limiting, and XSS-related concerns.
View security layer ->Layer 11 - Monitoring
Metrics package, Prometheus wiring, Grafana dashboards, and health-check patterns.
View metrics package ->System Boundary
The full local runtime is visible in one place: compose orchestration, container wiring, and provisioning config.
View docker-compose.fullstack.yml ->See it running live
One command spins up the entire stack with real metrics and observable runtime behavior.
One-command startup
Live Grafana dashboard
Prometheus targets
Healthy API + Nginx
Try the full stack on your machine in seconds
git clone https://github.com/MarkusIsaksson1982/fullstack-observatory.git && cd fullstack-observatory && npm install && npm run compose