Hi everyone!
I’m Amelia Hebrew, exploring full-stack development alongside my MBA in Data Science. I’m planning to build a small web app where users can upload and share interactive data visualizations. While exploring options, I realized that integrating a cloud computing solution could really simplify the backend setup, especially with serverless platforms or managed container services. This approach seems ideal for balancing scalability, cost, and ease of learning, while allowing me to focus more on building features than managing infrastructure.
I’m also mindful of best practices for securing uploads and user data, particularly for a small-scale hobby project. I’d love to hear from anyone who’s launched similar apps or experimented with cloud architectures your insights would be incredibly helpful as I plan my first deployment.
Top comments (2)
Hi Amelia,
Your project sounds exciting! Starting with a cloud-based approach is definitely a smart move, especially if you want to focus on building features without worrying too much about server management. For a small-scale web app, serverless platforms like AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, or Google Cloud Run can simplify deployment and automatically handle scaling. If you’re thinking about containers, managed container services like AWS Fargate or Google Cloud Run are great for learning while keeping operational overhead low.
Regarding security, make sure to validate and sanitize uploads, use encryption for sensitive data, and consider role-based access even for a hobby projectit prevents surprises if your app grows.
I recently shared a step-by-step approach on combining cloud architecture with interactive visualizations that balances scalability and security on my sitemight be helpful for your planning: Theresa Nelson
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Excited to see how your app turns out!
You could also try AWS EC2 with Ubuntu and install aaPanel. It helps manage backend easily. You can connect the server to GitHub, so when you push updates it auto deploys the site. If you want, I can help you set up the steps.