From a VPS to Real AWS: Route 53, CloudFront, API Gateway, and Compute
A single DigitalOcean box is a valid architecture. A full AWS path is a different one. I compare user → DNS → CDN → API → ECS/EC2/Lambda and say when each hop earns its keep.
Blog
Working notes on tools and tradeoffs I keep returning to: AWS, auth, messaging, and the layer in front of an app. I still open them when I have to choose again.
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API Gateway vs Load Balancer: They Are Not Interchangeable
An ALB spreads traffic. An API gateway enforces the contract of an API. Here is when I use CloudFront, API Gateway, ALB, and NLB — and when stacking all of them is waste.
OAuth 2.0 Without the Fog: Grants, Tokens, and Real Logins
OAuth 2.0 is delegated authorization, not a magic login. I walk through authorization code, PKCE, client credentials, refresh tokens, and the mistakes that leak accounts.
Kafka vs RabbitMQ vs SQS: Pick a Message Backbone on Purpose
A log, a broker, and a managed queue are not the same product. Here is how I choose between Kafka, RabbitMQ, and SQS when emails, payments, and event streams hit production.
Forward Proxy vs Reverse Proxy: Same Word, Opposite Jobs
A forward proxy hides clients. A reverse proxy hides servers. Nginx, Cloudflare, Squid, and an office firewall all make more sense once that arrow is clear.
Sessions vs JWT: Where Authentication State Should Live
Server sessions and JWTs both keep a user logged in. The difference is who remembers the login, how you revoke it, and what breaks when you add a second API server.
WebSockets vs Webhooks: Push Data the Right Way
When a payment, a WhatsApp message, or a live dashboard needs an update, the choice is usually WebSocket or webhook. Here is how I pick, scale, and fail each one.