2025-06-26
Following our overview of database types, it’s time to take a closer look at one of the most well-known and widely used players in the relational world — MySQL. Over the years, MySQL has become the de facto standard for web applications and is an integral part of the famous LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Python/Perl).
What is MySQL?
MySQL is a free and open-source (with a commercial version available from Oracle) relational database management system (RDBMS). It was created in the mid-1990s and quickly gained popularity due to its simplicity, speed, and reliability — especially for web applications. MySQL stores data in structured tables and uses SQL (Structured Query Language) to perform operations such as creating, reading, updating, and deleting data.
2025-06-25
In today’s digital world, where every click, purchase, or message generates data, there’s a pressing need for efficient storage, management, and fast access. That’s exactly what database servers are for. They are the invisible but essential foundation of any dynamic application — from simple blogs and e-commerce platforms to complex enterprise systems, financial tools, and AI solutions.
What is a Database (DB) and Why Do You Need One?
A database (DB) is an organized collection of information, structured in a way that makes it easy to access, manage, and update. A database server is a software system that provides access and management services for one or more databases.
2025-06-25
VPNCloud: Building Your Private Network in the Cloud
In a world where more and more services are moving to the cloud and remote work has become the norm, secure and private access to your resources is more important than ever. Traditional VPN services, while solving some problems, are often centralized and may not be the most flexible solution for creating your own secure network between multiple servers, devices, or even offices.
2025-06-24
We’ve reached the final article in our proxy server series, and today’s topic is a true veteran and classic — Squid. This powerful proxy server has served for decades as a key tool for web traffic caching, significantly speeding up internet access and reducing network load.
What is Squid?
Squid is free, open-source software that functions as a caching proxy server for web traffic. It was specifically designed to optimize HTTP and HTTPS traffic, though it also supports FTP and Gopher protocols. Squid is primarily used as a forward proxy in corporate or academic networks but can also be configured as a reverse proxy to cache content from internal web servers.
2025-06-23
031 | Proxy Servers in Action: 3proxy — A Compact and Multifunctional Proxy Server 🤏⚙️
In our exploration of proxy servers, we’ve already looked at giants like Nginx and HAProxy, as well as the versatile SOCKS-focused Dante. Today, we turn our attention to 3proxy — a surprisingly compact yet incredibly multifunctional solution that could become your Swiss army knife in the world of proxying.
What is 3proxy?
3proxy is free, open-source software that, despite its small footprint (hence the “3”), is one of the most versatile proxy servers available. It is designed to run on various operating systems including Windows, Linux, macOS, and BSD. Its main strength is its ability to act as a proxy for a wide range of network protocols, often not supported in more specialized solutions.
2025-06-22
We continue exploring the world of proxy servers. After looking into Nginx and HAProxy, which primarily handle HTTP and high-level load balancing, it’s time to look at Dante. This proxy server specializes in the SOCKS protocol, offering lower-level proxying for any TCP and UDP traffic.
What is Dante?
Dante is a free, open-source software designed to function as a SOCKS proxy server. Unlike HTTP proxies, which operate at the application layer (OSI Layer 7) and understand web traffic, SOCKS proxies work at the transport layer (OSI Layer 4). This means Dante can proxy virtually any network traffic, regardless of its contents, making it extremely versatile.
2025-06-21
In our series of articles on proxy servers, we’ve already discussed Nginx, a versatile tool combining the roles of a web server and a reverse proxy. Today, we’ll take a look at HAProxy (High Availability Proxy) — a specialized solution focused on a single but extremely important task: high-performance load balancing and ensuring high availability.
What is HAProxy?
HAProxy is free, open-source software that acts as a load balancer and reverse proxy for both TCP and HTTP protocols. It is designed to handle very large volumes of simultaneous connections and is a key component for building highly available and scalable web applications and services. HAProxy is often used as the “brain” in front of a group of servers, distributing incoming traffic among them.
2025-06-20
In the previous article, we explored the general principles of proxy servers and their classification. Now it’s time to dive into specific solutions, and we’ll start with Nginx (pronounced “engine-x”) — one of the most popular and high-performance web servers and a powerful reverse proxy. Nginx plays a key role in modern web infrastructure, powering millions of websites worldwide.
What is Nginx?
Nginx is a free, open-source software that was originally developed as a web server to solve the C10k problem (handling a large number of simultaneous connections). Over time, its functionality has expanded significantly, and today Nginx is widely used as:
2025-06-19
In today’s internet-driven world, where data constantly travels between millions of devices, it’s often not enough to establish a direct connection — you may need a “middleman.” That’s where a proxy server comes in. It acts as a bridge between you (the client) and the destination resource (server), handling network requests on your behalf. Understanding how proxies work is critical for network security, optimization, and access management.
What is a Proxy Server?
A proxy server (from the English proxy — representative, intermediary) is a server in a computer network that acts as an intermediary between a user (client) and other internet servers. All client requests go through the proxy first, which then forwards them to the destination server. Responses from the destination server also return to the proxy first before being sent back to the client.
2025-06-18
Continuing our series on choosing a password manager, let’s now take a closer look at Bitwarden. This tool stands out from the competition thanks to its openness, flexibility, and the unique option to self-host, giving you maximum control over your data.
Bitwarden: Your Choice Between Cloud and Self-Hosting
Bitwarden is a popular, open-source password manager that strikes an excellent balance of security, functionality, and affordability. It offers users two main deployment options: