File Upload Module Overview

Purpose

The File Upload Module is designed to provide a secure and efficient method for students and administrative users to upload files such as homework assignments, forms, and other essential documents. This module ensures data integrity and security by implementing robust validation checks and encryption protocols.

Benefits

• Enhanced Security: Protects sensitive information through encryption and role-based access controls.
• Simplified Integration: Offers easy integration into existing systems with minimal setup requirements.
• Scalability: Handles large volumes of files efficiently, ensuring optimal performance even during peak usage periods.
• Compliance: Adheres to data protection regulations, safeguarding student and institutional data.

Usage Scenarios

• Homework Submissions: Students upload assignments securely, verified by the system before processing.
• Thesis Uploads: Secure submission of lengthy documents with strict file size and format checks.
• Form Processing: Admins upload system forms, ensuring only authorized files are processed.
• Course Materials: Instructors upload supplementary materials for students to access.
• System Logs: Administrative users upload logs for review and analysis.

This module is an essential component for any educational software, offering a reliable solution for secure file management.

Secure Uploads

The File Upload Module ensures that all files are uploaded securely using industry-standard protocols. It includes features like input validation, sanitization, and encryption to protect against malicious uploads.

Multiple File Types Support

This module supports various file types including PDFs, images, documents, and forms. It automatically detects file types and allows only permitted formats for upload.

File Organization

Uploaded files are organized in a structured directory based on user type (student/admin) and upload category (homework, forms). This makes it easy to retrieve and manage files later.

Audit Logs

The module maintains detailed audit logs of all file uploads, including the user ID, timestamp, file name, and upload status. This helps in tracking and monitoring file activities for compliance purposes.

Integration Capabilities

The File Upload Module seamlessly integrates with other system components such as authentication modules, notification systems, and storage services (e.g., cloud storage or local filesystems).

High Traffic Handling

Designed to handle high concurrent uploads efficiently, the module includes features like queue management, rate limiting, and load balancing to ensure smooth performance during peak usage.

File Upload Module Documentation

Overview

The File Upload Module is designed to handle secure file uploads from both students and admins. It supports various file types including homework submissions, forms, and other essential documents.

Key Features

• Secure file storage with proper authentication
• Multiple file upload capability
• File size limitations ( configurable )
• File type restrictions
• Upload progress tracking

Code Samples

1. FastAPI Endpoint

from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException, status
from fastapi.security import OAuth2PasswordBearer
import os
from pydantic import BaseModel
from typing import Optional

router = APIRouter()
oauth2_scheme = OAuth2PasswordBearer(tokenUrl="token")

class UploadFile(BaseModel):
    file_name: str
    content_type: str
    file_size: int
    data: bytes

@router.post("/upload", dependencies=[Depends(oauth2_scheme)])
async def upload_file(file: UploadFile):
    try:
        # Validate file type and size here
        if len(file.data) > 10 * 1024 * 1024:  # 10MB limit
            raise HTTPException(
                status_code=status.HTTP_413_PRECONDITION_FAILED,
                detail="File size exceeds the maximum allowed (10MB)",
            )
        
        # Save file to uploads directory
        upload_dir = "uploads"
        if not os.path.exists(upload_dir):
            os.makedirs(upload_dir, exist_ok=True)
            
        file_path = os.path.join(upload_dir, file.file_name)
        with open(file_path, "wb") as f:
            f.write(file.data)
            
        return {"message": "File uploaded successfully", "file_name": file.file_name}
    
    except Exception as e:
        raise HTTPException(
            status_code=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
            detail=str(e),
        )

2. React UI Snippet

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import { useDropzone } from 'react-dropzone';

const FileUploader = ({ onUpload }) => {
    const [file, setFile] = useState(null);
    const [uploading, setUploading] = useState(false);

    const onDrop = (acceptedFiles) => {
        const firstFile = acceptedFiles[0];
        if (!firstFile) return;

        setFile(firstFile);
        setUploading(true);
        
        const reader = new FileReader();
        reader.onload = () => {
            const data = new FormData();
            data.append('file', firstFile);

            onUpload(data).then(() => {
                setUploading(false);
                setFile(null);
            });
        };
        reader.readAsText(firstFile);
    };

    const { getRootProps, getInputProps } = useDropzone({ onDrop });

    return (
        <div>
            <input {...getInputProps()} />
            <div
                {...getRootProps()}
                style={{
                    border: '2px dashed #ccc',
                    padding: '20px',
                    text-align: 'center',
                    cursor: 'pointer'
                }}
            >
                {file ? (
                    <div>
                        <p>Uploading file: {file.name}</p>
                        {uploading && <p>Uploading...</p>}
                    </div>
                ) : (
                    <div>
                        <p>Drag and drop your files here, or click to select</p>
                    </div>
                )}
            </div>
        </div>
    );
};

export default FileUploader;

3. Data Schema (Pydantic)

from pydantic import BaseModel
from typing import Optional

class UploadFile(BaseModel):
    file_name: str
    content_type: str
    file_size: int
    data: bytes
    
class UploadResponse(BaseModel):
    status: str
    message: str
    uploaded_file: Optional[UploadFile] = None

Notes

• The endpoint supports authentication via OAuth2 password flow.
• File size is limited to 10MB (configurable).
• File type validation can be added by checking content_type.
• The React component uses react-dropzone for drag-and-drop functionality.
• Add proper error handling and logging in production.

Dependencies

• FastAPI
• Pydantic
• react-dropzone

Testing

• Test with different file types (images, PDFs, etc.)
• Test file size limits
• Test upload progress tracking

File Upload Module Documentation

Overview

The File Upload Module provides secure functionality for uploading files by users with different roles (students, admins). It integrates with other core modules to handle file storage, access control, notifications, and logging.

Related Modules

Use Cases

1. Homework Submission
   Students upload assignments to specific course directories with size limits.

2. Form Uploads
   Admins upload forms (e.g., PDFs, Word docs) to shared repositories.

3. File Versioning
   Supports uploading multiple versions of files for revision control.

4. Large File Handling
   Efficiently manage large file uploads using chunked transfers or cloud storage integration.

Integration Tips

1. Storage Configuration:
   Use a scalable storage solution like AWS S3 or Google Cloud Storage for reliability and scalability.

2. Security Best Practices:

   • Validate MIME types and file extensions to prevent malicious uploads.
   • Encrypt sensitive files at rest and in transit.

3. Error Handling:
   Implement retry logic for failed uploads and log errors with detailed context.

4. Caching:
   Cache frequently accessed files or metadata to improve performance.

Configuration Options

API Reference

Upload File

• Endpoint: /api/upload
• Method: POST
• Body: { "file": <File>, "metadata": { ... } }

Download File

• Endpoint: /api/file/{filename}
• Method: GET

Delete File

• Endpoint: /api/file/{filename}
• Method: DELETE

Check Upload Status

• Endpoint: /api/upload/status
• Method: POST
• Body: { "upload_id": string }

Known Issues

1. Rate Limiting
   High concurrent uploads may hit rate limits if not configured properly.

2. Storage Overload
   Ensure storage solutions can scale with increasing file sizes and numbers.

3. Token Expire
   Upload tokens expire after 24 hours; implement token refresh logic if needed.

Best Practices

1. Regular Audits:
   Periodically audit uploaded files for compliance and security.

2. Compression:
   Compress files before upload to reduce storage usage and transfer time.

3. Backup Strategy:
   Implement regular backups of critical files stored on the platform.

4. Monitoring:
   Use monitoring tools to track upload success rates and error trends.

FAQs

1. How do I restrict file types?
   Set the ALLOWED_TYPES configuration option to filter by MIME types or extensions.

2. Can I integrate with cloud storage?
   Yes, set STORAGE_BACKEND to aws_s3 or google_cloud and configure credentials.

3. What happens if a file exceeds UPLOAD_MAX_SIZE?
   The upload will fail with an HTTP 413 error, and the incomplete file will be deleted.

4. How often should I log uploads?
   Log every upload attempt for auditing purposes, but adjust log levels based on environment.

Conclusion

The File Upload Module is a secure and scalable solution for handling file uploads in educational platforms. By leveraging related modules and following best practices, developers can ensure efficient and reliable file management.