Analyze Backend Workflow

Purpose

Deep analysis of backend architecture, services, and patterns to document the server-side structure.

Important Configuration

ALWAYS check .ab-method/structure/index.yaml first to determine where to save the output documentation. Do not assume paths - they are configurable by the user.

Process

1. Initial Discovery

• Detect backend framework (Express, Django, Rails, Spring, etc.)
• Identify main language and runtime version
• Find entry point (server.js, app.py, main.go, etc.)
• Locate configuration files

2. API Architecture

• Map all API endpoints
• Document HTTP methods and routes
• Identify API versioning strategy
• Document request/response formats
• Analyze middleware chain

3. Database Layer

• Identify database type(s) (SQL, NoSQL, etc.)
• Document schema/models
• Map relationships between entities
• Identify migration strategy
• Document query patterns (ORM, raw SQL, etc.)

4. Authentication & Authorization

• Identify auth strategy (JWT, sessions, OAuth, etc.)
• Document user roles and permissions
• Map protected endpoints
• Analyze security middleware

5. Service Architecture

• Document service layer organization
• Identify business logic patterns
• Map internal service communication
• Document dependency injection patterns

6. External Integrations

• Third-party API integrations
• Message queues/brokers
• Cache layers (Redis, Memcached, etc.)
• File storage solutions
• Email/notification services

7. Background Jobs

• Job queue implementation
• Scheduled tasks/cron jobs
• Worker processes
• Event-driven processing

8. Error Handling & Logging

• Error handling patterns
• Logging strategy and tools
• Monitoring integration
• Debug configuration

9. Testing Strategy

• Unit test patterns
• Integration test setup
• API testing approach
• Test database configuration

Output

Location

Check .ab-method/structure/index.yaml for the output path. The workflow_outputs section will specify where to save the backend analysis results.

backend-patterns.md Structure:

# Backend Architecture

## Framework & Runtime
- Main framework and version
- Language and runtime version
- Key dependencies

## API Design
- Architecture style (REST, GraphQL, gRPC)
- Endpoint organization
- Versioning strategy
- Documentation approach

## Data Layer
- Database systems used
- Schema design patterns
- Query optimization strategies
- Caching strategy

## Authentication & Security
- Auth implementation
- Security measures
- Rate limiting
- CORS configuration

## Service Architecture
- Service organization
- Business logic patterns
- Dependency management
- Error boundaries

## External Services
- Third-party integrations
- Message systems
- Storage solutions
- Communication protocols

## Background Processing
- Job queue system
- Scheduled tasks
- Event processing
- Worker configuration

## DevOps & Deployment
- Environment configuration
- Container setup
- CI/CD pipeline
- Monitoring setup

## Testing Infrastructure
- Test strategies
- Mock patterns
- Test data management
- Coverage goals

Key Files to Analyze

• package.json, requirements.txt, go.mod, pom.xml, etc.
• Main application entry point
• Route/controller definitions
• Model/schema definitions
• Database configuration
• Middleware configuration
• Environment configuration files
• Docker/deployment files