The basic BaaS Features you should consider

We are living in a digital age, where every day new mobile applications are arriving and bringing new technology to the users. There is another emerging trend getting popularity and people are calling that BaaS (Backend as a Service), sometimes it is also known as mBaaS. BaaS is an amazing approach for providing mobile and web applications a way to connect to the backend cloud storage and backend processing along with some common BaaS features which are important to integrate into various types of mobile applications. Although BaaS is comparatively a recent implementation in the world of cloud computing but it is helping mobile application and web developers to manage the backend services more effectively and efficiently. Even more, it is also allowing the users to focus more on the core features of the front end and user services in the best possible way.

List of the most common BaaS Features

Well, with the growth of mobile devices, the number of BaaS providers are also working hard to provide emerging and latest features which can meet the requirements of creating, managing and deploying mobile application life cycle in a more effective way. However, when it comes to choosing the best BaaS option to tackle mobile and web application development processes in the best possible way then it is highly important to know about the most common Backend as a Service Features to make a better decision. So, here we have brought some of the most important yet common BaaS features which are necessary to know for everyone.

So, one of the features of Baas is: 

1.      Data Management

As the mobile devices contain limited storage capacity and much of the date which is required by the mobile applications normally resides on third-party data providers or databases. Even more, if a mobile device gets lost then there are higher chances that a determined attacker may find a way to access your device data, he gets their hands on. Well, this is also a thing to notice that most of the people normally use applications from multiple devices and want a unified app state, data set, and unified profile. However, to manage the things, an inescapable solution is that the persistent data is best when kept on a safe and secure backend service. It is because, there data could be analyzed, filtered and aggregated more easily with the help of powerful virtual machines. Mobile Backend as a Service has the ability to provide a more convenient client application to secure and encrypt data communication along with persistent storage and client synchronization. Some BaaS players will provide a database abstraction that will allow users to view and manage data in a Javascript Datagrid format.

2.      Real-time database

More often the real-time databases of the mobile applications are NoSQL cloud-hosted databases that are capable of letting the users store and sync data in real-time. This BaaS feature can also help you to collaborate easily with multiple devices in the best possible way. With real-time databases, it will become easier for you to manage real-time syncing and this can make it efficient and simpler for the users to access their required data from any device whether mobile or web application.

More importantly, in such a situation when a user is going to be offline or is unable to establish a connection with the server, then real-time database SDKs will utilize the local cache of the device to provide and store changes. However, when the device will establish a connection with the server then device data will be synchronized automatically.

3.      User authentication

BaaS login features encompass user authentication. Security is one of the most important options and top priorities to consider when dealing with internet-based mobile applications. Well, when users are utilizing any application source then the service provider has to be doubly sure about the authentication of the users. However, when it comes to choosing the best option to integrate user authentication feature then various mBaaS options are handling all of the user authentication options for the applications in a more effective way. With the help of these amazing features, you will be able to rest assured that the user authentication feature is working well and you do not have to deal with the stress in this regard.

4.      Two Factor Authentication

Traditionally, there is no simple way to implement the two-factor authentication process in the best possible way. Two-factor identification is one of the most important security features which can ensure the safety of applications in a more effective way. While various BaaS services are offering two-factor authentication to all applications and all users. This is usually a part of the default implementations of these services.

5.      Social Integration

Most of the mBaaS options are offering built-in features of user-management. When it comes to choosing the best BaaS option then it is highly important for you to must know whether these services will allow you to create a user or to focus on social integration such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Apple, etc. Well, it is a common practice that most of the target users never want to create separate files to login and use different applications. Therefore, the integration of Social platforms is highly important to consider. It is because these BaaS features can help the users to log in or access data with the third-party applications with ease.

6.      Email Verification

When it comes to registering a user with an email address then it is highly important to add the feature of email verification to ensure better services and security in the best possible way. Therefore, email verification feature enabling is crucial. Well, various BaaS options are offering free email verification services too to utilize for the developers which will let you use this feature without reinventing the wheel.

7.      REST API

BaaS contains dozens of attractive features that can help the developers to achieve the backend goals of their web and mobile applications in the best possible way. These services have the ability to convert any codeless or coded logic into an API with the help of REST API and SDKs. With this, you can get a better opportunity to see the REST endpoints of your API services with ease. Even more, these services will also help you to invoke any of the required methods and inspect the responses of the services more effectively.

8.      GraphQL API

GraphQL API is important to consider in the development stack. It is actually a query language for the API and executing queries of the server-side on the basis of the system type which you have defined for your data. More importantly, GraphQL API is solving problems that could not be addressed by other API options like REST. While using BaaS for deploying GraphQL API will help you in the automation of database management and running infrastructure as well as it will reduce the development cost to some extent with ease.

9.      Cloud Code Functions

Cloud code functions are normally JavaScript-based single-purpose code functions that are being executed in a managed and secured Node.JS environment. These functions are being executed only when any specific watched event is emitted. You can create Cloud code functions that can be triggered by various products such as in real-time database’s data change, new user sign-up, conversion events in analytics, etc. However, deploying the code to the servers of BaaS requires 1 or 2 simple commands only and after that cloud, functions can scale up computing resources automatically to match the application’s user patterns in the best possible way. Even more, you do not have to be worried about server configuration, SSH credentials, provisioning new while decommissioning the previous servers.

10.  Geolocation

Geolocation is one of the most effective systems which is helping location-aware applications development. Using mBaaS geolocation features, a mobile application can add location concept instantly to anything it has to operate on including data objects, place of interests, users, etc. these systems normally have intuitive APIs which are available for iOS, Android, REST, .NET, JS, etc. Even more, Geolocation services come with console enabling management highly intuitive management, security, and administration of the data policies. These can bring a more attractive user-interface to view the data of your locations on a map with ease.

11.  Push Notifications

For interfacing, various mobile applications with multiple client notification Application user interfaces is a chore. However, Mobile Backend as a Service has the ability to resolve this by offering a queue of central notifications which can intermediate between mobile client subscribers and back-end notification publishers. mBaaS can offer simple APIs which will allow backend applications to send message to any client or a particular device which has subscribed to SNS (Simple Notification Service) topic. This can also enable the applications to receive notifications from multiple services.

12.  Third-Party Integrations

Enterprise applications must use some information from the previous backend systems such as Finance, ERP, HR, etc. Startups and SMBs may require to connect to services like Stripe, Twilio, Sendgrid, etc. Well, mobile applications may also require functions and information from third-party applications such as any third-party data providing services. To facilitate this process in mobile applications backend as a service is providing API gateways and storage options that can provide this type of access and also help in processing the data on the cloud in situ before the information is going to be passed back to the device of the client. Even more, API gateways are also ensuring that mobile applications are easier to extend with more ease.

13.  Logs

Various BaaS are containing the feature of saving logs. Most commonly, the open-source frameworks are storing server logs that can be accessed by accessing the servers and extracting regular information from it. While for web interfaces you can also get an option to access request logs, along with a total number of requests, time of execution, time/date, etc. and in some BaaS, you can also get the feature of console logs which can be accessed in different ways. However, Logs is also one of the most effective mBaaS features which can help you to access a complete and well-detailed report about various activities of your platform with ease.

14.  CDN

CDN is also known as Content Delivery Network. Implementation of the content delivery network is also important to improve the performance of the application by reducing latency. It can help in distributing content in a more effective way. Traditionally, it can be a difficult and time-consuming method to handle because it installing servers, connecting APIs, and files to the server of CDN, etc. while, BaaS is providing CDN services to all applications with pre-built features, which can help in distributing content globally for every newly created application.

15.  Caching

Well, when it comes to improving the performance of any application then it is highly important for the application to contain cashing capabilities. It is because cashing has the ability to improve the performance of the server-side and can also reduce the entire cost of the server in the best possible way. However, BaaS services are bringing easier options for running the caching system successfully.

16.  File Storage

At the present time, users expect that their files must follow them while they also consider their device space in the usage of the application. However, to avoid any crash while device migration or lower disk space, BaaS is offering cloud-based file storage and management features that can help the users to store images, audios, videos and other various types of data without depending on the local limited storage with ease. Developers can easily use the APIs of file storage which can help them to define the types of files which they want to allow their end-users to store on a cloud-based file management system and can remove the device storage dependency in a more effective way with ease.

17.  Data backup

It is one of the most essential features of almost every mobile and web application. It is because at the present time no one wants to take the risk of data loss at all. So, traditional implementations will require you to integrate backup tools into the application. While mBaaS is providing ease to integrate readily to use backup solutions that can perform incremental backups to avoid a continuous increase in storage costs. Most of the BaaS services also offer daily automated backup as their default implementation part.

18.  Data replication & Redundancies

Reliability and server uptime are the most important things which every application required to be successful. Therefore, application and database redundancies are needed to maximize uptime. A typical BaaS infrastructure normally covers including application instances, load balancer and a set replica with two database instances. However, various BaaS also provide scalable and fully redundant architecture as a part of default implementations.

19.  Auto scaling

More often, workloads of an application changes depending on the time of the day in which application is being used. Therefore, it is always important to either implement routines of auto-scaling or dimension a server cluster to manage the maximum workload. However, the implementation complexity will depend on the size of the application. However, using BaaS to set up and refine auto-scaling feature will most likely to take fewer time than traditional systems. It is because the apps which are being launched on these platforms usually run auto-scalable feature as a per of their standard implementation.

20.  DB Optimization

Database optimization is the most important thing to manage for the applications which are working on the databases to store different types of information not only regarding users but also of the application itself. Various BaaS options are featuring the best solutions to manage the Database optimization process in the best possible way which is helping the developers to manage the database related tasks more effectively.

21.  GDPR Privacy Requirements Compliance

Will your application process the data of European citizens? If yes, then it is highly important for you to know that in this kind of situation you have to comply with the privacy requirements of GDRP. This can be one of the most time-consuming activities when you have to manage it by yourself. It is because correcting your server as per requirements of GDPR requires more knowledge and specialized skills and even it can cost you thousands of dollars. While on the other hand, using BaaS, you do not have to complete the checklist of GDPR privacy requirements compliance because BaaS services have invested multiple engineering hours to build the infrastructure to comply with data processor requirements of GDPR.

22.  HIPPA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Compliance

HIPPA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is protecting the health information which is individually identifiable and limiting the use of sensitive information. However, if you are working on any healthcare project including the information of European citizens then it is highly important for you to integrate the services as per the HIPPA privacy act. To fulfill the checklist of requirements in this regard can be an overwhelming task to manage for the developers but fortunately, BaaS features can help the developers to manage HIPPA Act compliance in a more effective way with ease. Not all BaaS providers deliver this feature and please double-check prior to contracting the services.

Conclusion

There is plenty of Backend as a Service Features which developers are utilizing at the present time to enjoy the ease and more convenience in managing backend tasks. An amazing range of mBaaS features is helping the integration of these utilities in the mobile applications in the best possible way. Although there exist huge functionalities to enjoy but still there is a lot to come in the future.

Do you like this article and would like to know more about BaaS? Please read the tutorial below:

BaaS – Backend as a Service