Systems Architecture

Building Scalable Web Apps with Modern Web Servers Scalable web apps need a strong front door. Modern web servers act as smart gatekeepers that balance load, encrypt traffic, and route requests quickly. Start by making the app stateless. If servers can run any request independently, you can add or remove instances to meet demand. That simplicity helps you absorb traffic spikes and recover from failures faster. A front-end web server, or reverse proxy, handles untrusted traffic, terminates TLS, and forwards work to your app servers. Popular choices include Nginx, Caddy, and Traefik. They support automatic certificate management and dynamic routing, so you can scale without constant reconfiguration. ...

Scaling Databases for High Traffic Apps In modern apps, data access drives user experience. When traffic grows, a single database can slow things down, causing longer page loads and frustrated users. The goal is to keep data safe while serving more customers. Here are practical steps teams use in production. Assess your workload A clear picture starts with measurement. Track reads versus writes per second, peak hours, and typical query latency. Look for hot queries and heavy tables. Simple dashboards and slow query logs help you see where to start. Consider seasonality; plan for spikes like sales events or product launches. ...