Phase 3 — Advanced Stack

Overview

Welcome to Phase 3: Advanced Stack (Weeks 7–10). This phase transitions your engineering capabilities from core backend development to production-grade, distributed, high-performance architecture.

In this 4-week intensive phase, you will master modern frontend architecture with Next.js App Router, implement distributed event-driven systems using Apache Kafka, configure high-speed in-memory caching and session management with Redis, containerize your multi-tier applications using Docker and Docker Compose, establish automated CI/CD deployment pipelines, and conquer advanced algorithmic problem-solving techniques in Graphs and Dynamic Programming.

Note: All 4 tracks run in parallel throughout Weeks 7–10. Production-grade fullstack engineering requires balancing distributed backend messaging, high-performance web rendering, container orchestration, and algorithmic problem-solving.

Parallel Tracks

Weekly Breakdown

Week 7: Modern Frontend & In-Memory Caching

• Track I (Next.js): App Router fundamentals, Server Components vs Client Components, dynamic routing, nested layouts, and metadata configuration.
• Track J (Kafka + Redis): Redis core data structures, CLI commands, caching strategies (Cache-Aside, Write-Through), and Spring Boot Cache integration.
• Track K (Docker + DevOps): Advanced Git workflows (rebasing, cherry-picking, interactive conflict resolution) and foundational Linux server administration.
• Track L (DSA Advanced): Graph representations, BFS/DFS traversal patterns, connected components, and cycle detection in directed and undirected graphs.

Week 8: Event-Driven Systems & Containerization

• Track I (Next.js): Data fetching paradigms (SSR, SSG, ISR), Server Actions, Route Handlers, and cache revalidation strategies.
• Track J (Kafka + Redis): Event-driven architecture principles, Kafka topics, partitions, consumer groups, Spring Kafka producers, and consumers.
• Track K (Docker + DevOps): Multi-stage Dockerfiles, Docker CLI mastery, and containerizing Spring Boot and Next.js applications.
• Track L (DSA Advanced): Topological sorting (Kahn's algorithm), Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm, Disjoint Set Union (Union-Find), and MST algorithms.

Week 9: Orchestration, Pipeline Automation & Dynamic Programming

• Track I (Next.js): Next.js Middleware, route interceptors, parallel slots, lazy loading, and bundle optimization.
• Track J (Kafka + Redis): Dead Letter Topics (DLT), retry mechanisms, Redis rate limiting, session stores, and Redis Pub/Sub.
• Track K (Docker + DevOps): Multi-container orchestration with Docker Compose (Spring Boot + PostgreSQL + MongoDB + Redis + Kafka), GitHub Actions CI/CD pipelines.
• Track L (DSA Advanced): Dynamic Programming fundamentals, memoization vs tabulation, and classic 1D DP problems (Coin Change, House Robber, LIS).

Week 10: Cloud Deployment & Fullstack Capstone Integration

• Track I (Next.js): Production deployments to Vercel and containerized environments, performance tuning, and Lighthouse audits.
• Track J (Kafka + Redis): End-to-end integration of event-driven asynchronous microservices with caching layers.
• Track K (Docker + DevOps): Cloud provisioning (AWS EC2, S3, RDS), automated container deployments, SSL/TLS, and custom domain setup.
• Track L (DSA Advanced): 2D Dynamic Programming (LCS, Edit Distance, Knapsack), Tries, Greedy algorithms, reaching 200+ cumulative solved problems.

Phase 3 Projects

• Fullstack Capstone: Build a production-grade application integrating the complete modern stack:
  • Tech Stack: Spring Boot + Next.js + PostgreSQL + MongoDB + Redis + Kafka + Docker Compose.
  • Core Capabilities: Secure authentication/authorization, real-time features/WebSockets, Redis caching layer, event-driven architecture with Kafka, and full multi-container orchestration.
  • Project Ideas:
    • Enterprise Project Management Platform (Jira / Linear clone): Issue tracking, audit logging, Kafka notifications, real-time board updates.
    • High-Concurrency E-Commerce Engine: Flash-sale inventory locking with Redis, asynchronous order processing with Kafka, SSR product catalog.
    • Event-Driven Social Platform: Feed generation, activity streams, real-time chat, media storage on AWS S3.
    • Financial SaaS / Budget Tracker Pro: Multi-currency ledger, transaction event sourcing, analytical dashboards with caching.
• DSA: Solve 200+ LeetCode problems (cumulative target) with strong proficiency across Graphs, DP, Tries, and Greedy algorithms.
• Revisit Portfolio: Upgrade your portfolio with Next.js, featuring modern styling, dark mode, dynamic project showcases, and blog documentation.

Phase 3 Checkpoint

Before advancing to Phase 4 (Job Ready & AI-Era Skills), verify all milestones below:

• Built and deployed a fullstack application with Next.js App Router and Spring Boot.
• Integrated Redis for query caching, session storage, and rate limiting with Spring Cache annotations.
• Implemented an event-driven workflow using Apache Kafka with consumer groups and error handling (DLT).
• Fully containerized a multi-service architecture using Docker and Docker Compose.
• Configured automated GitHub Actions workflows for continuous integration and automated testing.
• Deployed backend services to AWS/cloud and Next.js to Vercel with custom domains and SSL.
• Solved 200+ cumulative problems on LeetCode covering Graphs, DP, Tries, and Greedy algorithms.