Skip to main content

Backstage IO

· 3 min read
Anand Raja
Anand Raja
Senior Software Engineer

Backstage.io is an open-source developer portal platform created by Spotify. It is designed to help organizations manage their software infrastructure, tools, and services in a centralized and organized way. Backstage provides a unified interface for developers to access documentation, APIs, CI/CD pipelines, monitoring tools, and other resources, improving productivity and collaboration.

Key Features of Backstage​

  1. Software Catalog:

    • Centralized catalog to manage all software components, services, libraries, and APIs.
    • Provides visibility into ownership, dependencies, and metadata for each component.

  2. Plugins:

    • Extensible plugin architecture to integrate with tools like Kubernetes, Jenkins, GitHub, Prometheus, and more.
    • Allows teams to build custom plugins to meet their specific needs.

  3. TechDocs:

    • Built-in documentation generator that uses Markdown files stored in repositories.
    • Helps teams maintain up-to-date technical documentation.

  4. Scaffolder:

    • Automates the creation of new projects or components using predefined templates.
    • Ensures consistency and standardization across teams.

  5. API Management:

    • Centralized API documentation and discovery.
    • Supports OpenAPI, GraphQL, and other API specifications.

  6. Kubernetes Integration:

    • Provides insights into Kubernetes clusters, deployments, and resources.
    • Helps developers monitor and manage their services running on Kubernetes.

  7. Search:

    • Unified search across all tools, documentation, and resources integrated into Backstage.

Why Use Backstage?​

  1. Centralized Developer Experience:

    • Brings all tools, services, and documentation into a single interface, reducing context switching.

  2. Improved Collaboration:

    • Helps teams share knowledge, track ownership, and manage dependencies effectively.

  3. Standardization:

    • Enforces best practices and consistency across projects using templates and scaffolding.

  4. Extensibility:

    • Highly customizable and extensible to fit the unique needs of an organization.

  5. Open Source:

    • Backstage is free and open-source, with an active community contributing plugins and features.

Use Cases​

  1. Software Catalog:
    • Track all microservices, libraries, and tools in one place.
  2. Documentation Hub:
    • Centralize technical documentation for easy access.
  3. DevOps Integration:
    • Integrate CI/CD pipelines, monitoring tools, and deployment dashboards.
  4. API Management:
    • Discover and document APIs across teams.

Getting Started​

  1. Installation:

    • Backstage can be installed locally or deployed on cloud platforms like AWS, GCP, or Azure.
    • It uses Node.js and React for the frontend and supports PostgreSQL as the database.

  2. Customization:

    • Organizations can customize Backstage by adding plugins, modifying the UI, and integrating with their existing tools.

  3. Community:

    • Backstage has an active community on GitHub and Slack, providing support and sharing best practices.

Conclusion​

Backstage.io is a powerful platform for managing developer tools, services, and infrastructure in a unified way. It improves developer productivity, fosters collaboration, and helps organizations scale their software development processes efficiently.