2025-10-28
MySQL Proxy is a proxy application that sits between client applications (for example, your web server) and one or more MySQL servers. It uses the MySQL Network Protocol, which allows any standard MySQL-compatible client to connect to the proxy without changes, believing it is talking directly to a MySQL server.
How MySQL Proxy Works
In its basic configuration the proxy simply forwards requests from the client to the MySQL server and returns responses back.
However the key feature of MySQL Proxy and its counterparts is monitoring, analyzing, and modifying the passing traffic:
2025-10-06
Introduction
Let’s Encrypt is the standard for obtaining free TLS certificates. Most often certificates are issued via the HTTP-01 method, which requires a reachable web server on port 80. However, for internal services or wildcard certificates (for example, *.example.com) it is more convenient to use DNS-01, which verifies domain ownership via TXT records in DNS and does not require open ports.
This article covers:
- Issuing certificates via the Cloudflare API,
- Issuing certificates via Amazon Route 53 (AWS),
- Integration with web servers Nginx, HAProxy and Traefik,
- Automation of certificate renewal.
Note: Instructions are relevant for Certbot 2.x, acme.sh 3.x, Nginx 1.18+, HAProxy 2.4+, Traefik 2.x on Linux (Ubuntu/Debian). For other OSes or tool versions adjustments may be required.
2025-10-03
Introduction
If you are a beginner system administrator or developer, you’ve probably faced the task of managing network traffic.
One of the most powerful tools for this is HAProxy, a high-performance load balancer for TCP and HTTP.
In this article, we will cover:
- what TCP proxying is,
- why to use HAProxy,
- a sample configuration for beginners,
- security and monitoring tips.
What is TCP Proxying?
TCP Proxying is the forwarding of TCP connections from a client to a server (or group of servers) through an intermediary.
Unlike an HTTP proxy that operates at the application layer, TCP proxying happens at the transport layer, making it universal for any TCP protocol: from databases to mail services.
2025-09-12
Introduction
Modern users expect web applications to work as fast and responsive as native software. Chats, stock quotes, collaborative document editing — all these scenarios require instant data exchange. In this article, we’ll break down how Long Polling works, why it was replaced by WebSockets, and how to properly configure these technologies on popular web servers.
The Real-Time Problem and the First Solution: Long Polling
HTTP was originally designed for the request-response model: the client contacts the server, the server replies, and the connection closes. For dynamic applications, this is inconvenient.
2025-09-06
Introduction
Choosing a web server and reverse proxy today depends on tasks and infrastructure.
Caddy, Traefik, HAProxy, Nginx, and Apache are five popular solutions, each with its strengths and weaknesses.
In this article, we’ll compare them by key criteria: philosophy, installation, SSL, CI/CD, and complexity.
Comparison by Key Criteria
| Criterion | Caddy | Traefik | HAProxy | Nginx | Apache |
|---|
| Philosophy | Simplicity, automatic SSL | Dynamic routing and Service Discovery | High-performance load balancer | Universal web server and proxy | Classic web server, static approach |
| Installation | Single binary | Container, requires setup | Single binary, manual configuration | OS package, easy installation | OS package, easy installation |
| SSL Automation | Built-in, main advantage | Built-in, part of ecosystem | No (requires external integration, e.g., certbot) | Partial (via certbot or modules) | Partial (via certbot or modules) |
| CI/CD | Very easy integration | Ideal for microservices | Used for high-load balancing | Requires manual steps, integration possible | Requires manual steps, integration possible |
| Complexity | Low, beginner-friendly | Medium/high, requires orchestrator knowledge | Medium, more complex configs | Medium, rich ecosystem | Medium, often bloated configs |
| Performance | Good, but not top-tier | Good | Excellent, optimized for load balancing | Excellent | Average |
| Best Use Case | Local development, quick MVPs | Docker/Kubernetes, microservices | High-load systems, load balancing | Universal choice for web and proxy | Static site hosting, legacy systems |
Who Is It For?
🔹 Caddy
Ideal for:
2025-07-02
Hi friends! Today, we’re diving into the world of automation and deploying n8n — a powerful workflow automation tool. We’ll install it in Docker, and use HAProxy as a reliable reverse proxy to expose it to the internet.
This guide is created especially for beginners. We’ll go step by step, explaining every command so you not only do it, but also understand how everything works.
Why do we even need HAProxy?
You could just expose n8n’s ports to the internet, right? Yes, but that’s unsafe and inconvenient. HAProxy acts as both a guard and a dispatcher:
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.
2025-06-19
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.
