How We Built a Scalable API for BRI's Internal Dashboard
A behind-the-scenes look at architecting a secure, high-throughput API for one of Indonesia's largest state-owned banks.
When Bank BRI approached us to build an internal dashboard API, the requirements were clear: handle 10,000+ concurrent requests, maintain sub-200ms response times, and comply with strict banking security standards.
## The Challenge
Banking APIs require zero-downtime deployments and comprehensive audit logging. Every request must be traceable end-to-end.
## Our Approach
1. **Architecture**: We chose a microservices pattern with Node.js and PostgreSQL, using connection pooling and read replicas for scale.
2. **Security**: JWT-based authentication with short-lived tokens, IP whitelisting, and rate limiting at the gateway level.
3. **Testing**: 200+ integration tests covering every endpoint, including edge cases for concurrent writes.
## Results
The API went live in Q2 2025 and has maintained 99.99% uptime since. Average response time: 87ms at p95.
