Index: backend/src/main/resources/application-local.properties
===================================================================
--- backend/src/main/resources/application-local.properties	(revision 48d2bedc68ea10341495edcd217325613e05065f)
+++ backend/src/main/resources/application-local.properties	(revision 48d2bedc68ea10341495edcd217325613e05065f)
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# PostgreSQL via Docker/local environment
+spring.datasource.url=jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5433/${DB_LOCAL_NAME}
+spring.datasource.username=${DB_LOCAL_USERNAME}
+spring.datasource.password=${DB_LOCAL_PASSWORD}
+spring.datasource.driver-class-name=org.postgresql.Driver
Index: backend/src/main/resources/application-remote.properties
===================================================================
--- backend/src/main/resources/application-remote.properties	(revision 48d2bedc68ea10341495edcd217325613e05065f)
+++ backend/src/main/resources/application-remote.properties	(revision 48d2bedc68ea10341495edcd217325613e05065f)
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# Remote PostgreSQL environment
+spring.datasource.url=jdbc:postgresql://localhost:9999/${DB_REMOTE_NAME}
+spring.datasource.username=${DB_REMOTE_USERNAME}
+spring.datasource.password=${DB_REMOTE_PASSWORD}
+spring.datasource.driver-class-name=org.postgresql.Driver
Index: backend/src/main/resources/application.properties
===================================================================
--- backend/src/main/resources/application.properties	(revision cdcff72e9765342b84a5e4b5d98ca5cb050a5500)
+++ backend/src/main/resources/application.properties	(revision 48d2bedc68ea10341495edcd217325613e05065f)
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 spring.application.name=medora
+server.port=8081
+spring.profiles.active=remote
+spring.config.import=optional:file:.env.properties
+
+spring.servlet.multipart.max-file-size=5MB
+spring.servlet.multipart.max-request-size=6MB
 
 # Spring Security - Development credentials
 spring.security.user.name=admin
-spring.security.user.password=admin123
-
-spring.datasource.url=jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/medora
-spring.datasource.username=medora_app
-spring.datasource.password=postgres
-spring.datasource.driver-class-name=org.postgresql.Driver
+spring.security.user.password=${DB_PASSWORD}
 
 # JWT Configuration
@@ -15,8 +16,18 @@
 
 # JPA / Hibernate settings
-spring.jpa.hibernate.ddl-auto=update
+spring.jpa.hibernate.ddl-auto=none
 spring.jpa.show-sql=true
+spring.jpa.open-in-view=true
 spring.jpa.properties.hibernate.format_sql=true
 spring.jpa.properties.hibernate.dialect=org.hibernate.dialect.PostgreSQLDialect
+
+# HikariCP connection pool settings
+spring.datasource.hikari.maximum-pool-size=20
+spring.datasource.hikari.minimum-idle=5
+spring.datasource.hikari.connection-timeout=20000
+spring.datasource.hikari.idle-timeout=300000
+spring.datasource.hikari.max-lifetime=1200000
+spring.datasource.hikari.auto-commit=true
+spring.datasource.hikari.leak-detection-threshold=60000
 
 # Jackson serialization settings
Index: backend/src/main/resources/db/phase7/verify_section2_deployment.sql
===================================================================
--- backend/src/main/resources/db/phase7/verify_section2_deployment.sql	(revision cdcff72e9765342b84a5e4b5d98ca5cb050a5500)
+++ 	(revision )
@@ -1,130 +1,0 @@
--- ============================================================================
--- Section 2: Appointment Scheduling Integrity - Deployment Verification
--- ============================================================================
-
--- 1. Check triggers on appointments table
--- ============================================================================
--- === 1. TRIGGERS ON APPOINTMENTS TABLE ===
-SELECT
-    tgname as trigger_name,
-    CASE WHEN tgdisabled = 0 THEN 'ENABLED' ELSE 'DISABLED' END as status
-FROM pg_trigger
-WHERE tgrelid = 'appointments'::regclass
-ORDER BY tgname;
-
--- 2. Check trigger functions
--- ============================================================================
--- === 2. TRIGGER FUNCTIONS ===
-SELECT
-    proname as function_name,
-    pronargs as parameter_count,
-    prokind as kind
-FROM pg_proc
-WHERE proname IN ('trigger_appointments_enforce', 'trigger_appointments_no_overlap', 'is_valid_appointment_transition')
-ORDER BY proname;
-
--- 3. Check background job procedure
--- ============================================================================
--- === 3. BACKGROUND JOB PROCEDURE ===
-SELECT
-    proname as procedure_name,
-    prokind as kind,
-    'PL/pgSQL' as language
-FROM pg_proc
-WHERE proname = 'job_mark_no_show';
-
--- 4. Check view
--- ============================================================================
--- === 4. VIEWS ===
-SELECT
-    viewname as view_name,
-    schemaname as schema_name
-FROM pg_views
-WHERE viewname = 'v_overdue_appointments';
-
--- 5. Check appointment status constraint
--- ============================================================================
--- === 5. STATUS CONSTRAINT (CHECK) ===
-SELECT
-    constraint_name,
-    constraint_type,
-    table_name
-FROM information_schema.table_constraints
-WHERE table_name = 'appointments'
-  AND constraint_type = 'CHECK'
-  AND constraint_name LIKE '%status%';
-
--- 6. Verify constraint includes NO_SHOW
--- ============================================================================
--- === 6. CONSTRAINT DEFINITION ===
-SELECT
-    constraint_name,
-    check_clause
-FROM information_schema.check_constraints
-WHERE constraint_name = 'appointments_status_chk';
-
--- 7. Test appointment status values
--- ============================================================================
--- === 7. VALID APPOINTMENT STATUSES ===
-SELECT 'SCHEDULED' as status
-UNION ALL
-SELECT 'IN_PROGRESS'
-UNION ALL
-SELECT 'COMPLETED'
-UNION ALL
-SELECT 'CANCELLED'
-UNION ALL
-SELECT 'NO_SHOW'
-ORDER BY status;
-
--- 8. Summary Statistics
--- ============================================================================
--- === 8. DEPLOYMENT SUMMARY ===
-SELECT
-    'Triggers' as component,
-    COUNT(*) as count
-FROM pg_trigger
-WHERE tgrelid = 'appointments'::regclass
-UNION ALL
-SELECT
-    'Trigger Functions' as component,
-    COUNT(*) as count
-FROM pg_proc
-WHERE proname IN ('trigger_appointments_enforce', 'trigger_appointments_no_overlap')
-UNION ALL
-SELECT
-    'Validation Functions' as component,
-    COUNT(*) as count
-FROM pg_proc
-WHERE proname = 'is_valid_appointment_transition'
-UNION ALL
-SELECT
-    'Background Procedures' as component,
-    COUNT(*) as count
-FROM pg_proc
-WHERE proname = 'job_mark_no_show'
-UNION ALL
-SELECT
-    'Views' as component,
-    COUNT(*) as count
-FROM pg_views
-WHERE viewname = 'v_overdue_appointments'
-ORDER BY component;
-
--- 9. Test the transition validation function
--- ============================================================================
--- === 9. STATUS TRANSITION VALIDATION TEST ===
-SELECT
-    'SCHEDULED → IN_PROGRESS' as transition,
-    is_valid_appointment_transition('SCHEDULED', 'IN_PROGRESS') as valid
-UNION ALL
-SELECT 'SCHEDULED → COMPLETED', is_valid_appointment_transition('SCHEDULED', 'COMPLETED')
-UNION ALL
-SELECT 'SCHEDULED → CANCELLED', is_valid_appointment_transition('SCHEDULED', 'CANCELLED')
-UNION ALL
-SELECT 'IN_PROGRESS → COMPLETED', is_valid_appointment_transition('IN_PROGRESS', 'COMPLETED')
-UNION ALL
-SELECT 'COMPLETED → SCHEDULED', is_valid_appointment_transition('COMPLETED', 'SCHEDULED')
-UNION ALL
-SELECT 'COMPLETED → COMPLETED', is_valid_appointment_transition('COMPLETED', 'COMPLETED')
-ORDER BY transition;