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Open Source · MIT License

Backend & Systems
Engineering Handbook

A structured, open-source knowledge base for mastering backend engineering — from fundamental data structures through distributed systems design. Built for interview prep and deep structured learning.

6 phases
30+ topics
Free forever

Phase 01

Programming Fundamentals

Core data structures and algorithmic thinking — the foundation everything else is built on.

7 topics

Arrays

pages/arrays.html

HashMap

pages/hashmap.html

Linked List

pages/linkedlist.html

Stack

pages/stack.html

Queue

pages/queue.html

Trees

pages/trees.html

Graphs

pages/graphs.html

Phase 02

Core Computer Science

OS internals, network protocols, and database theory that underpin all production software.

3 topics

Operating Systems

pages/operating-systems.html

Networking

pages/networking.html

Databases

pages/databases.html

Phase 03

Backend Engineering

API design patterns, authentication flows, and security practices for production systems.

4 topics

REST API Design

pages/rest-api.html

Authentication

pages/authentication.html

Authorization

pages/authorization.html

API Security

pages/api-security.html

Phase 04

Advanced Backend

Performance engineering: caching, async messaging, events, and storage systems.

4 topics

Caching

pages/caching.html

Message Queues

pages/message-queues.html

Event Driven Systems

pages/event-driven.html

File Storage

pages/file-storage.html

Phase 05

System Design

Large-scale architecture: scalability patterns, load distribution, and distributed systems theory.

4 topics

Scalability

pages/scalability.html

Load Balancing

pages/load-balancing.html

Sharding

pages/sharding.html

Distributed Systems

pages/distributed-systems.html

Phase 06

Infrastructure

Containers, deployment pipelines, cloud platforms, and production observability.

4 topics

Docker

pages/docker.html

CI/CD

pages/cicd.html

Cloud Basics

pages/cloud-basics.html

Monitoring

pages/monitoring.html