Software EngineeringBackend & APIsAdvancedTrending

Production Node.js at Scale

Backend architecture, observability, and the unglamorous parts that keep you up at night.

4.8 (112) 54 lessons · 7 modules 18h720 studentsLanguage: English

Taught by

Vikram Nair

Director of Engineering at Postman · Bengaluru

What you’ll learn

  • How the Node.js event loop actually works and what blocks it
  • Setting up structured logging, metrics, and distributed tracing
  • Graceful shutdown and connection draining
  • Worker threads and when to use them
  • Securing a Node.js backend without over-engineering

About this course

A course for engineers who have shipped Node.js apps and want to operate them better. We cover the event loop, observability, graceful shutdown, worker threads, and the security posture that actually matters. Taught by a director of engineering who has run Node.js platforms at scale.

Curriculum

7 modules · 54 lessons · 18h

1

The Node.js event loop in production

2 lessons

What actually blocks, and how to find it.

  • Event loop phasesPreview22 min
  • Finding blocking code with clinic.js18 min
2

Observability that actually works

2 lessons

Structured logging, metrics, and tracing.

  • Structured logging with pino15 min
  • OpenTelemetry for Node.js25 min

Requirements

  • 2+ years of Node.js in production
  • Comfortable with async patterns
  • Some exposure to Docker and a cloud provider

Who this course is for

  • Backend engineers operating Node.js in production
  • SREs who want to understand Node.js failure modes
  • Tech leads setting up Node.js infrastructure

Your tutor

Vikram Nair

Director of Engineering at Postman · Bengaluru

4.8 (112)2.1k students2 courses

Backend architect who has scaled API platforms at Postman and previously at Freshworks. Teaches API design and backend architecture with the pragmatism of someone who has broken production and fixed it.

Student reviews

4.8

112 ratings

5
78%
4
16%
3
4%
2
1%
1
1%

Faisal Ahmad

10 Sept 2024

19 found this helpful

The observability module alone is worth it

We were flying blind before applying the patterns from this course. The OpenTelemetry setup walkthrough saved me a week of trial and error.

Frequently asked questions

Is this about Express or Fastify?
Neither specifically. The concepts apply to any HTTP framework. Examples use Fastify.
Do I need Kubernetes experience?
No. The course is about Node.js, not orchestration. Docker basics are assumed.