Paper Contents
Abstract
This research presents the development and evaluation of a real-time chat web application designed with scalability, performance, and security at its core. The system is structured using a layered approach, integrating a React-based presentation layer, a Spring Boot service layer with STOMP-over-WebSocket for message handling, and a scalable MongoDB data layer enhanced with sharding and replication for high availability. Authentication is managed securely using JSON Web Tokens (JWT), while horizontal scaling is achieved through external message brokers, enabling support for large numbers of concurrent users. Performance testing conducted with Apache JMeter demonstrates consistent sub-100 ms message delivery and linear scalability up to 500 users. Comprehensive security practices, including encrypted transport (TLS), CORS configurations, and secure token handling, ensure user privacy and data integrity. The paper also addresses technical challenges such as maintaining message order and managing reconnections. Future enhancements include the integration of WebRTC for multimedia communication, AI-driven assistants, and containerized deployment for continuous scalability. This solution provides a robust foundation for next-generation real-time communication tools in enterprise and consumer-facing environments.
Copyright
Copyright © 2025 Arya Lanjewar. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
