10 Jun 20244 minutes read
8 AWS Services That Will Help You Better Use AWS

Curious about optimizing your AWS environment? Discover how these eight essential AWS services can transform your cloud management, enhance performance, secure your data, and automate infrastructure. Ready to elevate your AWS usage?

Nic Lasdoce
02 Jun 20245 minutes read
Are AWS Templates Viable for Projects? IoT Core for EV Charger Review

We tested AWS IoT Core’s OCPP-compliant template for EV charging management. Curious to see if AWS templates can handle real-world projects? Our review uncovers the benefits, challenges, and overall viability of using AWS’s solutions in production. Read on to find out!

Nic Lasdoce
14 May 20244 minutes read
Monolith: From Zero to Millions

Facing performance issues as your user base grows? Learn how to scale your monolithic architecture to handle millions of users without migrating to microservices. Discover practical strategies for optimizing your database, managing high request volumes, handling long workloads, and offloading large media files. Transform your monolith into a robust, scalable system in manageable phases.

Nic Lasdoce
23 Apr 20246 minutes read
Choosing the Right Deployment Strategy: Rolling Updates vs. Blue/Green Deployments—Either Way, Your Headaches Could be Gone

Explore the distinct advantages and considerations of Rolling Updates and Blue/Green Deployments for your system. Understand how each strategy caters to different operational needs, from minimizing downtime with Blue/Green to optimizing resource use with Rolling Updates, helping you choose the right approach for your application's requirements.

Nic Lasdoce
26 Feb 20245 minutes read
How to Protect Your Data and Ensure Reliability When Disaster Strikes

Learn how to fortifying your business's digital asset and your user's trust against the unpredictable: Discover key disaster recovery strategies that safeguard data, enhance reliability, and guarantee operational continuity, ensuring your business thrives amidst any challenge the digital world throws your way.

Nic Lasdoce
14 Feb 20245 minutes read
Startup Ground to Cloud: Launching Fanout Pattern to AWS Cloud

Let's lift the Fanout Pattern into the AWS Cloud! Dive into our exploration of a simple e-commerce payment completion transaction to understand how the fanout pattern operates and discover which AWS cloud services enhance this design pattern.

Nic Lasdoce
13 Feb 20243 minutes read
Startup Ground to Cloud: Lifting a 3-Layer Monolith Into the Cloud

Let's explore cloud solutions on migrating a 3-layer monolith to the cloud, focusing on leveraging AWS services for scalable UI, backend, and database layers, and enhancing performance with asynchronous processing using AWS SQS or Elastic Cache, streamlined by Docker containerization for startup scalability.

Nic Lasdoce
01 Feb 20245 minutes read
10 Things Learned from Integrating OpenAI

This article shares ten crucial lessons learned from integrating OpenAI into an existing system. It covers practical advice on architecture, third-party tools, data handling, and more, providing a roadmap for developers looking to enhance their applications with AI. These insights aim to streamline the integration process and optimize AI's potential in existing solutions.

Nic Lasdoce
01 Feb 20245 minutes read
10 Things Learned from Integrating OpenAI

This article shares ten crucial lessons learned from integrating OpenAI into an existing system. It covers practical advice on architecture, third-party tools, data handling, and more, providing a roadmap for developers looking to enhance their applications with AI. These insights aim to streamline the integration process and optimize AI's potential in existing solutions.

Nic Lasdoce
01 Feb 20248 minutes read
Stop Using Simple Routing for Everything: Understanding Advanced AWS DNS Routing Policies for Better Service

Discover how to optimize your DNS strategy with AWS Route 53's advanced routing policies. This article dives into geolocation, geoproximity, latency-based, weighted, and failover routing, revealing how each can enhance performance, availability, and reliability for your applications. Lift your service beyond simple routing.

Nic Lasdoce
01 Feb 20245 minutes read
Implementing Serverless Video on Demand Streaming with AWS: A Five-Part Series (Part 5)

This series guides the creation of a serverless Video on Demand (VoD) architecture using AWS, detailing the process from video upload to HLS conversion, ensuring secure, scalable streaming with immediate playback capabilities for a seamless user experience. This is Part 5 where we will integrate AWS Cognito for user authentication and link it with API Gateway and Lambda for token access, ensuring that only authorized users can upload and access videos.

Nic Lasdoce
13 Jan 20245 minutes read
Implementing Serverless Video on Demand Streaming with AWS: A Five-Part Series (Part 4)

This series guides the creation of a serverless Video on Demand (VoD) architecture using AWS, detailing the process from video upload to HLS conversion, ensuring secure, scalable streaming with immediate playback capabilities for a seamless user experience. This is Part 4 where we will create the resources needed to be able to save and retrieve converted files, then play them in an HLS player using the URL

Nic Lasdoce
08 Jan 202410 minutes read
Implementing Serverless Video on Demand Streaming with AWS: A Five-Part Series (Part 3)

This series guides the creation of a serverless Video on Demand (VoD) architecture using AWS, detailing the process from video upload to HLS conversion, ensuring secure, scalable streaming with immediate playback capabilities for a seamless user experience. This is Part 3 where we will dive into converting S3 uploads into streamable formats with AWS MediaConvert.

Nic Lasdoce
14 Nov 20235 minutes read
Implementing Serverless Video on Demand Streaming with AWS: A Five-Part Series (Part 2)

This series guides the creation of a serverless Video on Demand (VoD) architecture using AWS, detailing the process from video upload to HLS conversion, ensuring secure, scalable streaming with immediate playback capabilities for a seamless user experience. This is Part 1 where we will detail how secure video uploading in a serverless VoD system using AWS works.

Nic Lasdoce
07 Nov 20235 minutes read
Implementing Serverless Video on Demand Streaming with AWS: A Five-Part Series (Part 1 - Architecture Overview)

This series guides the creation of a serverless Video on Demand (VoD) architecture using AWS, detailing the process from video upload to HLS conversion, ensuring secure, scalable streaming with immediate playback capabilities for a seamless user experience. This is Part 1 where we will discuss the entire system on a high level perspective

Nic Lasdoce
28 Oct 20232 minutes read
Quick Spawn, Quick Adapt: A Lean Software Architecture Example

This article unfolds Lean Architecture Principles through a real-world scenario, illustrating a phased approach in app development. Initially focusing on essential functionalities, it advocates for gradual enhancements like queue system integration, once the basic process solidifies. This Lean approach paves the way for efficient, adaptable, and value-driven software architecture.

Nic Lasdoce
16 Oct 20235 minutes read
Addressing Performance Bottlenecks: Implementing SQS + Python for Efficient Queue-Worker Services

As software systems scale with surging data and demanding tasks, performance bottlenecks and system crashes become real challenges. This article shows a baseline system to solve these issues using AWS's Simple Queue Service (SQS) + Python as a solution that uses python functions that will be performed as background jobs that runs separately from main application.

Nic Lasdoce
02 Oct 20237 minutes read
AWS Athena: How to Create Logging System That You Can Search, Filter, Group, and Analyze Using SQL Queries

Untraceable logs can hinder effective troubleshooting. This article presents a solution using AWS's CloudWatch, S3, and Athena to optimize logging and enhance system diagnostics.

Nic Lasdoce
24 Sep 20236 minutes read
Troubleshoot Your API Faster: Using ELB Logs and Athena

This step-by-step guide is a startup's shortcut to robust logging and analytics with AWS ELB Access Logs and Athena. With minimal setup, you'll gain actionable insights to mitigate security and performance issues, freeing you to focus on business growth. This guide is your quick path to a more secure and optimized cloud infrastructure.

Nic Lasdoce
19 Sep 20232 minutes read
A Startup Founder’s 12 Point Guide to Understand Software Architecture Choices

This guide is a simple template for startup leaders to understand software architecture choices. It simplifies complex technical decisions into actionable insights, bridging the gap between business and tech teams. Ideal for those aiming for scalable, sustainable growth.

Nic Lasdoce
17 Sep 20235 minutes read
How to Choose Between PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and Amazon DocumentDB: A Structured Decision-Making Guide

This article offers a structured guide to selecting between PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and Amazon DocumentDB using a weighted Decision Matrix. It aids in making an analytical and well-informed choice for your database needs.

Nic Lasdoce
03 Sep 20235 minutes read
Resolving Performance Bottlenecks in 3-Tier Applications (UI, API, Database)

Boost your 3-tier app's performance with this hands-on guide. It zeroes in on identifying and resolving bottlenecks using proven tools and strategies. Ideal for startup founders and developers seeking scalable, efficient solutions.

Nic Lasdoce
24 Aug 20235 minutes read
Startup Code Quality: The Use of Decorators to Scale and Maintain

We will explore the role of decorators on streamlining development within startups. Through real-world use cases, this article demystifies how decorators can solve complexity, enhance legacy code, and promote agile practices, offering a practical roadmap for founders seeking efficient and scalable solutions.

Nic Lasdoce
21 Aug 20232 minutes read
AWS Aurora: Will Migration Solve Your PostgreSQL and MySQL Performance Issue?

Find out if a simple Aurora migration can solve your database issue in this article. It outlines five key considerations to evaluate whether AWS Aurora is the right solution for your specific needs.

Nic Lasdoce
20 Aug 20235 minutes read
Counterintuitive Thought: Using a Load Balancer on a Single Server

This article explores the counterintuitive approach of using a load balancer with a single EC2 instance. Focused on startups, it delves into benefits like enhanced reliability, dns and performance management, illustrating how this decision can elevate a single-instance setup to new levels of excellence and preparedness.

Nic Lasdoce
04 Aug 20235 minutes read
Making the Right Call: Choosing Between RabbitMQ and Python RQ for Python Projects

Dive into this guide to compare Python's RabbitMQ and Python RQ tools, and discover which best fits your project. With use cases and practical examples, we will help you navigate task complexity, scalability, resources, and deployment speed to make an informed decision.

Nic Lasdoce
03 Aug 20232 minutes read
Elevating AI Applications: 10 Strategies to Implement Conversation Memory with the OpenAI API

Implementing conversation memory when using the OpenAI API can be a bit tricky, as the models don't natively have persistent memory. Here are some tips on how you can achieve this:

Nic Lasdoce
01 Aug 20232 minutes read
Cost-Effective Handling of Traffic Spikes: Horizontal Scaling with ECS

We will discuss the concept of horizontal scaling, its benefits, and its importance in handling business needs, particularly in managing heavy traffic without escalating costs. It also emphasizes how AWS ECS facilitates an efficient implementation of this strategy.

Nic Lasdoce
26 Jul 20235 minutes read
The Synergy between Domain-Driven Design (DDD) and Microservices

Learn about the powerful synergy between Domain-Driven Design (DDD) and Microservices in software architecture. This article explores how DDD's emphasis on a shared business domain and modular design aligns seamlessly with Microservices' independent, scalable approach.

Nic Lasdoce
16 Jul 20234 minutes read
The 4W's and 1H of AWS SQS: Why, How, What, When and, Where

In this article, we delve into Amazon Web Services' Simple Queue Service (SQS). We explore why SQS could be a game-changer for your business, how to determine if it fits your specific needs, what benefits it brings to the table, and when it's appropriate to consider migrating to it. We strive to present clear, practical insights into this powerful tool in AWS's suite, aiming to provide a valuable resource for businesses navigating the often complex landscape of cloud-based services.

Nic Lasdoce
15 Jul 20234 minutes read
Elasticsearch: Why and When Do We Need It If Databases Already Offer Full-Text Search Capabilities?

This article explores Elasticsearch and PostgreSQL Full-Text Search, outlining their functionalities and highlighting a hybrid approach. It offers key factors to consider when choosing the right solution and provides a real-world e-commerce example. The guide aims to aid your decision-making process in choosing between Elasticsearch, PostgreSQL, or a combination of both.

Nic Lasdoce
13 Jul 20235 minutes read
WHICH ONE: NoSQL vs. SQL?

Choosing the right database for your application—NoSQL vs. SQL—is a pivotal decision that hinges on your project's unique needs. Our article dives deep into the comparison of NoSQL and SQL databases, highlighting their key distinctions, advantages, and disadvantages, to guide you in making an informed choice

Nic Lasdoce
13 Jul 20235 minutes read
WHICH ONE: NoSQL vs. SQL?

Choosing the right database for your application—NoSQL vs. SQL—is a pivotal decision that hinges on your project's unique needs. Our article dives deep into the comparison of NoSQL and SQL databases, highlighting their key distinctions, advantages, and disadvantages, to guide you in making an informed choice

Nic Lasdoce
06 Jul 20235 minutes read
How to Set Up CI/CD with AWS CodePipeline and ECS: A Step-by-Step Guide

Learn how to set up a seamless CI/CD pipeline using AWS CodePipeline and ECS. This step-by-step guide provides clear instructions to accelerate software delivery and ensure quality standards. Whether you're new to CI/CD or an experienced developer, leverage the power of AWS tools to streamline your software development process.

Nic Lasdoce
04 Jul 20232 minutes read
Building a Robust CI/CD Pipeline for Python and Node.js API Deployment with AWS CodePipeline, ECS, and Load Balancer

Experience seamless deployment of your Python and Node.js APIs with AWS services. This technical guide covers the setup of a robust CI/CD pipeline using AWS CodePipeline, ECS, and Load Balancer, allowing for fully automated, scalable, and efficient deployments. Learn how to create a repository in CodeCommit, craft a buildspec file, configure ECR and CodeBuild, set up an ECS cluster, implement ELB, and construct your CodePipeline. The guide also offers tips on customizing your pipeline for Python and Node.js applications. Upgrade your deployment process with AWS today

Nic Lasdoce
31 May 20235 minutes read
Rediscover Background Processes: The Advantage of Django-RQ over Threading in Django Applications

This article explores the transformation of background processes in Django applications. It highlights the challenges of threading and introduces Django-RQ in tandem with Redis as an efficient alternative. The piece discusses the system's operational mechanics, worker deployment, and its contributions to high-performance, emphasizing its significance in modern Django applications.

Nic Lasdoce
30 May 20235 minutes read
AWS CloudFront Signed URLs: A Guide to Enable Content Disposition Using Django and django-storages

Learn about the ten essential best practices for constructing scalable software architectures. From modularization and microservices to horizontal scaling, load balancing, caching, and more, this article explores key considerations and patterns that empower developers to build robust and scalable software systems. Ensure your applications can handle increased user demands, maintain optimal performance, and seamlessly accommodate future growth.

Nic Lasdoce
29 May 20232 minutes read
PgVector: The Role of Vectorization in Text Search Applications

We will discuss the power of vectorization, pgVector, and OpenAI embeddings in text search applications. It provides insights into the working, strengths, and real-world applications of these technologies, highlighting their potential in shaping the future of efficient, contextually-rich text search systems.

Nic Lasdoce
29 May 20235 minutes read
AWS EFS: A Shared File System for Containers and Instances

This article delves into how EFS bridges the gap, providing a shared file system optimized for both containers and instances, ensuring seamless data access and management across varied cloud workloads.

Nic Lasdoce
29 May 20235 minutes read
10 Best Practices for Building Scalable Software Architectures

Learn about the ten essential best practices for constructing scalable software architectures. From modularization and microservices to horizontal scaling, load balancing, caching, and more, this article explores key considerations and patterns that empower developers to build robust and scalable software systems. Ensure your applications can handle increased user demands, maintain optimal performance, and seamlessly accommodate future growth.

Nic Lasdoce
24 May 20234 minutes read
Layered Architecture vs Microservices: A Tradeoff Analysis

In this article, we navigate the trade-offs inherent in architectural decision-making, focusing on the Layered Architecture and Microservices patterns. We scrutinize the pros and cons of each, emphasizing that the 'best' choice always depends on your specific context, needs, and constraints. Join us as we unpack the mantra of trade-offs in software architecture, equipping you with insights for more informed decision-making.

Nic Lasdoce
21 Apr 20232 minutes read
Efficient Handling of Breaking Changes in Startup Applications: Techniques for Seamless Transitions and Rapid Development

Learn how startup companies can efficiently handle breaking changes in their applications. Discover techniques such as API URL versioning, creating new URLs for breaking changes, and adopting deprecation strategies. With clear communication, version control, and migration assistance, startups can ensure seamless transitions and support their rapid development processes.

Nic Lasdoce
21 Apr 20235 minutes read
Tutorial: Mastering Secure File Access with Amazon S3 and CloudFront Signed URLs

Learn how to securely upload files using Amazon S3 and enhance access control with CloudFront signed URLs. This comprehensive tutorial guides you through the process, providing step-by-step instructions and insights into the benefits of using signed URLs for restricted file access. Explore the power of AWS S3 for scalable object storage and CloudFront as a content delivery network (CDN) to ensure low-latency, high-speed data delivery. With this tutorial, you'll gain the knowledge and skills needed to confidently manage secure file uploads, protect sensitive content, and tailor access permissions with signed URLs.

Nic Lasdoce
01 Apr 20233 minutes read
Battle of the Backend API Frameworks: Django REST Framework vs. NestJS - Which One Reigns Supreme?

A software architect often finds themselves in a perplexing dilemma when it comes to making tech stack decisions. This predicament becomes especially challenging when comparing frameworks like Django REST Framework and NestJS. On one hand, Django REST Framework offers the benefits of rapid development, a mature ecosystem, and seamless integration with Django components. On the other hand, NestJS brings to the table TypeScript synergy, modular architecture, and extensibility. Balancing considerations such as speed, maintainability, documentation, reliability, and scalability becomes crucial in this decision-making process. The architect must carefully evaluate the project's specific requirements and the team's expertise to make an informed choice that will set the foundation for success.

Nic Lasdoce
20 Mar 20232 minutes read
Redefining Server Deployment: The Dawn of Serverless with AWS ECS Fargate

Discover the power of serverless computing with AWS ECS Fargate. Transform your business by moving away from complex server management tasks, enabling your team to focus on growth and innovation. With dynamic scalability and a cost-effective pay-as-you-go model, AWS ECS Fargate is your key to unlocking seamless and efficient business operations. Embrace the future of serverless computing today!

Nic Lasdoce
16 Mar 20232 minutes read
Troubled by Slow and Risky Software Updates? Unleash the Power of AWS CI/CD for Winning Results

Unleash the Power of AWS CI/CD for Winning Results' explores how AWS's CI/CD tools turn those challenges into opportunities. Learn how AWS CodePipeline, CodeBuild, and CodeDeploy automate deployments, catch bugs early, and speed up delivery, freeing your team for strategic tasks

Nic Lasdoce