A Critical risk for app with 700 million users
ROLE
Senior Software Engineer
EXPERTISE
Backend & Frontend
YEAR
2021
Redesign the authentication system
I joined a subscription-based company, where I spent three years. Today, I'll highlight an authentication project. As the company grew, we needed a major shift, including implementing cross-domain authentication.
Our first priority was designing a migration strategy that would transition users seamlessly. With millions of users, a full migration wasn’t feasible, so we developed a system for gradually shifting users to the new authentication platform.
Ok, What are the core challenges?
The authentication system is the cornerstone of any application, bringing significant impacts. Here were the key challenges we faced: supporting new signups, ensuring zero downtime, migrating data, security, handling multiple social logins, sharing identities across platforms, and optimizing for mobile. On top of the technical hurdles, we also faced non-technical challenges, as the company was undergoing organizational changes that added additional pressure to the project.
Communication and documentation were key to maintaining the source of truth.
Source of truth
Despite these challenges, I focused on holding meaningful meetings and taking full ownership of documenting every detail. This allowed us to preserve the initial software design. Since it was a user-facing feature, I tested various aspects and worked with QA team closely.
I gained key insights into building authentication, implementing strong security concepts, and working with microservices, all while collaborating closely with mobile teams. Each aspect was challenging due to tight deadlines, but I successfully navigated them. I truly enjoyed the entire project and look forward to joining similar ones in the future, now with even more experience.