Whiteboard collaboration service

A NestJS backend service to enable real-time collaboration on a whiteboards.

Features

• Authentication & Authorization
• Inactivity tracker
• Contribution tracker
• Auto safe
• Real-time collaboration

Implementation

1. A client is requesting to connect to the collaboration service. The service will consult with the alkemio-server through a message queue who is this client. If the client is authenticated the client can join.
2. A client is requesting to collaborate on a whiteboard. The service will consult with the alkemio-server through a message queue if this client is authorized to do so.
3. If the client is authorized, the alkemio-server will return information regarding the whiteboard

• the access levels
• is it multi-user
• how many users can collaborate at a time
• the collaboration level of the client

4. Trackers

• Inactivity - If the user hasn't been activty for a while, based on inactivity interactions with the whiteboard, the service will reduce the collaboration level to view-only. The client is also notified of this change, so it can take proper actions, like changing the view, disabling controls, etc.
• Contributions - If the user has made contributions in a certain time window, the service will notify the alkemio-server, so it can register a contribution.
• Auto save - The service will auto save the whiteboard state to the database on intervals. The current implementation will ask users of the whiteboard, with the appropriate access in a random fashion to save it.