SOBIE Conference API Documentation

SOBIE Document Management System

Overview

A comprehensive document management system for storing and serving conference PDFs including programs, proceedings, schedules, and other conference materials.

Storage Architecture

Filesystem + Database Hybrid Approach

PDF files: Stored in organized directory structure on filesystem
Metadata: Stored in MongoDB for fast queries and access control
Best of both worlds: File performance + database features

Directory Structure

uploads/documents/
├── 2024/
│   ├── program/
│   ├── proceedings/
│   ├── schedule/
│   ├── poster/
│   └── presentation/
├── 2025/
│   ├── program/
│   ├── proceedings/
│   ├── schedule/
│   ├── poster/
│   └── presentation/
└── 2026/
    └── ...

Features

🔐 Access Control

Public documents: Available to all users
Role-based access: Documents restricted to specific roles
Registration requirement: Documents requiring conference registration
Uploader permissions: Original uploaders always have access

📊 Document Management

File integrity: SHA-256 checksums prevent corruption
Duplicate detection: Automatic detection of identical files
Version control: Track document versions and history
Metadata-rich: Comprehensive document information

🔍 Search & Discovery

Advanced filtering: By year, category, track, public status
Text search: Search titles, descriptions, and keywords
Pagination: Efficient browsing of large document collections
Download tracking: Monitor document access and popularity

📈 Analytics & Statistics

Upload statistics: Documents by category and year
Download tracking: Most popular documents
Storage analytics: File sizes and storage usage
User engagement: Access patterns and trends

API Endpoints

Public Access

GET /api/documents - List documents (with access control)
GET /api/documents/:id - Get document details
GET /api/documents/:id/download - Download document file

Admin/Organizer Only

POST /api/documents/upload - Upload new document
GET /api/documents/admin/stats - Get document statistics

Authenticated Users

PUT /api/documents/:id - Update document metadata
DELETE /api/documents/:id - Delete/archive document

Upload Process

1. File Upload

curl -X POST /api/documents/upload \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -F "document=@conference-program-2025.pdf" \
  -F "title=SOBIE 2025 Conference Program" \
  -F "category=program" \
  -F "conferenceYear=2025" \
  -F "isPublic=true"

2. Automatic Processing

File saved to organized directory structure
SHA-256 checksum calculated for integrity
Duplicate detection performed
Database record created with metadata

3. Access Control Applied

Permission checks on all access attempts
Role-based restrictions enforced
Download tracking initiated

Security Features

File Security

Type validation: Only PDF files accepted
Size limits: 50MB maximum file size
Checksum verification: File integrity protection
Safe filenames: Sanitized filename generation

Access Security

Authentication required: Most operations require login
Role-based permissions: Fine-grained access control
Upload restrictions: Only admins/organizers can upload
Audit trail: Track all document access and modifications

Example Usage

Upload Conference Program

const formData = new FormData();
formData.append('document', file);
formData.append('title', 'SOBIE 2025 Conference Program');
formData.append('description', 'Complete program including schedules, speakers, and sessions');
formData.append('category', 'program');
formData.append('conferenceYear', '2025');
formData.append('isPublic', 'true');
formData.append('keywords', '["program", "schedule", "2025"]');

const response = await fetch('/api/documents/upload', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}` },
  body: formData
});

Search Documents

const response = await fetch('/api/documents?category=program&conferenceYear=2025&search=keynote');
const data = await response.json();

Download Document

window.open(`/api/documents/${documentId}/download`);

Database Schema Highlights

Document Model

{
  title: "Conference Program",
  category: "program",
  filename: "1234567890-conference_program_2025.pdf",
  filePath: "uploads/documents/2025/program/1234567890-conference_program_2025.pdf",
  fileSize: 2048576,
  checksum: "a1b2c3d4e5f6...",
  conferenceYear: 2025,
  isPublic: true,
  allowedRoles: ["attendee", "presenter"],
  downloadCount: 142,
  uploadedBy: ObjectId("..."),
  status: "active"
}

Performance Optimizations

Database Indexes

Conference year + category (common queries)
Upload user (permission checks)
Public status + active status (public listings)
Publish date + expiry date (scheduling)

File Serving

Direct filesystem access for downloads
Proper HTTP headers for caching
Stream-based file delivery for large files
CDN-ready architecture

Best Practices

For Administrators

Organize by year and category for easy management
Use descriptive titles for better searchability
Set appropriate permissions based on content sensitivity
Regular cleanup of old or obsolete documents

For Developers

Always check permissions before serving files
Handle file errors gracefully (missing files, corruption)
Monitor storage usage and implement cleanup policies
Log document access for security and analytics

Backup Strategy

File Backups

Regular filesystem backups of uploads/documents/ directory
Incremental backups for efficiency
Cloud storage synchronization for disaster recovery

Database Backups

Regular MongoDB backups including document metadata
Consistent backup timing with file backups
Restoration procedures documented and tested

Migration from Database Storage

If you currently store PDFs in the database:

Export existing documents from database
Save to filesystem using organized directory structure
Update document records with file paths
Remove binary data from database
Test access permissions and download functionality

This hybrid approach provides the best performance, scalability, and maintainability for conference document management!