Communication Protocols You Should Know: HTTP/2, gRPC, QUIC

Communication Protocols You Should Know: HTTP/2, gRPC, QUIC Three main protocols shape how data travels on the web today: HTTP/2, gRPC, and QUIC. They are designed to speed up connections, reduce delays, and make communication more reliable. Understanding them helps you pick the right tool for the job and avoid common bottlenecks. HTTP/2 fixes many issues of HTTP/1.1. It allows multiplexing, so many requests share a single TCP connection without waiting for earlier responses. It also uses header compression to save bandwidth. Because HTTP/2 runs over TCP, it gains reliability, but head‑of‑line blocking can still slow some flows if a single stream stalls. ...

September 22, 2025 · 2 min · 355 words

Web Servers and Performance: Fast, Reliable Frontends

Web Servers and Performance: Fast, Reliable Frontends Fast, reliable frontends start with solid web server behavior and smart content delivery. Even small delays in the first byte or in loading a critical asset can shake user trust and harm search rankings. This article gives practical steps to improve speed and reliability for modern sites and apps. Start with the right transport and protocol. Use HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 if your host supports them, keep connections alive, and minimize the time your server spends handling each request. Simple tuning, such as balanced worker processes and sensible timeouts, can shave precious milliseconds from the real user experience. ...

September 22, 2025 · 2 min · 314 words

Communication Protocols Every Developer Should Know

Communication Protocols Every Developer Should Know Protocols are the rules that govern how apps talk to each other. They define message formats, how connections start and stay open, and how errors are reported. For developers, a solid grasp of a few core protocols helps you design reliable APIs, diagnose issues faster, and build scalable services. HTTP and HTTP/2 Most web apps rely on HTTP. HTTP/1.1 uses a text-based request/response model with headers. HTTP/2 adds multiplexing, header compression, and server push, which reduce latency in many apps. When you call a public API or load a web page, HTTP is usually the carrier. TLS (HTTPS) protects the data in transit. ...

September 22, 2025 · 2 min · 380 words

Content Delivery Networks for Global Speed

Content Delivery Networks for Global Speed Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) place copies of your content on servers around the world. When a user visits your site, the CDN serves assets from the closest edge location, reducing distance and round-trip time. This boosts perceived speed and helps keep visitors engaged, even if they are far from your origin server. CDNs do more than store files. They manage caching rules, compression, and secure delivery. They use edge servers, smart routing, and health checks to choose the best path. If content is not in cache, the CDN fetches it from the origin and stores a copy for next time. That reduces traffic to your main server and helps you handle traffic spikes. ...

September 22, 2025 · 2 min · 321 words

Building Scalable Web Apps with Modern Web Servers

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. ...

September 22, 2025 · 2 min · 300 words

Content Delivery Networks: Speed, Scale, and Reliability

Content Delivery Networks: Speed, Scale, and Reliability Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) place copies of your site’s content on servers around the world. This helps bring data closer to users, so pages load faster. Most sites serve static files from the CDN and keep dynamic content on the origin server. The result is faster, more reliable delivery for visitors from many regions. Speed comes from edge caching and proximity. The CDN stores images, CSS, and scripts on many edge locations. When a user requests a file, the edge server responds first. If the file is not cached, the edge fetches it from the origin and caches it for next requests. ...

September 22, 2025 · 2 min · 318 words

Content Delivery Networks for Global Performance

Content Delivery Networks for Global Performance Content delivery networks (CDNs) place copies of your web files in many locations worldwide. When a user visits your site, the nearest edge server serves the request, cutting travel time and speeding loads. Edge caching covers static assets like images, CSS, and JavaScript. The origin holds the master copy; the CDN stores fresh copies according to cache-control headers or a TTL. If content is missing or stale, the edge fetches it from the origin and updates its cache. ...

September 22, 2025 · 2 min · 317 words

Web Servers Compared: Nginx, Apache, and Beyond

Web Servers Compared: Nginx, Apache, and Beyond Choosing a web server is a common task for developers and hosting teams. Nginx and Apache are the familiar leaders, but you may encounter other options that fit special needs. This article compares the main choices and explains when each one shines. The goal is to help you pick based on traffic patterns, content type, security, and how easy it is to maintain your setup. ...

September 22, 2025 · 3 min · 441 words

Web Servers Performance and Security Essentials

Web Servers Performance and Security Essentials Web servers handle traffic for websites every day. Good performance and solid security go hand in hand. This guide covers practical steps to keep your server fast and safe, regardless of your hosting size. Start with the right software. Nginx is popular for speed, Apache for versatility. Choose based on workload, modules, and your team’s familiarity. Make sure the server supports modern protocols like TLS 1.3 and HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 for multiplexed connections. ...

September 22, 2025 · 2 min · 356 words

Web Servers: Architecture, Tuning, and Security

Web Servers: Architecture, Tuning, and Security Web servers are the workhorses of the internet. They handle user requests, serve content, and pass work to application logic. A clear architecture helps apps stay reliable, fast, and secure as traffic grows. Start with a simple layout and evolve it with lessons from real traffic. Architecture Think in layers: static content, dynamic processing, and the path that connects them. A common setup uses a front-end reverse proxy (like Nginx or Apache), an application server, and sometimes a content delivery network for static files. A load balancer can sit in front when you scale, spreading requests among several application servers. Caching layers at the edge or in front of the app can cut load and speed up responses. TLS termination often happens at the proxy, simplifying security and keeping certificates centralized. ...

September 22, 2025 · 3 min · 492 words