Systems | Development | Analytics | API | Testing

In March 2024, the European Union passed the AI Act. This sweeping regulation reshapes how organizations deploy and manage AI systems. The law addresses AI risks that could affect both individuals and businesses, from hiring biases to critical infrastructure failures. Similar rules have started taking shape across the world, including several state-based regulations in the US. But the regulation is only the floor. We all share the responsibility of creating a safe, responsible AI future.

APIs need strong security. They often handle sensitive data like financial records or health information. To protect this data while meeting privacy rules (like GDPR and HIPAA), fine-grained access control (FGAC) is key. FGAC uses OAuth scopes and claims to manage API access.

The era of generative AI is upon us, and large language models (LLMs) like Claude are demonstrating incredible potential to revolutionize how businesses operate and interact with customers. However, to truly unlock this potential, AI needs secure and standardized access to the wealth of information and services locked within enterprise systems. This is where standards such as Model Context Protocol (MCP) come in, offering a powerful way to make enterprise resources AI-consumable.

In this post, we'll run through testing a Node-MongoDB app, step by step. You can test MongoDB using mongodb-memory-server, an in-memory version of MongoDB that runs independently of a persistent database. A freshly spun-up mongod process starts at roughly 7 MB of memory, providing a lightweight, self-contained environment for running tests. Let's get going!

Our previous article in this series established that Solid Queue is an excellent choice if you need a system for processing background jobs. It minimizes external dependencies — no need for Redis! — by storing all jobs in your database. Despite that, it is incredibly performant. But just being performant is not enough for a production-ready background job system. Rails developers have come to expect a lot over the years. We don't just want to enqueue jobs to run in the background.

Struggling with data consistency in sharded APIs? Here's what you need to know upfront: Data sharing improves performance by dividing data across multiple databases, but it introduces challenges in maintaining consistency. Consistency models matter: Choose between strong consistency (immediate accuracy, higher latency) and eventual consistency (temporary inaccuracies, higher performance).

AI is a groundbreaking technology that is ready to modernize the way federal government agencies operate. By automating tasks and optimizing workflows, artificial intelligence (AI) promises to enhance efficiency, minimize errors, and boost productivity without adding resources. But as with any change—and especially one as transformative as AI—leaders need to take deliberate and cautious steps to ensure a smooth integration of these innovations and to gain the buy-in of government employees.

To be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, state and local governments conduct market research and perform due diligence before purchasing a software solution. Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products are often positioned as offering the best price tag and the fastest deployment. However, the promise of a speedy installation often goes unmet.