SSB9 Tech Stack: Step 2 ‐ Backend Application (Java‐based REST APIs) - Arch-Node/personal_studies GitHub Wiki

Back to SSB9 Tech Stack Overview

The backend of Ellucian Self-Service Banner 9 (SSB9) is built on Java-based microservices that provide data processing, business logic, and API endpoints for the frontend.

• The frontend (Angular/React) sends requests to the Ellucian REST API server.
• Requests are routed through an API Gateway, which handles authentication and load balancing.
• Institutions may use Ellucian Ethos Integration or a third-party API Gateway (e.g., Kong, AWS API Gateway) for routing and security.
• Example API call:

  GET /api/student/advising/appointments
  Authorization: Bearer {JWT_TOKEN}

SSB9 uses a microservices architecture, where different services handle specific functionalities.

Each API is built using Spring Boot and follows RESTful principles, returning JSON responses.

• The backend retrieves data from the Oracle (or PostgreSQL, depending on deployment) database using:
  • JPA (Java Persistence API) / Hibernate ORM for database interactions.
  • Native SQL queries for complex reports.
• Example JPA Repository:

  @Repository
  public interface AdvisingRepository extends JpaRepository<AdvisingAppointment, Long> {
      List<AdvisingAppointment> findByStudentId(Long studentId);
  }

• API requests require authentication via OAuth2 / JWT tokens.
• Security is enforced using Spring Security, validating access rights.
• Example secured API endpoint:

  @RestController
  @RequestMapping("/api/student/advising")
  public class AdvisingController {
      @GetMapping("/appointments")
      @PreAuthorize("hasRole('STUDENT')")
      public ResponseEntity<List<AdvisingAppointment>> getAppointments() {
          return ResponseEntity.ok(advisingService.getAppointments());
      }
  }

• Centralized exception handling is implemented using @ControllerAdvice.
• Logging is managed using Logback, and institutions may integrate with a monitoring stack (ELK, Splunk, or Prometheus/Grafana).
• Example global exception handler:

  @ControllerAdvice
  public class GlobalExceptionHandler {
      @ExceptionHandler(Exception.class)
      public ResponseEntity<String> handleException(Exception e) {
          return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR).body(e.getMessage());
      }
  }

User → Frontend (Angular/React) → API Call → API Gateway → Microservices → Database → JSON Response → Frontend UI

The backend in SSB9 ensures secure, efficient, and scalable communication between the frontend and database. It is responsible for processing business logic, retrieving/storing data, and securely exposing API endpoints for seamless user interaction.