System Architecture & Technology Stack

Overall Architecture Diagram

The MarsBase Platform uses a multi-layered architecture:

                +----------------------+
                |     Frontend UI      |
                | (Next.js & React)    |
                +----------+-----------+
                           |
                           | (HTTPS API calls)
                           v
       +---------------------------------------------------+
       |               Next.js API (Backend)               |
       | (Node.js, Express-style middleware, role checks)  |
       +----------+----------+-----------------------------+
                  |          |
                  |(Queries) | (External APIs, Blockchain)
                  v          v
   +----------------------+  +---------------------------------+
   |  PostgreSQL Database |  | External Integrations           |
   |  (Structured data,   |  |  Third-party services           |
   |  Users, Logs)        |  |  Blockchain networks            |
   +----------------------+  +--------------+-------------------+
                                           |
                                           v
                              +-----------------------------+
                              | IPFS + Cloudflare R2 (Docs) |
                              | (doc storage & distribution)|
                              +-----------------------------+

1. Frontend: Built with Next.js (React + TypeScript) for a user-friendly interface and server-side rendering
2. Backend: Next.js API routes provide REST-like endpoints, hosting business logic, user auth, role checks, etc.
3. Database: PostgreSQL for relational data (user profiles, structured data, status records)
4. Storage: Large file storage & distribution via IPFS (for immutability) + Cloudflare R2 (S3-like)
5. Integrations: External service providers, blockchain networks for smart contract interactions

This architecture ensures clean separation of concerns, scalability, and maintainable code structure.