System Architecture

Architectural Philosophy

OuSpark was designed with a microservices inspired architecture that prioritizes scalability, performance, and maintainability. Our solution addresses each identified problem through targeted technological interventions.

---

High-Level Architecture

---

Core Components Overview

1. Data Acquisition Layer

Component	Technology	Purpose
Web Scraper	Python + Custom Algorithms	Ultra-fast result extraction (10K+ results in 5 min)
Data Validation	Pydantic + Custom Logic	Ensure data integrity and consistency

2. Processing & Storage Layer

Component	Technology	Purpose
ETL Pipeline	14 Stages (FastAPI)	Transform raw data into actionable insights
Development DB	PostgreSQL	Local processing and validation
Production DB	Supabase PostgreSQL	Live application data store

3. Performance Layer

Component	Technology	Purpose
Caching	Redis (Upstash)	90% reduction in I/O bandwidth
Edge Functions	Supabase Edge	Optimized API responses
CDN	GitHub Pages	Static asset delivery

4. Application Layer

Component	Technology	Purpose
Cross-Platform App	Flutter + Dart	Unified experience across platforms
UI/UX Design	Figma + Lottie/Rive	Professional, animated interfaces

---

Technology Stack Rationale

Frontend Decision

Criteria	Flutter	React Nativ	Native
Cross-Platform	✅ Excellent	✅ Good	❌ Platform-specific
Performance	✅ Near-native	⚠️ Good	✅ Best
Development Speed	✅ Fast	✅ Fast	❌ Slow
Supabase Integration	✅ Excellent	✅ Good	⚠️ Manual
Team Expertise	✅ High	⚠️ Medium	❌ Limited

Decision: Flutter selected for optimal cross-platform development with strong Supabase integration.

---

Backend Decision

Criteria	Supabase	Firebase	Custom Backend
PostgreSQL Support	✅ Native	❌ No	✅ Manual Setup
Real-time Features	✅ Built-in	✅ Built-in	❌ Custom Implementation
Scalability	✅ Automatic	✅ Automatic	⚠️ Manual
Cost Efficiency	✅ Good	⚠️ Can be expensive	❌ High maintenance
JSON Support	✅ JSONB	⚠️ Document-based	✅ Manual

Decision: Supabase chosen for PostgreSQL compatibility with JSON support and comprehensive BaaS features.

---

Caching Architecture

graph LR
A[User Request] --> B{Redis Cache}
B -->|Hit| C[Fast Response]
B -->|Miss| D[Database Query]
D --> E[Update Cache]
E --> C

---

Database Technology

Database	Pros	Cons	Decision
MySQL	✅ Familiar, reliable	❌ Limited JSON support	❌ Rejected
SQLite	✅ Simple, file-based	❌ Not suitable for concurrent access	❌ Rejected
MongoDB	✅ JSON-native, flexible	❌ No SQL for analytics	❌ Rejected
PostgreSQL	✅ SQL + JSONB support	✅ Perfect fit	✅ Selected

---