Backend Initialization and Configuration

config/loadEnv.js loads the environment; config/drive.js normalizes values and paths and validates combinations. createApp() loads credentials, validates the environment, and prepares the library before exposing routes.

server.js starts HTTP, maintenance tasks, and a watcher, and handles graceful shutdowns. Refer to the Server .env.example for the full list.

Critical Points

• DATABASE_URL is required and must point to PostgreSQL;
• REDIS_URL is required when REDIS_ENABLED=true; Redis is a cache, not a source of truth;
• in Compose, DOCKER_DATABASE_URL and DOCKER_REDIS_URL replace internal services; keep them empty to use postgres and redis from the Docker network;
• LOCAL_LIBRARY_DIR and the cache need appropriate permissions;
• the library can be read-only;
• Drive can be disabled without preventing local catalog access;
• TRUST_PROXY should reflect the topology;
• rate limiting is disabled by default; enable it with RATE_LIMIT_ENABLED=true and adjust RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW_MS and API_RATE_LIMIT_PER_MINUTE as needed for API exposure;
• CORS uses either an exact origin or the same-host provided by the proxy;
• secrets and tokens should never appear in logs/documentation.

The supported runtime is Node.js 22+. Initialization fails early if PostgreSQL is not configured or accessible.