0x09-web_infrastructure_design

Web Infrastructure Design

This project, completed during my Full Stack Software Engineering studies at ALX, demonstrates my understanding of designing scalable and secure web infrastructures.

Key concepts

• Network basics
• Server
• Web server
• Application server
• DNS & DNS record types
• Load Balancer
• Monitoring
• Database
• Single point of failure
• HTTP & HTTPS
• Firewall

File Descriptions

Each file contains a link to an image hosted on Imgbox. These images are based on the following requirements:

0-simple_web_stack

On a whiteboard, design a one server web infrastructure that hosts the website that is reachable via www.foobar.com. Start your explanation by having a user wanting to access your website.

You must use:

• 1 physical server

• 1 web server (Nginx)

• 1 application server

• 1 application files (your code base)

• 1 database (MySQL)

• 1 domain name foobar.com configured with a www record that points to your server IP 8.8.8.8

1-distributed_web_infrastructure

On a whiteboard, design a three servers web infrastructure that host the website www.foobar.com.

You must add to 0-simple_web_stack:

• 2 physical servers

• 1 web server (Nginx)

• 1 application server

• 1 load-balancer (HAproxy)

• 1 application files (your code base)

• 1 database (MySQL)

2-secured_and_monitored_web_infrastructure

On a whiteboard, design a three servers web infrastructure that host the website www.foobar.com, it must be secured, serve encrypted traffic and be monitored.

You must add to 1-distributed_web_infrastructure:

• 3 firewalls

• 1 SSL certificate to serve www.foobar.com over HTTPS

• 3 monitoring clients (data collector for Sumologic or other monitoring services)

3-scale_up

You must add to 2-secured_and_monitored_web_infrastructure:

• 1 physical server

• 1 load-balancer (HAproxy) configured as cluster with the other one

• Split components (web server, application server, database) with their own server

Files

Filename	Description
0-simple_web_stack	Web Infrastructure Design with a LAMP stack. This contains: 1 server, 1 web server, 1 application server, 1 database and 1 domain name
1-distributed_web_infrastructure	Web Infrastructure Design, based on 0-simple_web_stack that contains some additional components: 1 server, 1 web server, 1 application server, 1 load-balancer, 1 set of application files, 1 database
2-secured_and_monitored_web_infrastructure	Web Infrastructure Design, based on 1-distributed_web_infrastructure that contains some additional components: 3 firewalls, 1 SSL certificate, 3 monitoring clients
3-scale_up	Web Infrastructure Design, based on 2-secured_and_monitored_web_infrastructure that contains some additional components: 1 server, 1 load-balancer