How to Build a Real-Time Landfill Capacity Monitoring System

Simple Summary

A real-time landfill capacity visualizer that provides dynamic insights into waste management, helping municipalities and environmental agencies make informed decisions.

Product Requirements Document (PRD)

Goals:

• Create a user-friendly interface for monitoring landfill capacity in real-time
• Provide accurate, up-to-date visualizations of landfill usage and remaining capacity
• Enable data-driven decision making for waste management professionals

Target Audience:

• Municipal waste management departments
• Environmental agencies
• Landfill operators and managers

Key Features:

1. Real-time data visualization of landfill capacity
2. Interactive charts and graphs showing historical trends
3. Predictive analytics for future capacity estimates
4. User-customizable alerts for capacity thresholds
5. Data export functionality for reporting
6. Mobile-responsive design for on-the-go access

User Requirements:

• Secure login system with role-based access control
• Intuitive dashboard with key metrics at a glance
• Ability to filter and analyze data by date ranges and waste types
• Customizable notifications for capacity milestones
• Integration with existing waste management systems

User Flows

1. User Registration and Login:

   • User visits the landing page
   • Clicks "Sign Up" and fills out registration form
   • Receives confirmation email and activates account
   • Logs in with credentials

2. Monitoring Landfill Capacity:

   • User logs in and lands on the dashboard
   • Views real-time capacity visualization
   • Interacts with charts to explore historical data
   • Sets up custom alerts for specific capacity thresholds

3. Generating Reports:

   • User navigates to the reporting section
   • Selects date range and metrics for the report
   • Previews report data and visualizations
   • Exports report in desired format (PDF, CSV, etc.)

Technical Specifications

Frontend:

• React for building the user interface
• Redux for state management
• Chart.js or D3.js for data visualization
• Material-UI or Tailwind CSS for responsive design

Backend:

• Node.js with Express.js for the server
• PostgreSQL for the database
• Sequelize as the ORM
• Socket.io for real-time data updates

APIs and Services:

• RESTful API for data retrieval and management
• WebSocket for real-time updates
• JWT for authentication
• AWS S3 for file storage (reports, backups)

DevOps:

• Docker for containerization
• CI/CD pipeline using GitHub Actions
• Monitoring with ELK stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana)

API Endpoints

• POST /api/auth/register
• POST /api/auth/login
• GET /api/landfills
• GET /api/landfills/:id/capacity
• POST /api/landfills/:id/data
• GET /api/reports
• POST /api/alerts
• PUT /api/user/settings

Database Schema

Users:

• id (PK)
• username
• email
• password_hash
• role
• created_at
• updated_at

Landfills:

• id (PK)
• name
• location
• total_capacity
• current_capacity
• last_updated

CapacityLogs:

• id (PK)
• landfill_id (FK)
• timestamp
• capacity_value
• waste_type

Alerts:

• id (PK)
• user_id (FK)
• landfill_id (FK)
• threshold
• is_active

File Structure

Implementation Plan

1. Project Setup (1-2 days)

   • Initialize React app and Node.js server
   • Set up version control and project structure

2. Backend Development (1-2 weeks)

   • Implement database schema and ORM models
   • Create API endpoints and controllers
   • Set up authentication and authorization

3. Frontend Development (2-3 weeks)

   • Build React components for dashboard and charts
   • Implement state management with Redux
   • Create forms for user input and settings

4. Data Visualization (1-2 weeks)

   • Integrate Chart.js or D3.js for real-time visualizations
   • Implement interactive features and customizations

5. Real-time Updates (3-5 days)

   • Set up WebSocket connections for live data
   • Implement real-time updates on the frontend

6. Reporting and Alerts (1 week)

   • Develop report generation functionality
   • Implement alert system and notifications

7. Testing and QA (1-2 weeks)

   • Write and run unit tests for backend and frontend
   • Perform integration testing and bug fixes

8. Deployment and Documentation (3-5 days)

   • Set up deployment pipeline
   • Write user and technical documentation

9. Final Testing and Launch (2-3 days)

   • Conduct final QA and performance testing
   • Official launch and monitoring

Deployment Strategy

1. Set up staging and production environments on AWS or similar cloud provider
2. Use Docker containers for consistent deployments across environments
3. Implement CI/CD pipeline with GitHub Actions for automated testing and deployment
4. Use AWS RDS for managed PostgreSQL database
5. Set up load balancing and auto-scaling for the application servers
6. Implement CDN for static assets to improve global performance
7. Use AWS CloudWatch or similar for application and server monitoring
8. Set up automated backups for the database and critical data
9. Implement a blue-green deployment strategy for zero-downtime updates

Design Rationale

The chosen tech stack (React, Node.js, PostgreSQL) offers a balance of performance, scalability, and developer productivity. React's component-based architecture allows for modular development of the complex UI required for data visualization. Node.js provides a fast, event-driven backend capable of handling real-time updates efficiently. PostgreSQL offers robust data integrity and complex querying capabilities necessary for time-series data and reporting.

The use of WebSockets enables real-time data updates without constant polling, reducing server load and providing a responsive user experience. The modular file structure and use of Redux for state management promote code organization and maintainability as the application scales.

The deployment strategy prioritizes reliability and scalability, with containerization allowing for consistent environments and easy scaling. The CI/CD pipeline ensures rapid, reliable deployments, while monitoring and automated backups safeguard against potential issues.