Database Environment Management

Current Situation

Your local development uses the same MongoDB Atlas database as production because the .env file contains the same connection string. This is why local shows different data than production - you're connected to the same ctrl-audio database.

MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://...@cluster00.yghwyuu.mongodb.net/ctrl-audio

Best Practice: Environment Separation

Recommended Setup

Environment	Database	Purpose
Development	ctrl-audio-dev	Local testing, safe to reset
Staging	ctrl-audio-staging	Pre-production testing
Production	ctrl-audio	Live user data

Implementation Options

Option 1: Same Atlas Cluster, Different Databases (Simplest)

Use different database names in the connection string:

# Local .env
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://...@cluster00.yghwyuu.mongodb.net/ctrl-audio-dev

# Staging .env (Azure GitHub Actions secret)
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://...@cluster00.yghwyuu.mongodb.net/ctrl-audio-staging

# Production .env (Azure app settings)
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://...@cluster00.yghwyuu.mongodb.net/ctrl-audio

Pros: Free, no extra configuration Cons: Shared resources could impact production

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MongoDB Atlas vs Azure Cosmos DB

MongoDB Atlas (Current)

Aspect	Details
Free Tier	512MB storage, shared cluster
Paid Tiers	M10+ ($57+/month) for dedicated
Advantages	Native MongoDB, familiar API, excellent tooling
Best For	When you need full MongoDB feature set

Azure Cosmos DB (Alternative)

Aspect	Details
Free Tier	1000 RU/s, 25GB storage (per subscription)
Serverless	Pay per request (~$0.25/million RU)
Advantages	Native Azure integration, global distribution
MongoDB API	Supports MongoDB wire protocol (with limitations)

Recommendation for Ctrl-Audio

Stick with MongoDB Atlas for now because:

1. ✅ Already configured - Migration adds complexity without immediate benefit
2. ✅ Full MongoDB compatibility - Cosmos DB's MongoDB API has some limitations
3. ✅ Free tier works - Until you hit scaling limits
4. ✅ Better for audio metadata - GridFS support for large files if needed

Consider Cosmos DB when:

• You need global distribution (multi-region replication)
• You want unified Azure billing
• Your Azure credits cover the cost

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Quick Fix: Separate Dev Database

To immediately separate your local database from production:

1. Update Backend .env:

# Change database name from 'ctrl-audio' to 'ctrl-audio-dev'
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://alocoifindo_db_user:dGQypZKO28AA6WpT@cluster00.yghwyuu.mongodb.net/ctrl-audio-dev?retryWrites=true&w=majority&appName=Cluster00

2. Create Test User in Dev Database:

# The backend will auto-create collections on first use
# Register a new test user via the API
curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/user/register \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email":"test@test.com","password":"Test1234","username":"Testeo"}'

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Security Best Practices

Practice	Status	Action Needed
Separate DB credentials per environment	❌	Create separate Atlas users
Environment variables in CI/CD	⚠️	Verify Azure App Settings
Connection string encryption	✅	Using Atlas TLS
IP Allowlist	⚠️	Consider enabling in Atlas