Optimize middleware for large datasets

**Description**
Currently utils lacks proper timeout support.

**Proposed solution**
Add configurable timeout with sensible defaults.

**Priority**: Low/Medium

Start by locating the middleware and timeout-related utilities under utils. Trace how middleware handles long-running work and review any existing tests or configuration patterns. Done means the timeout is configurable with a documented default, but the expected timeout values and failure behavior still need clarification.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.