**DevOps** is an essential part of modern software development. The term DevOps refers to the integration of software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) with the goal of creating a more agile, efficient, and reliable software development process. DevOps engineers are critical to this process and play a vital role in ensuring that the DevOps pipeline is optimized for maximum efficiency.
In a Grand View Research, Inc. study, DevOps Engineers ranked No. 4 on [Glassdoor's list of the 50 Best Jobs in the USA](https://www.glassdoor.com/List/Best-Jobs-in-America-LST_KQ0,20.htm{externalnofollow}) in 2022. By 2025, the global DevOps market is expected to reach US$12.85 billion, growing at a compound annual rate of 18.60%. 

DevOps has seen a substantial increase in investment from companies in recent years. It is common for users to leverage tools like Chef, Docker, and Puppet. Due to this, there is an increasing need for qualified DevOps engineers.

## What does a DevOps engineer do?

DevOps engineers are involved in coding and scripting for various software development kit components, including APIs.

A DevOps engineer is responsible for bridging the gap between development and operations teams by automating the software development lifecycle and streamlining software delivery. They create a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement to help organizations achieve faster time-to-market, improved product quality, and more reliable software delivery.

Automation tools, containerization tools, cloud computing platforms, and monitoring and logging tools are among the tools and technologies that DevOps engineers typically use. The tools automate the software development process, integrate and deploy code changes, and monitor and troubleshoot applications.

Working effectively with cross-functional teams requires strong communication, collaboration, and technical skills. Building and maintaining solid relationships with developers, operations, and other stakeholders is their responsibility.

A DevOps engineer is critical to software development, ensuring that software is delivered quickly, reliably, and with high qualifications.

## 7 Must-have DevOps Engineer skills

Here are some essential DevOps engineer skills you should know:

### Understanding of the software development lifecycle

A DevOps engineer must have a solid understanding of the SDLC and be familiar with Agile methodologies. Additionally, they should be able to assist developers in writing code that is ready for testing and deployment.

### Knowledge of automation tools

Automation is a core part of DevOps, and DevOps engineers must be familiar with various automation tools. Tools that can automate infrastructure, such as Ansible or Puppet, as well as continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) tools like Jenkins and containerization tools like Docker, can be utilized to automate these tasks.

### Cloud computing skills

DevOps engineers need a good knowledge of cloud computing and databases. With the rise of cloud computing, DevOps engineers must have knowledge of cloud-based services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. They should also be familiar with cloud deployment models such as Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

### The ability to use source control systems

Source control systems are essential tools for facilitating collaboration between developers. As DevOps brings together individuals from various sectors, it is critical for DevOps engineers to have expertise in source control or version control systems. These systems enable tracking changes in an application and maintaining different versions of the application. Becoming proficient in version control systems requires effort, as each tool has advantages and disadvantages.

Understanding the importance of version control systems in the DevOps culture is crucial. For example, they prevent dependency issues in modern containerized applications, directly impact DevOps performance, and help build more reliable applications.

Therefore, every DevOps engineer should have experience working with at least one of the following tools: Git, CVS, SVN, or Mercurial. By mastering these tools, DevOps engineers can streamline collaboration and contribute to the successful delivery of high-quality software products.

### Networking and security principles

Almost everyone needs a strong knowledge of security, particularly DevelOps coding skills. DevOps skills include code analysis, change management, threat research, security courses, and vulnerability assessments.DevOps engineers need a strong understanding of networking and security principles, such as TCP/IP, DNS, firewalls, and VPNs. Furthermore, they should be knowledgeable about privacy and security regulations, such as HIPAA and PCI DSS.

### Collaboration and communication skills

As DevOps engineers work closely with developers, operations teams, and other stakeholders, they must possess excellent communication and collaboration skills. Working in a team, communicating complex technical concepts, and bridging departmental gaps are all skills they should possess.

### Problem-solving skills

DevOps engineers must be capable of troubleshooting complex technical issues and developing solutions quickly. As well as being able to think critically and creatively when faced with challenges, they should also be able to come up with efficient and effective solutions.

## Essential DevOps Engineer Skills: Final words

Becoming a DevOps engineer requires a wide range of skills, including understanding the SDLC, knowledge of automation tools, cloud computing skills, networking and security, collaboration and communication skills, and problem-solving skills. Any organization looking to streamline operations and improve software development processes can benefit from these skills. By mastering these essential skills and continually developing new ones, DevOps engineers can ensure that their teams are working efficiently and effectively while delivering value to their customers. With the right skills and mindset, DevOps engineers can truly make a difference in today's rapidly evolving technology landscape.

DevOps always prioritizes the customer, recognizing that delivering a product that satisfies their needs is paramount. To achieve this, DevOps engineers must have a comprehensive understanding of the big picture and a clear understanding of the customer's requirements. However, DevOps engineers often lack this ability, many of whom come from a software development background without specific DevOps training. Consequently, there is a significant gap between software development and DevOps engineering. To successfully bridge this gap, it is crucial for DevOps engineers to appreciate the broader context and focus on satisfying the customer. At the same time, a software developer is primarily responsible for coding what has been requested. By understanding this distinction, a DevOps engineer can deliver high-quality products that meet customer expectations.

⚡️This article describes essential DevOps engineer skills for successful collaboration and delivery 🤝

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7 Must-Have DevOps Engineer Skills for Successful Collaboration and Delivery

As businesses continue to rely more and more on technology, the importance of having a comprehensive disaster recovery plan in place is becoming increasingly critical. In the event of a disaster, whether a natural disaster or a cyberattack, a well-designed disaster recovery plan can help ensure that your business can quickly and effectively recover and resume normal operations.

Cloud disaster recovery services have emerged as a popular solution for businesses of all sizes, offering several key benefits over traditional disaster recovery solutions.

## What is Cloud disaster recovery?

Disaster recovery in the cloud (cloud DR) involves backing up data, applications, and other resources to a public cloud or a dedicated service provider. When a disaster occurs, the enterprise can restore the affected data, applications, and other resources to the local data center - or the cloud provider.

Cloud DR has the same goal as traditional DR: to safeguard valuable business resources and ensure they can be accessed and recovered to maintain business continuity. Any business continuity (BC) strategy must include disaster recovery (DR).

## In what ways does CDR work?

Traditional disaster recovery methods differ significantly from cloud disaster recovery methods.

There is no comparison between the system and dedicated servers with the same operating system (OS), software applications, and patches as the previous configuration. A cloud solution stores all software, data, patches, and the operating system. Virtual server images contain all of this information. 

Virtual server images can be quickly accessed in a secure virtual environment if a disaster occurs. All data within the organization is fully restored, allowing users to access resources and software as before the disaster. A few minutes are needed to accomplish this.

It is unnecessary to have hardware installed before using a virtual server image. As a result, all data assets can be transferred quickly from a data center to the cloud environment, much faster than using a traditional method. 

## Cloud Disaster Recovery: Who Needs It?

IT-related issues should not be the focus of disaster recovery plans, which should work alongside an overall business continuity plan. Planning and coordinated processes are also necessary to overcome disruptions caused by external factors.

To protect your data and business operations, disaster recovery has become even more crucial in light of the growing trend of cybercrime targeting companies of all sizes.  

To be sure that cloud disaster recovery is right for your organization, you must ask yourself these **five questions** below: 


1. **_Are you able to access your backup data easily?_**
2. **_If your hardware fails, can you quickly obtain and set it up?_**
3. **_After restoring the system, how easy will it be for your users to access software and data?_**
4. **_Will your plans be fully protected once they have been restored?_**
5. **_Does your IT department know what to do in case of a disaster?_**

If any of these questions are answered no, then a cloud DR solution may be the best option for avoiding unnecessary downtime and inefficiency caused by a standard key. 

Getting your business back online as soon as possible after a disruption is essential. A disaster recovery strategy can ensure operations can restart almost immediately during a disaster. 

## What is a Cloud Disaster Recovery Strategy?

A cloud-based disaster recovery strategy (CDR) allows organizations to quickly recover digital assets and restore systems, whether artificial or natural, following a disaster. A managed solution allows remote access to all systems within the organization, minimizing downtime or eliminating it. 

The traditional disaster recovery strategy relies on secondary data centers to back up assets and systems. It can be a time-consuming and expensive process. Recovery times are also much slower when compared to a cloud solution. 

With a cloud disaster recovery strategy, there is no need for any traditional infrastructure. The service can work seamlessly with your existing IT department to ensure rapid recovery at lower costs.

## Why is a cloud disaster recovery plan important?

A comprehensive disaster restoration plan ensures the rapid recovery of essential business data needed for the return of normal business activities. Traditional disaster recovery strategies can be difficult. Adding cloud infrastructure may make your calculations even longer. It makes establishing and maintaining a proper recovery process a critical component of a recovery process. The use of cloud technology for backups requires more significant expertise than traditional DR techniques. Cloud DR still is relatively new for many organizations, but your DR plan should include all critical elements for disaster recovery.

## What do Cloud disaster recovery services mean?

Cloud disaster recovery services are a type of cloud computing service that provides businesses with the ability to recover their data and IT infrastructure in the event of a disaster, such as a natural disaster, cyber attack, or other disruptive events.

These services typically involve replicating data and applications to a remote location in the cloud, which can be accessed and used in the event of a disaster. Cloud disaster recovery services can provide businesses with a number of benefits, including reduced downtime, improved data protection, and lower costs compared to traditional disaster recovery solutions.

Some **examples of cloud disaster recovery services** include Amazon Web Services (AWS) Disaster Recovery, Microsoft Azure Site Recovery, and Google Cloud Disaster Recovery. These services typically offer features such as automated failover, continuous data replication, and flexible recovery options to meet the specific needs of businesses.

**Amazon Web Services (AWS) Disaster Recovery:** This service provides an automated disaster recovery solution for your critical workloads running on AWS. It offers a fully managed, cloud-based disaster recovery service that replicates your applications and data to a secondary region.

**Microsoft Azure Site Recovery:** This service provides disaster recovery for applications and workloads running on-premises or in the cloud. It offers replication, failover, and failback capabilities, with support for multiple platforms and workloads.

**Google Cloud Disaster Recovery:** This service provides a fully managed, cloud-based disaster recovery solution for your Google Cloud Platform (GCP) workloads. It offers replication to a secondary region, automated failover, and continuous data protection.

**IBM Cloud Disaster Recovery:** This service provides a comprehensive disaster recovery solution for your mission-critical applications and data. It offers rapid failover and failback, with support for hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

**Zerto:** This service provides disaster recovery and business continuity solutions for virtualized and cloud environments. It offers continuous data protection, automated failover and failback, and multi-cloud support.

These are just a few examples of today's many cloud disaster recovery services. Each service has unique features and capabilities, so evaluating your specific needs and requirements is essential before choosing a solution.

In addition to public clouds, many dedicated disaster recovery vendors now offer Disaster recovery as service products that enable access to dedicated clouds.

**Top DR providers** include:

- Bluelock
- Expedient
- IBM DRaaS
- Iland
- Recovery Point Systems
- Sungard AS
- TierPoint

DR as a service is also being offered by **more traditional backup vendors**, such as:

-  Acronis
-  Arcserve UDP
-  Carbonite
-  Databarracks
-  Datto
-  Unitrends
-  Zerto

It is essential to regularly update and test DR platforms to ensure they are available and perform as expected.

## Benefits of Cloud disaster recovery services

The benefits of cloud disaster recovery services include the following:

- **Cost-effectiveness:** Cloud disaster recovery services can be significantly more cost effective than traditional disaster recovery solutions, as they eliminate the need for expensive hardware and software.
-** Scalability:** Cloud disaster recovery services can quickly scale to meet the changing needs of your business, whether you need to recover a few files or an entire data center.
- **Reliability:** Cloud disaster recovery services are designed to provide reliable and consistent performance, ensuring your data is always available when needed.
- **Security:** Cloud disaster recovery services often incorporate advanced security features, such as data encryption and multi-factor authentication, to help protect your data from unauthorized access.
- **Accessibility:** Cloud disaster recovery services allow you to access your data from anywhere with an internet connection, making it easy to recover your data even if your physical location is affected by a disaster.

## Final thoughts

Cloud disaster recovery can reduce downtime and data loss, reduce the risk of data loss or other damage and ensure compliance with regulations. If an earthquake, tornado or flood destroys your manufacturing system, downtime could ruin you and your business. With cloud disaster recovery, the company synchronizes your data and backup to an infrastructure located 150 miles from your production network. This geographically isolated location is crucial if you wish to minimize a possible loss of data on production systems or cloud recovery sites.

In 2023, the need for cloud disaster recovery services will likely continue to grow as businesses become more reliant on technology and as the threat landscape continues to evolve. By implementing a cloud disaster recovery plan, companies can help ensure that they are prepared for any disaster that may occur and can quickly and effectively recover their critical data and systems.

A cloud disaster recovery plan is a viable alternative to a traditional disaster recovery plan in practically every way. From simple deployment to lower costs, and faster recovery, it is a viable strategy for organizations of any size. 

A cloud solution also offers additional security as the backup server can be located anywhere worldwide, further protecting sensitive data. 

This article explores why cloud disaster recovery services are so essential for business continuity in 2023.

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Why Cloud Disaster Recovery Services are Essential for Business Continuity in 2023

**AngelList** is a cloud-based startup investment & job posting platform enabling startups to develop and manage their talent pipelines. Businesses can recruit candidates by broad search keywords such as profile, job type, location, etc.

[AngelList](https://www.angellist.com/{externalnofollow}) is used by many people, including entrepreneurs, investors, and job seekers. Entrepreneurs use the platform to find investors interested in their companies and raise funds for their startups. Investors use AngelList to find startups interested in investing in and connecting with other investors. Job seekers use the platform to find job opportunities at startups.

Nowadays, AngelList is a kind of constellation. Modern AngelList is comprised of six primary entities, which have shifted and split throughout its history:
![AngelList_ benefits and possibilities for startups.png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2023/1/24/Group_3053_ee38e7bfdb.png)

- AngelList Venture
- AngelList Talent
- AngelList India
- CoinList
- Republic
- Product Hunt

## What are AngelList advantages?

AngelList is an excellent opportunity for startups, helping them connect to investors and employees.

_Defining "AngelList" is tricky._ AngelList isn't just one company. Technically, three entities leverage the brand: AngelList Venture, AngelList Talent, and AngelList India. That's without mentioning businesses that spun out from the company, including Republic and CoinList. Or, indeed, Product Hunt, which AngelList owned between 2016 and 2020. 

_AngelList Venture is an efficient unicorn._ According to an exclusive AngelList's Venture team shared, the company is now worth $4.1 billion, thanks to a recent $100 million funding round. Its targeted spending means it has achieved that outcome with relatively little capital.‍

_Spinning out aligns incentives._ Companies like Republic exemplify a crucial component of AngelList's playbook: some innovations are best served by going solo. AngelList founder Naval Ravikant believes it produces more effective teams, largely thanks to better alignment of incentives. 

_Hiring founders increase leverage._ AngelList employs an unusual number of former entrepreneurs, especially those with an engineering background. The company looks to build around individuals who understand how to leverage their labor and can take a product from zero to one.‍

_AngelList's most essential products are just getting started._ Ask Naval Ravikant what products he believes are most important to AngelList's future, and he'll point to Rolling Funds and the software suite Stack. Both have been around for less than two years. 

And now, let's explore the benefits and possibilities for **Startups**, **Investors**, and **Job seekers**.

## Benefits for Startups

AngelList offers several benefits for startups, including:

1. **Access to investors**: Startups can connect with investors interested in their industry and stage of development. AngelList offers a database of over 100,000 accredited investors who can invest in your startup.
2. **Fundraising tools**: Startups can create fundraising profiles with their pitch deck, financials, and team information. AngelList offers a suite of fundraising tools, including fundraising templates and investor CRM tools, that help startups streamline their fundraising process.
3. **Hiring tools**: Startups can post job listings, review resumes, and connect with job candidates. AngelList offers a database of over 2 million job seekers interested in working for startups.
4. **Community**: Startups can connect with other entrepreneurs and industry experts on AngelList. The platform offers a community forum where startups can ask questions and get advice from other members.
5. **Visibility**: Startups can get more exposure for their business on AngelList. The platform has over 1 million registered users, including investors, job seekers, and other startups.

## Possibilities for Startups

AngelList also offers several possibilities for startups, including:

1. **Funding opportunities**: Startups can apply to accelerators and incubators on AngelList, which can provide funding, mentorship, and other resources.
2. **M&A opportunities**: Startups can explore mergers and acquisitions on AngelList. The platform offers a database of over 43,000 startups, which can be searched by industry, location, and other criteria.
3. **Partnership opportunities**: Startups can connect with other startups and industry experts on AngelList, leading to partnerships and collaborations.

## Benefits for Investors

AngelList also offers several benefits for investors, including:

1. **Access to startups**: Investors can find startups that match their investment criteria. AngelList offers a database of over 43,000 startups, which can be searched by industry, location, and other criteria.
2. **Investment tools**: Investors can use AngelList's investment tools to evaluate startups, including pitch decks, financials, and team information.
3. **Syndication opportunities**: Investors can join [syndicates on AngelList](https://saasholic.com/most-popular-syndicates-on-angellist-you-should-be-following/{externalnofollow}), which allows them to invest alongside other investors.
4. **Community**: Investors can connect with other investors and industry experts on AngelList. The platform offers a community forum where investors can ask questions and get advice from other members.
5. **Visibility**: Investors can get more exposure for their investment portfolio on AngelList. The platform has over 1 million registered users, including startups, job seekers, and other investors.

## Possibilities for Investors

AngelList also offers several possibilities for investors, including:

1. **Early-stage investing**: Investors can invest in early-stage startups on AngelList, offering high potential returns.
2. **Diversification**: Investors can build a diversified portfolio of startups on AngelList, which can reduce risk.
3. **Social impact investing**: Investors can invest in startups that have a social impact on AngelList, which can align with their values.

## Benefits for Job Seekers

AngelList also offers several benefits for job seekers, including:

1. **Access to startups**: AngelList provides job seekers access to a wide range of startups actively hiring. This is particularly beneficial for those interested in working for early-stage companies.
2. **Transparent hiring process**: AngelList promotes a transparent hiring process by providing job seekers with detailed job descriptions, company profiles, and salary information. This allows job seekers to decide which companies to apply to.
3. **Networking opportunities**: AngelList enables job seekers to connect with startup founders and employees, which can be a valuable networking opportunity. This can lead to potential job opportunities in the future.
4. **User-friendly interface**: AngelList's user-friendly interface makes it easy for job seekers to navigate and apply for jobs. The platform also allows job seekers to create a profile that showcases their skills and experience, making it easier for them to stand out to potential employers.
5. **Customized job alerts**: Job seekers can set up customized job alerts that match their preferences, such as job type, location, and salary range. This saves time and effort by sending relevant job opportunities directly to their inbox.
6. **Job search assistance**: AngelList provides job seekers with additional resources such as job search tips and advice. This can be helpful for those who are new to the job search process or want to improve their chances of landing a job.

## Possibilities for job seekers

1. **Job Listings**: AngelList features job listings from thousands of startups in various industries, including technology, healthcare, finance, and more. Job seekers can search for job listings based on their skills, location, and preferences.
2. **Job Matches**: AngelList's algorithm matches job seekers with relevant job openings based on their skills and preferences. Job seekers can create a profile and indicate their job preferences, and the platform will provide them with job matches that meet their criteria.
3. **Networking**: AngelList provides job seekers with opportunities to network with other professionals in the startup ecosystem. Job seekers can connect with other professionals in their industry or attend networking events to expand their network and learn about new job opportunities.
4. **Investor Jobs**: AngelList also features job openings at venture capital firms and angel investment groups. Job seekers can explore these opportunities if they want to work in the investment industry.
5. **Remote Work**: Many startups on AngelList offer remote work opportunities, making it easier for job seekers to find a job that fits their lifestyle and work preferences.

AngelList provides job seekers with various resources and opportunities for startup job openings. Whether job seekers are interested in a particular industry or job function, AngelList can help them find relevant job listings, connect with other professionals, and expand their network in the startup ecosystem.

## What is an AngelList syndicate?

A syndicate is an investor group that invests in [SVP deals](https://learn.angellist.com/articles/spv{externalnofollow}). When you back a syndicate, you will have access to deal-by-deal deals. No commitments can be made in a transaction with a syndicate.

## AngelList: Final words

AngelList is a valuable platform for anyone interested in the startup ecosystem and who wants to connect with other like-minded individuals. Whether you are an entrepreneur, investor, or job seeker, AngelList can provide various opportunities and resources to help you achieve your goals.

AngelList has revolutionized the way startups and investors connect. It provides startups access to a wide range of investors, a streamlined process, and a supportive community. It also provides investors access to a wide range of startups, a simplified process, and a supportive community. The possibilities of AngelList, including Syndicates, Job Listings, and AngelList Venture, provide even more opportunities for startups and investors to connect and collaborate. If you are a startup or an investor, AngelList is a platform that you should consider.

😏😇The article provides an overview of the benefits and possibilities of AngelList for startups, investors, and job seekers.

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AngelList: benefits and possibilities for startups

📊SaaS business model description, 🤩 unique SaaS ideas, ways to validate the idea, and suggestions for building an MVP.

☕️Awesome SaaS ideas for a product in 2023

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Awesome AI-generated SaaS ideas for your new product

**DevOps** entails more than just bringing development and operations together. Tools and practices are just the beginning. Defining DevOps as a mindset, a cultural shift, involves adopting new ways of working.

By understanding user requirements and needs better, developers in a DevOps culture get closer to the user. As part of the development process, operations teams add maintenance requirements and customer needs. In contrast to traditional software development methods, DevOps teams follow the following fundamental principles that allow them to deliver services and applications at a faster rate and a high quality.

A company that employs separate development and operations teams may require a complete overhaul of the organization to implement DevOps. DevOps can only be implemented with the right people, culture, and tools.

## Benefits of DevOps

_By bringing development and operations together, teams can reduce lead time, deploy more frequently, and produce better-quality software_. 

DevOps benefits fall into **three categories**: technical, cultural, and business.

_Technical benefits_ include reducing complexity, accelerating delivery, and quickly eliminating problems. DevOps practitioners usually deploy higher-quality code faster than traditionally [siloed teams](https://nbold.co/working-in-silos/#:~:text=Working%20in%20silos%20describes%20a,their%20work%20separately%20without%20coordination.{externalnofollow}).

Customers are happier and more productive as a result of the _cultural benefits_.

_Business benefits_ include faster delivery times and more stable operating environments, resulting from greater collaboration and trust between team members.

## What Is DevOps Lifecycle?
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**DevOps lifecycle** describes software development processes that use DevOps best practices for planning, building, integration, deployment and monitoring. It is no specific software or specialized team.

The DevOps lifecycle combines **continuous development, integration, testing, deployment, monitoring, operation, and feedback**. DevOps lifecycle phases are continuous. So, influential DevOps engineers combine all seven steps in each agile development sprint in ways that make the most sense to them. For example, some teams implement testing before integration. The other one runs continuous feedback before deploying a build in production.

Let's look at each phase in detail.

## Continuous operation

As part of the continuous operations phase, customers are ensured maximum performance, security, compliance, and smooth service.

You'll maintain a competitive edge, high customer satisfaction/ratings, and service reliability when you consistently do this. By increasing your [monthly recurring revenue](https://www.zoho.com/subscriptions/guides/what-is-monthly-recurring-revenue.html#:~:text=Monthly%20Recurring%20Revenue%20(MRR)%20is,but%20excludes%20one%2Dtime%20fees.{externalnofollow}) (MRR), you can attract more subscribers, retain your customers longer, and increase your MRR.

## Continuous Development

Continuous development involves developing software. This way, development is split up into small cycles. DevOps teams are also able to a similar process to speed development processes. Developing and testing software development programs helps developers fully understand projects and expectations. The unit can then visualize its final destination. The development environment doesn't require a DevOps tool, but several software version control tools can be used. These processes of code maintenance can be referred to as source code maintenance.

Tools like [Git](https://git-scm.com/{externalnofollow}), [CVS](https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Concurrent-Versions-System-CVS#:~:text=Concurrent%20Versions%20System%20(CVS)%20is,a%20common%20repository%20of%20files.{externalnofollow}), [Subversion](https://hackbrightacademy.com/blog/svn-vs-git/#:~:text=What%20are%20the%20advantages%20of%20SVN%3F,to%20create%20a%20new%20feature.{externalnofollow}), [Mercurial](https://www.trustradius.com/products/mercurial/reviews?qs=pros-and-cons#reviews{externalnofollow}), [Maven](https://www.devopsuniversity.org/maven-tutorials/{externalnofollow}), and [Garden](https://garden.io/{externalnofollow}) help organize, ease, and speed up the process.

## Continuous Integration

Continuous integration (CI) is an [agile software development](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_development{externalnofollow}) practice allowing a developer to regularly merge changes in one repository before automating the build or test. This phase aims to find and fix bugs faster, and increase product quality. In other words, it helps creating a useful product that is also secure and user-friendly.

Besides, the updated code must seamlessly integrate with the other systems you built it to work with. CI involves reworking the source code frequently, as a result.

## Continuous monitoring

Software products are monitored to evaluate overall production efficiency. It processes essential information regarding developed applications. Using continuously monitorable software, developers can identify patterns and gray areas that require more work. Continuous monitoring is an operational stage aiming to increase software applications' overall effectiveness. It also monitors app performance. The DevOps lifecycle is the defining point in the process.

## Continuous Delivery

The continuous delivery method relies on changing code developed and adapted automatically. This extension for Continuous integration enables the deployment of code updates in test and production environments. If continuous delivery has been effectively implemented, a developer always deploys artifacts that have passed a standard test process.

## Continuous testing

Testing is essential to the DevOps process because it involves checking for bugs, errors, configuration issues, UX/UI problems, and other issues. There are various types of software testing, including component testing, unit testing, and system integration testing.

Tests are conducted by QA teams to make sure that every software component works as intended by your DevOps team and end users. The best continuous testing tools include Selenium, Ranorex, [Test.ai](https://test.ai/about-us{externalnofollow}), TestSigma, [TestNG](https://testng.org/doc/{externalnofollow}), and [JUnit](https://junit.org/junit5/{externalnofollow}).

This phase is the final step before the software code can be deployed to the production environment. The programmer who iterated the code to fix the issue will be notified if it doesn't work through the continuous integration tool (regression automation).

## Continuous feedback

The continuous feedback phase of DevOps helps improve products by allowing all stakeholders to share their feedback. In contrast to traditional software development methodologies, DevOps involves many stakeholders, including the client, product team, development, cloud operations, finance, and management.

In this phase, data is collected from the software being run in real time and monitored by real users. All parties continuously improve the product through continuous feedback.

## Continuous deployment

After testing and validating the code/build, the next step in the DevOps lifecycle involves releasing it into production. Continuous deployment is the last step in the [CI/CD pipeline](https://www.redhat.com/en/topics/devops/what-cicd-pipeline{externalnofollow}) in which teams deploy validated code changes to real users.

Unlike continuous deployment, continuous delivery primarily prepares validated builds for human review before deploying. The difference is that continuous deployment releases validated build to live production automatically.

CD software and CI/CD tools like [UrbanCode Deploy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh5KsH-JByw{externalnofollow}), [DeployBot](https://deploybot.com/#:~:text=DeployBot%20lets%20you%20execute%20or,%2C%20after%2C%20or%20during%20deployment.{externalnofollow}), and [Juju](https://juju.is/{externalnofollow}) can automate both CD processes. Or, use all-in-one solutions like GitLab, CircleCI, and Travis CI. A hassle-free application performance can be achieved using tools like Puppet, Chef, and Ansible.

Your service delivery can be improved by implementing the complete DevOps lifecycle. Continuous improvement of your DevOps pipeline can also help you meet customer needs and business goals more quickly.

## DevOps Methods and Tools
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Measurement and analysis can determine how successful a company can become with DevOps practices. We provide automation solutions for development operations in all phases.

To speed up and improve product releases, organizations can use **DevOps methods**. They are embodied in software development methodologies and practices. Popular processes include Kanban, Agile, and Scrum:

##### Kanban
Originally developed on the Toyota factory floor, Kanban has gained much traction. The Kanban method prescribes tracking the state of work in progress (WIP) on a Kanban board.

##### Scrum
Using scrum, team members can work together more efficiently on development and quality assurance projects. As part of Scrum practices, there are specific workflows and terms (sprints, time boxes, daily scrums [meetings]), as well as designated roles (Scrum Master, product owner).

##### Agile
DevOps practices and tools continue to be heavily influenced by earlier agile software development methods. Agile programming is incorporated into many DevOps methods, including Scrum and Kanban. By performing daily standups, documenting requirements as user stories, and incorporating continuous customer feedback, some agile practices enhance responsiveness to changing needs and requirements. Agile prescribes shorter software development lifecycles as an alternative to lengthy, traditional "waterfall" development methodologies.

## Prioritize security practices

Data breaches are seen as an integral part of organizations' systems. Developing and managing automated processes is an essential aspect of security monitoring and ensuring the success of DevOps processes. No coding is needed for any application and only verified versions control methods will apply.

It is also essential to deliver multiple DevOps Managed Services, allowing for simplified Devops transformations. 
Providing comprehensive defenses from unauthorized access and a potential attack is a key component of this strategy.

Typically organizations with less than 80% securing compliance concerns have a person responsible for security. It can sometimes prove a problem because security is a last thought, and it'll become much harder to secure software after it has been designed and installed than when you design the software to keep it secure.

## What are DevOps services?

DevOps is a mix of cultural philosophies, practices and tools which improve the company's ability to develop and improve products at faster speeds compared to traditional software development and infrastructure management.

Effective tooling is essential to enabling teams to deploy and innovate quickly and reliably in the DevOps model. DevOps tools automate manual tasks, manage complex environments at scale, and keep engineers in control of the high velocity. AWS provides services designed for DevOps and built first for use with the AWS cloud. Using these services can assist you in implementing DevOps phases.

## What is a DevOps engineer?

DevOps engineers are generalists with broad experience in software design, infrastructure development and operations, including code management. Likewise, developers need to have interpersonal skills in their roles so that they can work with different departments in order to build more collaborative environments. DevOps developers must understand common systems architecture, provisioning, and administration, but they should be familiar with the typical toolset.

### Top 9 DevOps Engineer Skills

The skills needed by DevOps Engineers depend on team structure, technology, and tools used. However, good communicative skills are vital to the success of any organization. DevOps Engineers must understand all components of a delivery pipeline. 

The **essential skills** for great DevOps developers are Linux Fundamentals, Scripting, Automation, Coding, Security, and [Cloud skills](https://www.simplilearn.com/top-cloud-computing-skills-article{externalnofollow}), Testing skills, Configuration, Version Management, Learning Proactive monitoring, and [Soft skills](https://www.ecdevstudio.com/blog/top-ten-essential-soft-skills-for-engineering-professionals/{nofollow}).

## The future of DevOps

Since DevOps entered the game, it has proved to be effective in many ways: From speeding up development processes to bringing more value and high-quality products.
DevOps isn't going anywhere, but it doesn't stand still. Here are three DevOps trends for the near future.

As more organizations migrate to the cloud, DevOps will be tightly connected with cloud-native security bringing changes in how software is built, deployed, and operated. With [SecDevOps](https://www.xenonstack.com/insights/secdevops#:~:text=in%20the%20SDLC.-,What%20is%20SecDevOps%3F,than%20being%20held%20by%20them.{externalnofollow}), companies can integrate security into the development and deployment workflows.

Some experts predict the broader adoption of [BizDevOps](https://www.techtarget.com/searchsoftwarequality/definition/BizDevOps-Business-Development-and-Operations{externalnofollow}), a new approach to software development that eliminates the boundaries between developers, operations teams, and business staff so companies can build user-oriented products more quickly.

⚡️This article describes DevOps benefits, principles, tools, and the DevOps engineer role. 

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DevOps: principles, tools, and DevOps engineer role

**Cybersecurity** plays an essential role in the operational processes as the system protects against the theft and destruction of personal data. With an effective cybersecurity policy, your company can defend itself against the threats of unauthorized access. 

Cyber security protects various devices, data, electronic systems, and networks from malware attacks. Also, it can be named information technology security. It is the kind of organization's strategic efforts to protect information resources. Cyber security threat monitoring describes revealing cyber threats and data breaches, which can cause significant damage and disruption.

## Types of CyberSecurity

Cyber security applies in various contexts - from business to mobile computing. It can be divided into such types:
![Types of CyberSecurity.png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/12/20/Types_of_Cyber_Security_0e36e608cc.png)

##### Application security

This type of cyber security focuses on protecting software and devices free of threats. A hacked application could provide access to the data designed to protect. Successful security should be begun in the design stage before a program or device is deployed.

##### Information security

It guards the privacy of data, both in transit and storage.

##### Network security

It is the crucial practice of protecting a computer network from intruders if targeted attackers or malicious software.

##### Operational security

This type of security works with data assets. Permissions for accessing a network and procedures for storing or sharing data fall within the scope.

##### Encryption

It takes plain text, like a text message or email, and scrambles it into an unreadable format — called cipher text. The purpose of encryption is confidentiality—concealing the content of the message by translating it into a code.

##### Access control

This type of cyber security is an essential element that determines who can access specific data, apps, and resources—and in what circumstances. Access control aims to minimize the security risk of unauthorized access to material and logical systems.

##### End-user education

It addresses the most unpredictable cyber-security factor: people. Any person can accidentally bring a virus to an otherwise secure system by failing to follow good security practices. Teaching users to delete suspicious email attachments, not plug in unidentified USB drives, and other essential lessons are vital for any organization's security.

##### Disaster recovery and business continuity

This type learns the companies' response to cyber security incidents, which cause data loss or operations. Disaster recovery policies determine how the organization restores its information and functions to return to the operating capacity as before the damage. Business continuity is the organization's plan while trying to operate without specific assets.

## Cyber security management
![Cyber security management.png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/12/20/Cyber_security_management_1e4abb5f1b.png)

In IT, cybersecurity management protects sensitive information from unwanted guests and cybercriminals. It can protect the company's computer networks and information systems from cyber attacks, threats, intrusions, malware, and data breaches. 

Cybercriminals always look for new ways to take advantage of computer systems' vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, cyber-attacks are becoming more sophisticated. Individuals' computer infrastructure may also be affected by some of these viruses. Now, organizations and companies are reevaluating their strategies against these threats. Organizations and businesses are developing better ways to prevent more damage by hiring cybersecurity managers or professionals who understand the importance of keeping information secure. 

## What makes managing cyber risk so challenging today?
![Frame 3827 (1).png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/12/20/Frame_3827_1_2201421621.png)

Let's start with cloud services and third-party vendors interacting with sensitive information. Approximately 583 third parties share confidential information with companies, according to a Ponemon Institute study. IT security teams have their hands complete, managing complex infrastructures full of vendor risk.

Meanwhile, organizations face many laws and regulations governing how confidential data must be protected. Modern enterprises are held accountable for third-party data processing on their behalf. If handling your risk wasn't challenging enough, today's organizations must also manage vendor risk.

What is the responsibility for each part of the security risk? Everyone - is entirely responsible and shares ownership. The situation becomes complicated when four business functions have a stake in the outcome.

Functions often lack empathy for one another and understand each other's agenda. Rather than taking security and compliance seriously, it often views them as annoying roadblocks. The security industry knows about safety but must also be aware of evolving technology and regulations. Security audits are a top priority for the sales team as they want to keep their customers happy. It is common for compliance to operate without understanding security and follow strict regulations to stay out of trouble.

Cybersecurity risk management requires specific responsibilities and clear roles for all functions. It is no longer the case that siloed departments stumble along in disconnected confusion. We need a unified, coordinated, disciplined, and consistent approach to manage risk effectively today. Here are some key risk management components that all organizations should consider:

- Assessing vendor risk with robust policies and tools
- Identification of emerging threats, such as new regulations that affect the business
- Finding weaknesses in internal security, such as a lack of two-factor authentication
- Training programs or policies and controls can be used to mitigate IT risks
- An overall security assessment
- Provide documentation of vendor risk management and security to satisfy regulatory requirements or prospective customers

## What programming languages are used for Cybersecurity?
C and C++, Python, JavaScript, PHP, and SQL are a few of the preferred programming languages used for cybersecurity.

### C and C++

The C programming language has been used in the development of some of the most popular operating systems, such as Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows. C and C++ provide access to low-level IT infrastructure, such as RAM and system processes. Hackers can easily exploit these lower-level operations if they are not properly protected.

### Python

Python is one of the most popular programming languages for cybersecurity because of its ease and functionality. Python is used for developing both web-based and software-based applications. Cybersecurity professionals use Python to develop analysis tools and hacking scripts, as well as to design secure programs.

### JavaScript

This language is primarily used to design interactive web pages and apps. JavaScript is extensively used, and it can be manipulated by hackers to gather information. Learning JavaScript can help to identify vulnerabilities in web design and fend off malicious users.

### PHP

PHP is used on the server-side to develop websites. Because most websites are created using PHP, learning this language will be helpful for cybersecurity jobs that focus on protecting websites.

### SQL

Structured Query Language (SQL) is primarily used in the design and management of databases and is widely used to maintain and retrieve data. Learning SQL is particularly helpful to prevent SQL injections, a type of cyber-attack where the attacker manipulates SQL statements to steal or modify information.

## Best Practices in Cybersecurity Management

Here are the **tried-and-tested best practices** for cybersecurity management.

**#Understand Your IT Assets and Environment**

A comprehensive cybersecurity management strategy demands deep knowledge of your firm's IT environment, including all your organization's data and digital assets, BYOD devices, networks, systems, third-party services, technologies, and endpoints. 

It is crucial to be aware of all aspects of your IT landscape, as they can all be exploited to breach your network. Moreover, your IT environment should be continuously monitored and maintained.

**#Implement a risk management strategy**

Risk management without an effective cybersecurity risk management strategy is counterproductive. Organizations must maintain up-to-date systems and plans. 

You should determine your risk tolerance before planning. Incorporate employee roles and escalation strategies, as well as information on the roles of key stakeholders.

**#Integrate cybersecurity risk management into the company culture**

A well-crafted cybersecurity risk management policy and process are only helpful if implemented effectively throughout the organization. Communicate your ideas, plans, and procedures to all stakeholders. Establish cybersecurity risk management as part of the company's culture and values. Each party managing cyber threats must know, understand, and embrace its responsibilities.

**#Assess risks continuously, adaptable, and proactively**

Identifying and assessing risks are crucial components of risk management. Cybersecurity risks are constantly evolving. For example, changing company procedures or introducing new technologies can significantly change your chances. Therefore, the organization's general risk assessment needs to be adjusted. Your strategies should be continuously assessed for deficiencies to ensure sufficient security.

Risk assessments are critical because they provide the business with information about where vulnerabilities currently exist and which threats are on the horizon.

**#Implement Strict Security Protocols**

Effective risk mitigation requires a security system that is both comprehensive and user-friendly. Here are a few techniques:

1. Use a web application firewall (WAF) managed and situated at the network's edge to keep track of traffic, offer immediate and actionable information, and continuously protect against known and unknown threats.
2. Extend security to BYOD devices and all other hardware in your IT environment.
3. Implement stringent security procedures for remote employees.
4. When possible, use automatic patching to keep all security systems up-to-date.
5. Implement stringent access controls and authentication policies.
6. Consolidate systems and data whenever possible. Data that is segregated and dispersed is more challenging to manage and secure.
7. Set up a consistent, reliable backup system.

**#Enhance Visibility into Your Network**

Visibility into all areas of your network is critical to preventing and mitigating cybersecurity incidents. Factors like insider threats, third-party components with built-in vulnerabilities, and human error can endanger your environment. Real-time and trustworthy visibility into your organization's risk profile is essential.

## What is a cyber security audit?

A cyber security audit is a comprehensive review of an organisation’s IT infrastructure. Audits ensure that appropriate policies and procedures have been implemented and are working effectively.

The goal is to identify any vulnerabilities that could result in a data breach. This includes weaknesses that enable malicious actors to gain unauthorised access to sensitive information, as well as poor internal practices that might result in employees accidentally or negligently breaching sensitive information.

As part of their review, the auditor will assess the organisation’s compliance posture. Depending on the nature of the organisation, it could be subject to several information security and data privacy laws, creating a complex net of requirements.

The audit should be performed by a qualified third party. The results of their assessment act as a verification to management, vendors and other stakeholders that the organisation’s defences are adequate.

## Final words

Practicing cybersecurity can strengthen your security system and prevent data breaches. Employees must be loyal to your company and should not leak company data, confidential information, or other intellectual property details. Any suspicious activity on your network should be reported to your security department as part of your responsibility to ensure safe online behavior.

Preventative security technology can identify known signature-based threats, but cyber security threat monitoring can detect more sophisticated threats.


🧑‍💻🔐The article outlines cyber security's meaning, options, tools, and best practices.

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Cyber Security: meaning, options, tools, and best practices

Due to the digital age, businesses interact with customers in a completely different way today. It is not enough just to set up an online store or a website to go digital. You should integrate user experience, processes, funnels, services, and product deliveries.

Innovations like automation, digital platforms, and open-source software are changing the fundamental nature of work. Artificial intelligence, [ChatGPT](https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/{externalnofollow}), data analytics, and [the Internet of Things](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mBO2vqLv38{externalnofollow}) are among the technologies that influence these processes. Many companies seek large-scale change efforts to adapt to these technological developments or remain competitive. All these led to the necessity of digital product transformation, which gives the vision and destination of the product.

In this article, we will examine the core stages of the digital product development process, potential pitfalls, and best practices of DPD. But first, let's dive into the relevance of digital products.

## What is considered a digital product?
![What is a digital product_.png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/12/20/What_is_a_digital_product_320f939152.png)

What is the most distinctive characteristic of digital products? Any digital product brings together the concept of products or services, providing value through the interactive point of view.

The term **digital product** refers to something that can be created, sold, and purchased online. The delivery of digital products is usually instantaneous after you buy them, instead of being shipped in a box with packing peanuts.

For creative entrepreneurs, digital products provide a fantastic **monetization option** since they can often be scalable indefinitely. You don't have to create new digital courses or ebooks each time you sell one. [Paywalls](https://rockcontent.com/blog/paywall/{externalnofollow}) allow users to access digital products. A creator has a huge advantage here.

However, their simplicity should be understood. There are many digital products on the market, but making a good one takes a lot of work and pitfalls. The digital product market needs to be more saturated, so slapping anything into a PDF and putting a price tag on it will likely attract few customers. The best digital products must be well-researched, well-executed, and constantly improved.

Also, the common types of digital products include mobile apps, [SaaS](https://www.ecdevstudio.com/blog/awesome-saas-ideas-for-product/{nofollow}) (Software as a Service), software-augmented hardware solutions, and IT solutions.

## What is digital product development?
![What is digital product development_ (1).png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/12/20/What_is_digital_product_development_1_750c919f38.png)

Digital product development transforms an innovative [digital product concept](https://thestory.is/en/process/concept-validation/digital-product-concept/{externalnofollow}) into reality by leveraging the best technology to develop and deliver exceptional designs.

The goal of digital product development is to develop an authentically helpful application that serves your customers and provides the most value for your business. A digital product agency with engineers, designers, and project strategists working towards a common goal can help you carry out this work with purpose and confidence.

Investing in digital product development will allow you to provide your end users with the experience they want and need, regardless of whether you are launching a startup or running a successful business.

## The digital product strategy - the basis of your business

Creating valuable products and implementing digital transformation requires a digital product strategy. 

The ability to predict **the future lifecycle of a product**, its value proposition, and the product's target audience allow businesses to make better decisions that will benefit both shareholders and customers.

The path for developing a digital product can help businesses create unique, scalable products. 

On the other hand, vague digital product strategies can impede project development, contributing to the failure of [95% of 30,000 new products](https://incafrica.com/library/marc-emmer-95-percent-of-new-products-fail-here-are-6-steps-to-make-sure-yours-dont{externalnofollow}) launched each year. 

Digital product strategies today include numerous standard components that are considered **best practices**. The following are some critical aspects of this strategy:

- The product's ability to address the pain points of customers
- Launch details 
- The way it attracts and retains customers
- The method for the product to grow rapidly and sustainably

Anyway, a digital product development approach includes a wide variety and encompasses all the steps of a software product. So, let's take a look at the critical phases of DPDP.

## The core stages of the digital product development process
![The core stages of the digital product development process.png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/12/20/The_core_stages_of_the_digital_product_development_process_76b7539d63.png)

### Stage 1: Discovery stage

At this phase of digital product development, the general ideas of the project, the scope of work, the project's terms, and the future product's competitiveness should be determined.

**Testing of ideas**

In this step, you must determine whether your business idea is viable. It is vital to gather marketing requirements, and analyze your needs and demands, as well as competitive solutions, to define your potential users, avoid possible risks, and make your product unique.

**Gather requirements**

You should prioritize features and functionality based on your essential needs. In this way, a project backlog and vision are defined.

**Defined priority backlog**

With accurate detail elaboration, it describes the stack of features and their implementation to meet the needs of end users.

**Project vision**

It describes the entire project idea. Detailed descriptions of features and essential characteristics will be provided, as well as benefits and strengths your product will offer, along with a short competitive analysis.

**Wireframing**

When you have the project requirements, you are ready to start creating the product visualization. In most cases, it represents the initial product concept, page structure, layout, information architecture, user flow, functionality, and intended behavior. Furthermore, you can view the minimum level of product styling, color, and graphics.

**Infrastructure Architecture**

Depending on your business needs, you can choose the best infrastructure architecture. Various modules and development environments enable the operation of a system, the ability to scale, or the capability to support mobile devices.

**Estimation of the project**

By analyzing your requirements, you can determine the project's cost, time, and resources. Identifying potential risks is crucial for optimizing the budget and minimizing its effects.

### Stage 2: Development stage

In this stage, a product is tailored to the client's needs based on the technology stack.

**Proof of concept**

The purpose of [a proof of concept](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04VMhY0lo1A{externalnofollow}) is to test whether the idea is feasible. A minimal working prototype lets you check if the future product's key features will work with the proposed technology.

**MVP development**

During this stage, you [develop a product](https://vilmate.com/blog/mvp-in-software-development/{externalnofollow}) with only the most essential features and scalable architecture. As a result, the product can be tested, users' feedback is gathered, bugs can be resolved, and the end-users suggestions are integrated into the final product.

### Stage 3: Delivery stage

The final stage is where the product is tested, deployed to the production environment, and provided support for the product.

**Testing process**

A comprehensive testing process is included to ensure bug removal and smooth system operation.

**Continual maintenance**

All necessary upgrades and improvements will be provided for your digital products. A modern and innovative strategy will meet the needs of a fast-changing business environment and a digital transformation.

## Digital Product Development Services
![Digital product development services.png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/12/20/Digital_product_development_services_87d9668187.png)

Products develop a business perspective to increase a firm's market share to meet consumer demand. Customer-focused value can be gained by offering quality goods and services to customers.

Digital products help companies become technology companies by providing innovative product teams that deliver digital solutions that can be easily marketed and implemented. The experts [help businesses scale up their software business](https://www.ecdevstudio.com/blog/what-you-should-know-about-hiring-remote-developers/{nofollow}) through various services.

The digital product development process includes conceptualizing, designing, prototyping, developing, and delivering new digital experiences to an organization's customers. To make these services effective, users must first understand existing needs, then use technology in new ways. 

Regarding innovation speed, **digital product development services** offer the most significant business benefits. Fast and agile innovation in sustained product engineering is crucial to engaging customers in a fast-paced and elegant environment. Prototypes for user testing can be developed quickly with effective digital product development services.

EcDev Studio takes your best ideas and makes them real using proven methodologies and research within the realm of design thought and UX/UI. Our engineers know the way users think. Our digital product development can be completed efficiently and effectively. The digital world is not limited to geographical terms. An excellent digital product development firm will increase your visibility and grow your brand globally.

Also, read <u>**[How EcDev Studio prevents 6 most common problems in software outsourcing](https://www.ecdevstudio.com/blog/how-ecdev-studio-prevents-six-most-common-problems-in-software-outsourcing/{nofollow})**</u>

## Final thoughts

Digital product development is the architecture of successful products, and their successful execution depends on an aligned operation between managers, designers, engineers, and marketers. An effective digital product strategy must be meticulously and inclusively prepared. It must be premised on factors and variables from different stages of product development, including the team members involved.

While technical requirements are the most challenging, low-code plugin solutions are viable tools to circumvent complex product strategy and development processes, getting companies to plan, build and bring their product to market faster. 

Contact [EcDev Studio's development team](https://calendly.com/ecdev-studio/45min{nofollow}) if you want to create a scalable digital product with effective and easy-to-integrate low-code APIs.

📱📲This article describes the core phases of the digital product development process, strategies, pitfalls, and best practices to create or develop your brand.📈

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What you need to know about digital product development: strategies, pitfalls, and best practices

⭐️An article about the pros and cons of software development outsourcing destinations to the Philippines 🇵🇭 and Ukraine 🇺🇦

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Software development outsourcing destinations: Philippines vs Ukraine

It is often the case that engineers place a lot of attention on their technical skills and abilities, ignoring their soft skills primarily. Most roles and industries, however, require soft skills.

As our world becomes more globalized, teams operate across departments, and employees work closely with clients and partners, soft skills are in high demand. Let's take a look at the essential soft skills for engineering professionals.
![Communication.png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/11/10/Communication_3016404ce3.png)
## Communication skills

Engineers need communication with others as they work, which is essential communication between them. Soft skills help improve the working environment and make engineers perform more efficiently. The importance of good communication skills is increasing, especially when dealing with clients.

As an engineer, you tend to focus on the technical details when clients are more interested in finding solutions to their problems and understanding the benefits. Clients are interested in something other than abstract theories or high-level science, particularly at the management level. It would help if you practiced communicating highly technical information while keeping the client's perspective in mind.

A third point to remember when discussing communication skills is that they are a category rather than a single skill. Enhancing your communication skills will also involve improving other soft skills. The following soft communication skills may not be necessary for everyone, but they are nonetheless important:

- Ability to listen actively
- A good writing ability 
- Developing presentation skills
- Non-verbal communication skills
- Empathy
- Patience

## Teamwork

There will always be times when you have to work with others. Whether it's a team of developers, designers, or a project team, developers need to work well with others to be successful. Working well with others makes what you're working on more fun and makes people more likely to help you in the future.

In addition, you may only sometimes agree with the people on your team, but having different viewpoints helps build more successful companies.

## Problem-solving

In your career, there will be times when you face a challenge. It could happen regularly or be rare, but it's inevitable. How you handle problems will significantly impact your career and the company you work for.

Problem-solving is a critical skill that employers look for in prospective employees, so the more examples you have of problem-solving, the better. Whenever you encounter a new problem, always view it objectively, even if you accidentally created one. Once you know the problem, what caused it? Finding a solution is easy once you know the cause.

It's also important to remember that whether you cause the problem or not, you don't have to fix it alone. Working with people in and outside your team helps you solve a problem faster than doing it alone.

## Time management

Knowing how to manage your time is crucial when you have a lot to do. How much time do you spend planning? Coding? Working with your team on new ideas?

Managing your time allows you to focus on what's most essential and get tasks done more efficiently.

Techniques like [the Pomodoro technique](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique{externalnofollow}), where you work for a set period on one task, take a break, then go back to it, or [Kanban](https://www.atlassian.com/agile/kanban{externalnofollow}), where you visualize your tasks, are great ways to build a routine or learn how to focus your attention if you're prone to multitasking.

While sometimes the need arises for multitasking, and you may feel like you get loads done when you do it, studies have shown that it's bad for productivity. Not giving something your full attention means that tasks take longer, and you're more likely to make errors.

If you often multitask, prioritize your to-do list, then use one of the techniques mentioned above to help you focus. You'll be surprised how quickly you get things done when they have your full attention!

## Leadership

Soft skills are vital for a leader, as they are essential to productivity. Soft skills help you be an excellent employee. It includes work ethics, organizational communication, cooperation, and leadership. A complex skill is a skill acquired at school or on the job. They have everything from C++ programming to advertising campaigns to financial forecasting.

Soft leadership skills are crucial to productivity and performance. Successful leadership typically involves a good set of soft skills to help a team motivate themselves and inspire others. In turn, leaders' abilities are usually affected by their ability to strategize, listen to feedback and integrate ideas. Empathizing with your team allows you to fully understand their problems and find a way to make your project work for everyone.

Suggesting new ideas is much easier when there is an understanding between team members that there won't be any negative feedback or mockery, no matter how someone feels about an idea. Empathy allows us to predict how others will react to what we say, meaning we can tailor how we speak to our audience.

If you don't like someone's idea, ask yourself why. Then, when you give feedback, start by saying something positive about their suggestion, then what you don't like, and finish off with another positive. This 'sandwich' approach means that the person you're giving feedback will not dwell on the negatives but will understand the pros and cons of their idea.

Empathizing with your user allows you to see things from their point of view. They're the ones that will be using your product, so you must always try to see things from their point of view before your own. Just because you like how something looks/works don't mean your users will. Decision-making should be about more than personal preference.

## Strong interpersonal skills

Sometimes you'll be a part of a team or meeting that consists of more than just developers. That means you will have to explain the reasons behind your decisions and do so in a non-technical way. Some people will get everything straight away, while others will need more time. Teams must be patient with each other in these situations to work well together.

Only some understand how complex programming is or how long code takes to write. They may ask you to do something without realizing the scope of what they're asking. This can lead to frustration. Take your time to explain why it's not as simple as they think, and answer any questions they have. Once you've taken the time to do this, future sessions will become much easier!

## Adaptability

At some point, someone's going to want to ask you something. It could be about your tasks for the day, an issue or a bug, or just about your plans for the weekend. Being approachable is key.

If people don't feel they can approach you and ask you something, they're less likely to ask you for help when something goes wrong. That could mean that a little problem soon evolves into a big one. Not being approachable or helpful also means that others are less likely to help you should you need it. If you can establish a rapport with people, they're more likely to work with you and not against you.

You can tell people when you don't have time to communicate by putting headphones in when you're busy and setting yourself offline on the company chat. If someone still approaches you, set a time to meet to discuss things.

## Critical skills (self-awareness)

When your mind is open, you're more willing to accept new ideas, whether yours or someone else's. Even the worst pictures can inspire something great if you're ready to consider them before dismissing them. Having more ideas means you can work on more projects. While not every idea you have will turn into something, you only know what will once you've thought about it in-depth.

Keep your mind open to new ideas from your team, the rest of the company, and even clients. Clients are the ones who use your product, so they're the best people to tell you what works and what they need.

## Creativity

The best ideas and solutions often come to us when we approach things from a different, less obvious angle. This separates the most creative people — from programmers to entrepreneurs to authors — from everyone else.

Reading fiction, writing, art, crafts, and even cooking are ways of exploring creativity. The more forms of invention you explore, the easier it is to find different ways to approach the same problem.

## Striving for perfection

You should always ask for feedback. An impartial opinion from a colleague or mentor can be beneficial in assessing your level of soft skills. Consider asking someone who works with you to evaluate your performance at work. Coworkers can provide constructive criticism on how you can improve and suggestions on how to become a better software developer.

## How do you highlight soft skills in your CV?
![soft skills.png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/11/10/soft_skills_d0e236f228.png)
Software developer soft skills may be helpful to list on your resume to help the managers determine whether you are qualified for the job. Reviewing the job description, you can ensure your resume includes the skills the employer seeks in candidates. For example, it is a good idea to list soft skills such as public speaking and collaboration in your resume if the posting asks candidates to work well with others and to lead monthly assembly meetings.

In a cover letter, you can also describe the soft skills that make you a good fit for the position you're applying for. Your letter should highlight your skills and provide examples of how you have used them. In addition to empathizing with your teammates, you can write about how you supported their professional growth.

In the interview, you'll have the chance to show off your [soft skills assessment](https://www.bizlibrary.com/soft-skills-assessment/{externalnofollow}) and give examples of how you've applied them. Communicate your contributions in specific terms to the interviewer so they fully understand the situation. As well as describing your ability to improve your skills over time, you can also show the employer you're open to feedback.

An article about the top essential soft skills for developers

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Top 10 essential soft skills for engineering professionals

**Software** drives our world. Nowadays, most businesses, phones, and cars depend on coding. As a result, software plays a significant role in modern society. As a result, software development quality is crucial. But what exactly software development quality means? Let's look at the meaning and principles of quality-driven software development.

**Quality-Driven Software Development** is a process, a set of best practices, and a framework. A high-performing team delivers exceptional results using methods and approaches refined over decades of successful projects.

Software products are characterized based on their functionality and quality. The quality goods will accomplish what users are searching for. Fulfilling the SRS documentation's requirements can explain the fitness. Although the "fitness-of-purpose" definition is a satisfactory description of quality in most devices like cars, tables, and grinding machines' fit of purpose' is hardly a whole lot acceptable in the case of software products. Consider software products that work correctly and functionally. So the program performs all functions described within SRS. The interface is almost impossible to understand.

## What are the five core principles of software quality-driven software development?

For quality-driven development, it is essential to start from the beginning, maintain a systematic approach to quality, take ownership of quality, and remember to be creative.
Developing quality software is something that only happens in stages. There is much more to it than tools, methods, and bug counts. 
Quality is crucial to digital transformation, so you should involve your entire organization. 
In practice, there are five cornerstones of quality-driven software development. So, let's analyze each one.
![Frame 2987 (1).png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/11/10/Frame_2987_1_1a53564f20.png)
### 1) Specification

The agreement between stakeholders and the developers is a significant factor in software development. 
There can be a lot of challenges associated with writing a good software specification. It takes an understanding of business or process, technology capabilities, limitations, and good communication skills to register a quality specification that is understandable to both - project members and non-technical decision makers.
To verify that the specifications are met, a third party reviews them to ensure such factors as: 

- comprehensible
- project-specific
- achievable
- testable
- based on priorities

### 2) Design

In software design, requirements become blueprints. It takes creativity, experience, technical expertise, and a commitment to quality to create a good concept. During this step, it is crucial to maintain quality to achieve a successful outcome.

Software design is an essential factor in enhancing quality and productivity. Embedded quality control ensures the website or app is practical. Before coding begins, quality control provides a primary understanding interface. Investing time and resources in the design review is more cost-effective than reworking during the coding phase.

### 3) Coding

Clean, quality code does not just happen by accident. Developing quality-driven projects requires developers to commit and be passionate about them. Code can be written in several ways, but one should always strive to meet high-quality standards.

- Simplicity is a key 
- You should not overdo and reinvent the wheel
- Continual unit testing against the requirements

These principles are a great place to start. In addition to these core principles, there are many others, such as robustness, maintainability, usability, and efficiency.

### 4) Testing
![Frame 2988 (1).png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/11/10/Frame_2988_1_9292d616ae.png)
And the last cornerstone for quality-driven software development is testing. It is the most misunderstood and underrated part of software development. Defects are the result of poor testing. Since the first three foundations failed, testing is the last defense against poor quality reaching customers and end users.

It is necessary to integrate testing into the software development process and to push it out of the end of the cycle.

Finding defects is not the definition of successful testing. Finding the problems and resolving them is the goal. As a result, you must create test plans, develop a comprehensive test strategy, prepare the environments and data, and ensure that all procedures and results are documented.

### 5) Security

As part of the development process, quality-driven software assurance helps identify errors and flaws in the software code and design, so that money and time are not wasted. This way, the end product is secure, competitive, and performs as expected. Software quality assurance practice can enhance the reputation of a business and ensure user and client satisfaction.

## Why are software quality metrics used for quality-driven software development?

A quality measure is a way to evaluate your products, services, and processes. Quality metrics are a tool to determine customer satisfaction levels within a company.

Software Quality Metrics (SQMS) are an essential management tool; they represent numbers representing information about software or its development processes. Specific metrics measure code quality based on its complexity or ability to pass testing tests. Other process-related indicators describe software workflow and productivity. Software quality measures are standard practice in software development firms as they give them a better idea of how a software product works.

Quantitative quality metrics measure how large a software product can be, how many lines it contains, and how many bug occurrences per thousand lines. Qualitative coding quality measures include maintainability, readability, clarity, efficiency, and documentation quality.

Although many can be done to improve the quality of the product during such phases, the following are fixes that take place so the defect can be resolved as quickly as possible at a high-quality level.

## Final thoughts

Building quality-driven software applications do not happen by accident. The process of software quality assurance requires a collaborative effort from the very beginning.

Quality is not a universal property of software. It depends on the stakeholders` context and goals.

No matter how well you do it the first time, you can always expect it to become invalid over time. Hence, continuous quality control is the only way to solve the problem. It is essential to continuously evaluate quality control measures based on a product's properties and the organization's quality goals.

As a result, software professionals would only have to spend less time fixing defects and maintaining existing applications. Using this time more productively, we can innovate solutions to make the process more efficient. Furthermore, this would reduce the organization's costs and enhance its reputation.

An article about quality-driven software development, metrics, opportunities and tools

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Quality-driven software development: meaning, possibilities, and tools

Microservices architecture is something that is often mentioned as the architecture to follow, specially in cloud based solutions. But why is it so, and is it really the best option all the time? In this article, I'll guide you through some of the good and the bad, show some real life use cases of it in action, along with best practices to follow if it is indeed the right choice for you.

## Brief history

Software was done traditionally as monoliths. A product consisted of a multitude of features that lived inside the same codebase, were maintained and operated as a huge, concise block. Eventually, due to problems such as single points of failures, scaling issues and coupling, came the need to split up the software into smaller, more manageable pieces. Along this path, came SOA (Service Oriented Architecture), that relied on the web to interface between smaller services.
![Architecture evolution from monolith to Microservices](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/9/10/Frame_2984_419bedabaf.png)
As SOA became finer grained and service sizes became smaller, also the ecosystem around it changed. With the introduction of PaaS (Platform as a Service) and the cloud, it became easier to create very small, focused services. Thus microservices started gaining traction.

## Advantages of microservices advantages over Monolithic architecture

So what do microservices bring to the table that make them such an exciting alternative to monoliths? Let's take a look at some sections where there's clear advantages.

### Ownership

When the an application is split into smaller parts, you can have teams or individuals focused on specific parts of the application. This increases the ownership sense: As an individual contributor, you own that microservice, it's yours. It's never "someone else's problem" when it comes to your microservice. This can bring a sense of pride when your microservice works flawlessly, as well as focusing expertise on certain domain areas.

### Scalability

Easier horizontal scaling as opposed to vertical scaling. When the service to scale is smaller, you can fine-tune scaling better, achieving better service availability and cost reduction. Containers (think Docker), offer a lot to better scalability, as scaling up or down means adding or removing copies of containers that needs scaling, with potentially no need to add more servers.

### Blast radius reduction

Having the application split into tiny pieces makes it easier to repair or replace certain parts. If a bug caused a microservice to crash, only a localised part of the whole service will be impacted. Recovery or mitigation become simpler, thus reducing MTTR (Mean Time To Recovery).

### API-first design

The way microservices interact with each other is through APIs. It's essentially a contract where you tell other services what you can do, and what you need to do it. In microservices, APIs must be 'first class citizens'. Forcing services to always have an API, from first design, educates the design to follow from the start. The service must fulfil the API needs, not the other way around.

### Technological freedom

Since communication is done through APIs, the technology used inside each microservice can be tailored to the needs of the functionality. Need a highly performant daemon service? Maybe C is the right language. Need a data analysis service? Perhaps Python is more adequate for that, with its specialised data analysis tools.

## Disadvantages of microservices architecture

The advantages sound great! So why shouldn't microservices be used everywhere?

### Added operational effort

Having a microservices architecture means that each service will have dedicated infrastructure, be it cloud resources or physical servers. Each service will have an independent resource stack, and each stack will have an independent release cycle. In case you follow a Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery for release, this means a specific release pipeline for each microservice. The added operational effort is not only during setup stages, but it follows through the lifespan of the service. Development teams need to manage specific code bases and repos, code changes, approval workflows, automated tests, alarms, deployment and rollback procedures. At scale it is common to have development teams own 1 or a couple of microservices, and this complexity is already accounted for in a standard 6-8 people development team, but in smaller teams and companies there is an added DevOps effort.

### Increased communication complexity

This concern is twofold: first, there's a cost to managing communication between microservices. Distributed systems are inherently more complex to set up. They require an increased development time to define APIs, operations and clear access permissions between resources. Additionally, communication changes are more cumbersome to perform. They require new operations, methods or API versions to be released while keeping support for existing clients and offering clear deprecation paths and procedures.
![Graph of microservice dependencies at Amazon in 2008. From twitter.com/werner/status/741673514567143424?lang=en](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/9/10/image_148_ec443c66cc.png)
The second part of this topic is organisational communication. Once you have teams owning specific microservices, any project or feature request involving multiple microservices requires inter-team communication. In big projects or milestones these efforts might even need roadmap alignment. Although these orchestration constraints can also happen in monolithic systems, there's a less strict separation of concerns there, meaning the politics of who-owns-what are more flexible and potentially less impactful.

### Service discoverability

With many services online there is another component that is vital in architecture, a Service Registry that manages service availability, health status and connections. For instance based microservices, this can take the form of a load balancer, whereas with containers, container orchestration tools like Docker Swarm or Kubernetes have this functionality built in.

### Testing

This can be both an advantage and disadvantage and it is important that you follow microservices architecture best practices to avoid some of the testing pitfalls. On the one hand it is simpler to test a clear domain with a smaller test suite. However, to perform end-to-end testing or user acceptance testing (UATs) you need to either mock other services or deploy the full system. At scale, UATs are hard to perform for individual teams. They are usually done in environments that already contain the full system, for example a Beta stage where all teams deploy their individual services but already have service wiring in terms of communications and interoperability.

### Changes in application design

When approaching an application, thinking in terms of microservices architecture changes how to design and develop components. It might give added flexibility and modularity but it also introduces additional constraints and challenges.

Sometimes application size doesn't translate to complexity and not all architectures are suited to follow a microservice approach. It's not a silver bullet! As anything in software development, there's a balance to strike between development effort and maintainability, a give and take.

## Use cases

### Dropbox
![1057500b-bf4d-4bd8-acdc-dbe94e49d201.png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/9/10/dropbox_43fabc9835.png)
Dropbox is a cloud storage service that allows saving files in shared folders sync them to multiple devices.

Dropbox started with a monolithic backend service, called Metaserver. Over the years, as the Dropbox development team increased in size, the pains of working in a monolith increased.

There were many efforts to destructure this monolith into smaller pieces, not all of them successful. An initial effort failed due to reliability issues with the new solution.

After some reassessment, Dropbox decided to use a Hybrid approach. Instead of moving everything to microservices, and suffer the downsides of having microservices, they decided to structure all simple services inside a service called Atlas, while big components would stay as they were, owned by large teams. The reasoning for creating Atlas is, most of the small services are not critical enough to warrant caring about supporting services for each of the microservices independently. Atlas would manage scaling, alarming and other concerns of these services altogether.

Atlas works as a managed service, similar to AWS Fargate, where developers should only care about the code. The target of Atlas is to "provide the majority of benefits of SOA, while minimising the operational costs associated with running a service."

### Uber
![71572a5e-638b-4c4f-98c0-f87e9f573c49.jpeg](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/9/10/Frame_2985_32b541affc.png)
Uber is a transportation company with an app that allows passengers to use a taxi-like service while also allowing users to register as drivers to charge fares and get paid.

Uber started off as [2 monolithic services](https://www.uber.com/en-PT/blog/microservice-architecture/{externalnofollow}). As the company grew from dozens to hundreds of engineers, the pains of having a codebase started to appear, with coupling and availability risks as some of the cited. Uber claims that they could not reach the level of scale and quality offered today without the microservices architecture.

The interesting part about with this use case comes when going from hundreds to thousands of engineers. In that part of their growth, system complexity started to arise as a critical problem. A simple feature can touch multiple services, meaning additional communication with multiple teams, design and code reviews.

To tackle the increased complexity, Uber took steps to reduce granularity with DOMA (Domain Oriented Microservices Architecture). How does DOMA work in a nutshell?

- Organize microservices in collections of services, named domains.
- Organize domains in collections, called layers. Domains inside layers have dependencies in common
- Create gateways that serve as single points of interface with domains.
- Domains should be agnostic from other domains. To share context, Uber uses an extension architecture to create extension points between domains.

With the adoption of DOMA, Uber claims to have been "able to reduce onboarding time by 25-50%".

## Best practices

### Single responsibility principle

Each service should handle a single logical domain and you should establish clear boundaries between services.

### Guarantee decoupling between services

Is your service API exposing internal concepts? Does the client need to know any inner property to make calls on handle responses? If you cannot replace one service internal logic, without impacting clients, that is a red flag that your architecture in coupled. It is one thing to deploy different services and another to have them decoupled.

### Don't persist communication artefacts

It might be tempting to persist objects directly from the API controller, but if you persist communication objects, you cannot change persistence layer without impacting clients.

### Eventually consistent persistence layer

It is a common pattern for micro-services to communicate via Publish/Subscribe pattern and handle notifications asynchronously. In many scenarios, it is simpler and more accurate to follow an eventually consistent approach, where an event notifies the service, but event details are ignored, and query the publisher as the source of truth. This way the end result of processing a notification stream will be the same regardless of message order.

### Extend the microservice to the data storage

Microservices expect separation of concerns even at the data storage level. If this doesn't happen, the coupling persists. If there's ever an issue with the database, all microservices depending on that database are impacted.

When possible, split the data persistence layer for each microservice. As with the code itself, this grants flexibility to choose a specific solution that works best for the target data, instead of having to work for all use cases in the monolith.

### Use smart endpoints, dumb pipes

The idea with this statement is to reinforce the idea that the microservices should own all business logic. When it comes to communication, knowing how to communicate should live inside the microservice (the endpoints), not in the communication protocol (the pipe). This is why microservices tend to use "simple" communication protocols, such as REST and message queues, as opposed to [BPEL](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Process_Execution_Language{externalnofollow}) or [Enterprise Service Bus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_service_bus{externalnofollow}).

When microservices own all the business logic, there's no need for another external entity that needs to change when your microservices does, so less moving parts to worry about.

### Monitoring is a must

A side effect of having a monolith is that, when something breaks, it's very likely you will notice it, given the blast radius. With microservices, not so much. To guarantee the best availability to your end users, a thorough monitoring and alarming process, based on SLAs, must be adopted. Key monitoring targets include latency, number of errors, resource usage (CPU, Memory, Disk Space). Having the right level of monitoring for each service will allow the service to react to unusual situations (i.e. fatal bugs that require rollbacks, or traffic spikes that require scaling or rate-limiting) in a timely manner and leave your customers happy.

### Use an API Gateway

There are several benefits that arise when putting an API Gateway in front of a microservice architecture.

One is the reverse proxy nature of an API Gateway. It hides internal microservice endpoints under a single public endpoint. This allows flexibility when changing the underlying services. Consider migrations, where you're splitting the monolith up into smaller services, or you are building a brand new service to replace another one. The flip from old to new can be hidden behind an API Gateway, where the public endpoint for the service doesn't change, but the underlying service does.

Another benefit is centralising some of the cross-cutting concerns that API Gateway manages well. API Gateways already handle functionality such as authentication, authorization, response caching and throttling, so extracting this from each microservice into an API Gateway seems logical to keep microservices focused. Consider the API Gateway as its own microservice, responsible for tasks related to requests.

### Logical architecture and physical architecture may differ

Microservices are a logical concept. The implementation of such a concept doesn't have to be a 1-to-1 copy of the design. Due to size or logical boundaries, you may have multiple services enclosed in the same microservice. To exemplify this, let's conceptualise an example of 1 microservice composed of 2 services. If we have a User Search service and a User Details service, that have isolated codebases, but interact with the same database. It may make sense to logically call this the User Data microservice, while keeping the two service separate. This keeps them together within the same business logic boundary, but allow them to scale independently.

## How do I start?

So you figured out the a microservices architecture is the right call for your project. You've designed the architecture, and are ready to implement. I would suggest not reinventing the wheel here. Microservices have been around for a while, and there's tools and services you can use to make the experience better. A lot of these have the best practices proposed in mind, so less stressing about that. So let's take a look at some tools to get you started.

### Docker

Docker is an open source platform used to build and run distributed applications, in the form of containers. Although containers are not synonymous with microservices, their usage shares a lot of the advantages of using microservices: isolation and scalability being two of them. Most of the tools below expect applications to be containerised, making Docker or other containers a must-use.

### Amazon ECS

Amazon ECS is Amazon's managed container orchestration offering. It's works a layer above Amazon EC2, where you don't deal with instances directly, but you need to manage instances, which includes scaling, monitoring, patching. Because of this, ECS is free, and you pay only for the EC2 instances you use.

### Amazon Fargate

Fargate differs from ECS on how the containers run. With Fargate, task execution is serverless, so no need to worry about EC2 instances, that's transparent to the user. This means, there's far less operational effort with this solution, although you also have less flexibility. In terms of pricing, you pay per task execution time instead of per instance, which may seem like an increase in cost at first glance, but it's possible to have a badly implemented ECS solution cost more than Fargate.

### Kubernetes

Kubernetes is an open source container orchestration framework. Originated from Google Borg, it's considered the standard in container orchestration. Many of the features offered by Kubernetes out-of-the-box offer a lot of the requirements for microservices, such as service discovery and load balancing.

You can think of Kubernetes in a lower layer of abstraction compared to Amazon ECS, nothing in Kubernetes is managed for you, you will need to setup all the details. An advantage of this is that Kubernetes is vendor agnostic, so you can integrate with any cloud vendor, or even use it on-premises with your company infrastructure.

If this level of fine grained configuration is not what you need, but you still want to use Kubernetes, a managed Kubernetes service like Amazon EKS may be the right choice.

### Amazon EKS

Amazon EKS is a managed Kubernetes service. Instead of using Amazon's proprietary orchestration like ECS, it uses a Kubernetes management layer for the same purpose. This makes it the more seamless transition if you're already using Kubernetes, but can be more difficult to configure if not. Choose EKS if you plan to go multicloud in the future (since Kubernetes is vendor agnostic), and expect to scale to a large degree.

### AWS Lambda

The one exception on the list to using containers. AWS Lambda is a Function as a Service offering. They offer arguably the easiest path to start using microservices, in terms of ease of development and setup. AWS Lambda is particularly useful for handling short running tasks, such as APIs, or very simple tasks. In those cases, the complexity of containers plus manages orchestration services may not be worth the effort.

## Conclusion

It's important to not pick microservices architecture because it's the new shiny thing on the industry, but to understand the benefits and drawbacks and choose accordingly. In this article we analysed the good and the bad about microservices, and offered some advice on how to begin and do it right from start.

An article about Microservices, their benefits, challenges, real-life examples, and best practices

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Quick dive into Microservices: benefits, challenges, real-life examples, and best practices

**Web design** is the long route of creating content for a brand. Modern website design is the combo of how things look and how things work. Moreover, it is not limited to websites but includes other uses such as web apps, mobile apps, etc.

The website design is not just a nice picture. It's the crucial solution for the business image, making the brand recognizable and valuable in the market. So, it is not enough to have a product. You have to make an effective, efficient, and visually pleasing display. 

UX and UI design services allow companies to verify business ideas, ultimately saving money on development. Business owners can test every function before launching it with digital prototyping and iterative outlines. In this way, companies can avoid unnecessary expenses while still getting an accurate and realistic evaluation of their app or website.

By using an application or website prototype, the company can determine which functions are useless or need to be improved. With UX design services, the development process can be flexible, and money can be saved in the long run. Correctly implemented prototypes and validated features can help companies avoid change requests and ensure no requirements are missed.

Nowadays, many successful companies choose between in-house and outsourced web design. Let's try to understand the difference between these two types of hiring web designers and find the best for your company. 

## In-house web design

If you hire someone to create your website design in-house, they will only work on your projects. A complete focus will speed up the process.

### Pros of in-house web designers:

1. **Priority**
Your company is always in the first place for an in-house web designer. Having someone work on your site in-house means only working on that website. With an entire focus, in-house web designers can deliver faster.

2. **In-depth understanding of your business**
In-house web designers work with you for a long time, which gives them a deeper understanding of the company's needs and values. With an in-house team member, you're saving the time it takes to explain all project details to an outsider.

3. **Communication**
Face-to-face conversations and tracking of work allow you to monitor and control in-house designers. As a result of an in-house team, you can see the work results and interact with them. With an in-house web development team, you have complete control over all aspects of your project. Each development step will be explained in detail, including progress and setbacks. You will be able to track the progress of your web development project more efficiently.
Moreover, you understand and build a particular system of values, norms, rules, traditions, and principles driven by which your team works and your business grows. Often, corporate culture performs a motivational function by inspiring the team to achieve specific goals.

4. **Data security**
It is easier to secure your business when you work with reliable workers you know well. It is the question of intellectual property, and it has to be a priority.

### Cons of in-house web designers

When we speak about in-house workers, that means additional expenses. An in-house web development team would be more expensive and would require you to hire more experts. It is essential to consider both the monthly salary and the mandated benefits such as paid leave and health insurance. In addition, you will need to consider HR services, equipment, personnel management, software, office space, and facilities.

Hiring in-house means incurring all costs without knowing whether your product will succeed. It can be hard to find skilled designers, especially in small cities. Many of the best talents have already been employed.

The next drawback of an in-house design team is a slow start. It is acсeptable for big projects but devastating for small ones. As a result, in-house web design resources become ineffective for short-term projects.

## Outsourced web design
![Frame 2982.png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/9/10/Frame_2982_656ce684fc.png)
It's worth mentioning that outsourcing businesses are prevalent in today's IT industry. Moreover, the number of new outsourcing companies is growing each day. It has pros and cons, but it is needless to say that outsourced web design brings excellent results into the global market. So, let's analyze this in detail.

### Benefits of outsourced web design

1. **Reduced cost**
One of the most incredible things about web design outsourcing is the opportunity to save money. You pay for the result without other expenses when you hire an outsourced web designer or company. It saves you a vast amount of time and cost of building a perfect in-house team. Hiring a fully staffed outsourcing company to execute your project is much more cost-effective than hiring and training your team.

2. **Save time using specific skills for specific projects**
Among the benefits of outsourcing is access to a large talent pool. You can choose people with excellent qualifications for the job, which means the projects usually get done faster. You can outsource web design work in various ways depending on the type of cooperation you choose and the country your outsourced vendor is from.

3. **New perspectives**
New workers can infuse a fresh look at the project, cutting-edge technology, tools, and solutions. It will help achieve the best result in a short time. Working with a third-party company will allow you to produce new ideas for your project and bring fresh perspectives. Web designers are incredibly creative people with the ability to find extraordinary solutions to tricky tasks.

4. **Global access**
Finding a web design outsourcing agency that delivers quality work within your budget is possible regardless of location. Digitalization provides endless opportunities around the world. And for the current unstable world situation, this benefit is quite crucial.

5. **Shift the focus**
When outsourcing website design, you have more time to focus on other essential business tasks. It is a great time to expand your business, get more clients, and do marketing. With a good outsourcing web development agency, you will always be able to stay involved in the process via email, project management tools, and Skype conversations. It would be possible for you to communicate with your team throughout the project's lifecycle.

### Drawbacks of outsourcing

Outsourcing web design has its cons as any other model. You can collide with a need for more transparency and control over the development process. Also, there is a risk of disclosing confidential information. Nevertheless, outsourced web design gives you a fresh look at things and better results. It's a cost-effective way to get the desired web design.

## Final thoughts

Outsourcing the design of your website adds new creative flair and gives a unique perspective on business strategy. Outsourcers can help you solve significant tasks.

The outsourcing team will complete the task much faster and more effectively. So, it is vital to choose an outsourced website design firm that can handle complex tasks, and it also determines the budget you can spend on the project. The use of outsourcing has historically been viewed as a way to reduce costs and optimize operations. Experienced professionals can quickly meet deadlines with the best possible results. In 2025 IT outsourcing will generate a value of $3976 million based on the following trends.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is better - choosing an in-house web design agency or an outsourcing web design company for startups?

Generally speaking, both options will be suitable for startups. Everything depends on the situation. Before making a final solution, you should answer two questions:

1. How much time do you have?

2. How much money do you have?

If you have time and money, you can choose an in-house agency. If you are limited in time, your best option is an outsourcing company.

However, your choice should be entirely based on your criteria: your business specifics, budget, and plans. Weigh in all the factors and make the choice that works best for you.

### How do you know when to outsource web design?

Using the services of an external web designer is an excellent opportunity if you want to build or boost your website design. The benefits of outsourcing design projects include time and cost savings. If you work with an agency or freelancer, you won't need to purchase software, create a workspace, or provide a computer to a new employee.

### How to find a reliable outsourced web design agency?

Before you choose a reliable outsourcing web design agency, you should check their reputation. You'd better research to find the best. You can look through such platforms as Upwork, Behance, Dribbble, Clutch, and GoodFirms. Your next step is to review agencies` portfolios and build solid communication. The collaboration will be more effective if both parties work towards mutual understanding.

### How much can web design and development outsourcing cost?

If you plan to outsource web design and development, it can be challenging to determine the total cost of your web design project due to multiple factors. For example, the final price can differ depending on the location of the site. The stereotype that IT professionals from the USA mainly came from the United States is slowly dying out. You can hire experienced web designers from various parts of the world. For example, the average cost of a skilled web designer in Ukraine ranges from $40 to $70 per hour. Depending on the exact specialization, the cost may differ. The lower rates are relevant to most juniors; they can be a part of an experienced team in a startup, but not its skeleton. Consider [hiring an outsourcing team in Ukraine](https://www.ecdevstudio.com/{nofollow}) if you plan to transform your ideas into a viable project using emerging technologies within a reasonable budget.

### What are the steps of web design and development outsourcing?

Here is the guide which can help you organize the initial efforts to outsource web design:

1. Establish a budget and timeframe for the project

2. Choose a web design agency that meets your requirements

3. Find a trustworthy partner

4. Define your primary business goals

5. Sign a contract and an NDA agreement

6. Agree upon the ways of communication.

An article compares in-house and outsourced web design 👩‍💻👨‍💻

large_Frame 2981 (4).png

medium_Frame 2981 (4).png

small_Frame 2981 (4).png

thumbnail_Frame 2981 (4).png

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In-house vs outsourced web design

In a previous [article](https://www.ecdevstudio.com/blog/quick-dive-into-microservices-benefits-challenges-real-life-examples-best-practices/{nofollow}), an introduction microservices architecture was given and pros and cons over other architectures were provided. Focusing on how to organize microservices around development teams, you can see some of the company structure mirrored in it. As [Conway's Law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway%27s_law{externalnofollow}) states:

>Any organisation that designs a system (defined broadly) will produce a design whose structure is a copy of the organisation's communication structure.

The quote conveys that there's a link between system design and organisational structure. In this article, I'll show how microservices architecture work together with a team oriented concept.

## Exploring the team structure

With a microservices architecture, a team may own one or more microservices. With that in mind, what's the right team structure, both in terms of size and composition?

### Team size concerns

In regards to size, Amazon suggests a [two-pizza team](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/whitepapers/latest/introduction-devops-aws/two-pizza-teams.html{externalnofollow}), striking a balance between collaboration (the smaller the team, the more tight knit it is), communication delays (communication inside team is quick, while inter-team is slow) and domain knowledge.

What if the company only has one development team of four people? At this size, it's hard to justify the maintenance overhead that comes with a microservices architecture. Remember that microservices expect isolation, isolated continuous deployment and continuous integration, APIs and so on. Consider keeping a monolith instead, and enforce strong decoupling design patterns in the code, so that, if the need arises to migrate to microservices, that migration is smoother.

### How to compose a team?

When it comes to team composition, following the two-pizza team approach while considering the microservices architecture, a team needs to be well rounded. Since teams are expected to have single ownership of services, there needs to be skill and expertise from beginning to end of the process. In essence, this means a team must be cross-functional, having knowledge in customer communication (customers here include other internal teams), software development, infrastructure, system administration, operations, QA. With this paradigm shift certain job titles that used to be a lot less common with the monolith architecture started to appear: Full Stack Developers, DevOps Engineers, to name a few. A potential side effect is that team members that enjoy certain development areas, such as UI/UX, may need to work on other parts of the microservices, which may alienate them, making them feel less useful or productive.
![Change in team composition from monolith to microservices architecture](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/9/10/Frame_2980_13dde0607a.png)
## Team interaction with microservices architecture

When different teams own microservices that interact, eventually there will be features that force the actual teams to also interact. This can be a small request, such as needing a new endpoint to get more data from a service, or a much larger project that spans changes in multiple microservices, where teams need to organize their work and milestones as a joint effort.

### Communication as signal to the right architecture

The amount of times inter-team interaction happens may inform how well your microservices architecture is designed. If anytime a microservice changes, the team needs to request changes to another team, that means those microservices are tightly coupled. In those situations, a few outcomes are possible:

Reorganise teams, so that those changes happen within one team in the future. This may require shuffling employees around, which is not ideal.

Refactor microservices, if possible extracting the service or part of service that provokes this unwanted interaction. This creates the least amount of churn, but is not always possible.

Leave it as is, and live with the communication effort and time overhead. If the interactions have low frequency, this can be the best choice.

## Team oriented leadership

Having teams working as independent units, as owner of their destiny, can be a hard pill to swallow for company leadership. Being able to accept that you'll have a looser management style is as much part of the microservices architecture success as choosing the right tools. Trust that team members want the best for their services, and in turn, the full product.

## Conclusion

Working as a team focused on a specific domain, independent, with minimal external influence is a surefire way of keeping a development team happy and increase talent retention. Microservices help with this culture by making sure the domains are isolated and owned by expert teams on their own.

An article describing how microservices architecture works with a team-oriented concept

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Microservices as a team-centered concept

In a lot of real life scenarios, services need to store information in databases tables. The tables contain critical information, where changes need to be tracked for security, accountability and regulatory requirements. Typically, this sort of action is not time critical, so adding an audit trail with the same availability and access times as the rest of your application is not advised, especially if you don't want your costs to increase unexpectedly.

In this blog post I will detail an example of how to extract changes made to an Amazon DynamoDB table and store the audit trail of those changes in an Amazon S3 (Amazon Simple Storage Service) bucket, making use of AWS Kinesis Data Stream and AWS Kinesis Firehose.

## Architecture

![afe2af11-e264-48ab-825c-4b24ac957eb1.png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/9/10/afe2af11_e264_48ab_825c_4b24ac957eb1_ec971b9cc2.png)

### Change data streaming

On the initial step of our design, an AWS Kinesis Data Stream is attached to the Amazon DynamoDB table. What this means is, every time a new change happens in the table, that change is captured and kept in a data stream.

The format of the data sent includes: a timestamp of the captured change, the primary key (will be the partitionKey + sortKey), and a before and after image of the changed item. With the before and after, it's possible to understand what particular values have changed.

After this, a consumer, in this case, AWS Kinesis Firehose, must retrieve data from this stream. Its only purpose on the architecture is to retrieve data from the AWS Kinesis Data Stream and into an Amazon S3 bucket.

### Audit trail storage

When data reaches the Amazon S3 bucket, we could leave it as is and be done with this example, but in order to reduce costs of such a solution, we're going to use Amazon S3 lifecycle rules.

Lifecycle rules allow us to move older data to cheaper storage classes progressively and in an automated fashion. The reasoning behind this is, most recent auditing data is the most likely to be accessed, and older data should still be accessible, but we can live with it taking longer to get. This should be tweaked according to your use case.

## Building the infrastructure

### Using AWS CDK to deploy infrastructure

This post assumes you have AWS CDK Toolkit. You should have an AWS account created.

Amazon offers an Infrastructure-As-Code solution, called AWS Cloud Development Kit, or CDK for short. It uses AWS Cloudformation internally to define infrastructure in a reviewable, deployable manner. CDK is offered in multiple languages, we'll use Typescript in this example.

#### AWS CDK setup

Assuming you already have CDK Toolkit installed, create a folder for the CDK code and initialise the project:


```
mkdir audit-trail-cdk
cd audit-trail-cdk && cdk init app --language typescript  
```

cdk init app builds the initial scaffolding for the project. It creates a Stack, which will contain the pieces of infrastructure required. To finish up the setup, go to the generated code for the stack under bin/audit-trail-cdk.ts and uncomment the env: line and replace with your AWS account info:


```
// env: { account: '123456789012', region: 'us-east-1' }, 
```

Let's add the necessary pieces for building our infrastructure stack on lib/audit-trail-cdk-stack.ts:


```
import * as cdk from "aws-cdk-lib";
import { Duration } from "aws-cdk-lib";
import * as dynamodb from "aws-cdk-lib/aws-dynamodb";
import * as iam from "aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam";
import * as kinesis from "aws-cdk-lib/aws-kinesis";
import * as kinesisfirehose from "aws-cdk-lib/aws-kinesisfirehose";
import * as s3 from "aws-cdk-lib/aws-s3";
import { Construct } from "constructs";

export class SimpleAwsAuditTrailStack extends cdk.Stack {
  constructor(scope: Construct, id: string, props?: cdk.StackProps) {
    super(scope, id, props);

    const auditTrailStream = new kinesis.Stream(this, "Stream");

    new dynamodb.Table(this, "TableToAudit", {
      tableName: `TableToAudit`,
      partitionKey: {
        name: "partitionKey",
        type: dynamodb.AttributeType.STRING,
      },
      sortKey: {
        name: "sortKey",
        type: dynamodb.AttributeType.STRING,
      },
      kinesisStream: auditTrailStream,
    });

    const auditTrailBucket = new s3.Bucket(this, "AuditTrailDestination", {
      lifecycleRules: [
        {
          transitions: [
            {
              storageClass: s3.StorageClass.INFREQUENT_ACCESS,
              transitionAfter: Duration.days(30),
            },
            {
              storageClass: s3.StorageClass.INTELLIGENT_TIERING,
              transitionAfter: Duration.days(60),
            },
            {
              storageClass: s3.StorageClass.GLACIER,
              transitionAfter: Duration.days(90),
            },
            {
              storageClass: s3.StorageClass.DEEP_ARCHIVE,
              transitionAfter: Duration.days(180),
            },
          ],
        },
      ],
    });

    const deliveryRole = new iam.Role(this, "deliveryRole", {
      assumedBy: new iam.ServicePrincipal("firehose.amazonaws.com"),
      inlinePolicies: {
        s3: new iam.PolicyDocument({
          statements: [
            new iam.PolicyStatement({
              resources: [
                `arn:aws:s3:::${auditTrailBucket.bucketName}`,
                `arn:aws:s3:::${auditTrailBucket.bucketName}/*`,
              ],
              actions: [
                "s3:AbortMultipartUpload",
                "s3:GetBucketLocation",
                "s3:GetObject",
                "s3:ListBucket",
                "s3:ListBucketMultipartUploads",
                "s3:PutObject",
              ],
            }),
          ],
        }),
        kinesis: new iam.PolicyDocument({
          statements: [
            new iam.PolicyStatement({
              resources: [auditTrailStream.streamArn],
              actions: [
                "kinesis:DescribeStream",
                "kinesis:GetShardIterator",
                "kinesis:GetRecords",
                "kinesis:ListShards",
              ],
            }),
          ],
        }),
        logs: new iam.PolicyDocument({
          statements: [
            new iam.PolicyStatement({
              resources: ["*"],
              actions: ["logs:PutLogEvents"],
            }),
          ],
        }),
      },
    });

    new kinesisfirehose.CfnDeliveryStream(this, "DeliveryStream", {
      deliveryStreamType: "KinesisStreamAsSource",
      kinesisStreamSourceConfiguration: {
        roleArn: deliveryRole.roleArn,
        kinesisStreamArn: auditTrailStream.streamArn,
      },
      s3DestinationConfiguration: {
        bucketArn: auditTrailBucket.bucketArn,
        roleArn: deliveryRole.roleArn,
      },
    });
  }
}
```

### Understanding the infrastructure code

The code tries to emulate the architecture diagram as much as possible, but let's go through it in more detail:
1. Create an AWS Kinesis Data Stream.
2. Create an Amazon DynamoDB table and add the AWS Kinesis Data Stream created in the previous step.
3. Create the Amazon S3 bucket, and define on it the lifecycle rules.
4. Create the AWS IAM role to be used by AWS Kinesis Firehose. The role needs to have permissions to retrieve data from the AWS Kinesis Data Stream, and to store data in the AWS S3 bucket.
5. Create the AWS Kinesis Firehose resource, with reference to the data stream and the S3 bucket.

## Testing the solution

Let's create a record in the Amazon DynamoDB and make a change, to see what the data in the AWS S3 bucket looks like.

```
aws dynamodb put-item  \
--table-name TableToAudit \
--item '{"partitionKey": {"S": "1"}, "sortKey": {"S": "State"}, "Data": {"S": "Initial state"}}'

aws dynamodb put-item  \
--table-name TableToAudit \
--item '{"partitionKey": {"S": "1"}, "sortKey": {"S": "State"}, "Data": {"S": "Changed state"}}'
```

At this point, the Amazon DynamoDB table should look like this:

![0481cd29-9829-4173-9dcf-744e568839ba.png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/9/10/0481cd29_9829_4173_9dcf_744e568839ba_f89ce2951f.png)

Let's see what the data looks like on the Amazon S3 bucket, inside a file.

![fa79e3ec-9c1b-4008-b1a4-d7ce17bba922.png](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/9/10/fa79e3ec_9c1b_4008_b1a4_d7ce17bba922_9aac2f6b93.png)


```
{
  "awsRegion": "us-east-1",
  "eventID": "65eed7c0-4c74-4e71-b443-3b68b28f9455",
  "eventName": "INSERT",
  "userIdentity": null,
  "recordFormat": "application/json",
  "tableName": "TableToAudit",
  "dynamodb": {
    "ApproximateCreationDateTime": 1662992934392,
    "Keys": { "sortKey": { "S": "State" }, "partitionKey": { "S": "1" } },
    "NewImage": {
      "sortKey": { "S": "State" },
      "Data": { "S": "Initial state" },
      "partitionKey": { "S": "1" }
    },
    "SizeBytes": 67
  },
  "eventSource": "aws:dynamodb"
}
{
  "awsRegion": "us-east-1",
  "eventID": "55c911a3-d0a6-4d23-99ab-c1fd3e4d01b5",
  "eventName": "MODIFY",
  "userIdentity": null,
  "recordFormat": "application/json",
  "tableName": "TableToAudit",
  "dynamodb": {
    "ApproximateCreationDateTime": 1662992947714,
    "Keys": { "sortKey": { "S": "State" }, "partitionKey": { "S": "1" } },
    "NewImage": {
      "sortKey": { "S": "State" },
      "Data": { "S": "Changed state" },
      "partitionKey": { "S": "1" }
    },
    "OldImage": {
      "sortKey": { "S": "State" },
      "Data": { "S": "Initial state" },
      "partitionKey": { "S": "1" }
    },
    "SizeBytes": 109
  },
  "eventSource": "aws:dynamodb"
}
```

As you can see, there's data about each change in a [JSON Lines](https://jsonlines.org/{externalnofollow}) format, first the "INSERT", then the "MODIFY", where the modification has the "OldImage" and "NewImage". Data on changes is partitioned by default inside the bucket, with the smallest partition being on the hour of the day.

### How to query the data

In the past, one of the negative sides of storing this kind of data in Amazon S3 would be losing some flexibility: typically, you would have to get (download) the files that were relevant, and then do some data analytics on it. That is no longer the case. There's a nice feature in Amazon S3 where you can query the data in files directly, using a SQL-like language. For example, to get all audit records with partitionKey equal to "1":

```
aws s3api select-object-content \
--bucket BUCKET_NAME \
--key BUCKET_KEY \
--expression "select * from s3object as s where s.dynamodb.Keys.partitionKey.S = '1'" \
--expression-type 'SQL' \
--input-serialization '{"JSON": {"Type": "LINES"}}' \
--output-serialization '{"JSON": {}}' "output.json"
```

## Conclusion

In this blog post, a simple architecture to store audit trail from an Amazon DynamoDB table was presented. The data pipeline to export this data through AWS Kinesis was detailed, and information on how to query the final data was provided. Future improvements on this pattern include data preprocessing and scaling.

All code referenced in this blog post is available in [this repository](https://github.com/luiscrs14/simple-aws-audit-trail{externalnofollow}).

An article about audit trail solution with AWS Kinesis and S3 with a focus on simplicity and affordability

thumbnail_AWS_Kinesis_S3.png

AWS_Kinesis_S3.png

Simple and affordable audit trail solution with AWS Kinesis and S3

In this blog post, I propose an architecture using 2 AWS services, namely AWS Lambda and Amazon SQS, to achieve a notification pipeline using a webhook.

Before we dive into the solution, let's review the concepts we'll be using.

## What are Webhooks?

Webhooks offer a way to send real time notifications to clients. Opposite to traditional APIs, where a client requests data from a server, Webhooks allow a client as a consumer to subscribe to server events. After the initial registration, no more interaction is needed.

## What is Amazon SQS (Simple Queue Service)

[Amazon SQS](https://aws.amazon.com/sqs/{externalnofollow}) is message queuing service commonly used to decouple services: instead of having two or more services communicating synchronously, queues can be used to defer this communication asynchronously, allowing simpler scaling.

## What is AWS Lambda?

[AWS Lambda](https://aws.amazon.com/lambda/{externalnofollow}) is a serverless compute platform. This means it uses AWS compute infrastructure, but all the instance setup is managed by AWS: the customer is only responsible for the business logic. AWS Lambda uses Lambda functions, which are applications that are triggered by events.

## Proposed architecture

Here's a diagram describing the main components of the architecture. They will be discussed in more detail later.

![aws_sqs.svg](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/7/27/aws_sqs_b5e200e356.svg)

## Setting up the listener

This post assumes you have [Node.js](https://docs.npmjs.com/downloading-and-installing-node-js-and-npm{externalnofollow}) installed, as well as [AWS CDK Toolkit](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cdk/v2/guide/cli.html{externalnofollow}). You should have an AWS account created.

Let's start by creating the customer webhook endpoint. This will serve as a target to the notifications.

Create a new file app.js with the following code:

```
const http = require('http');

const port = 3000;

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    let body = '';
    req.on('data', chunk => {
        body += chunk.toString();
    });
    req.on('end', () => {
        console.log(body);
        res.end('ok');
    });
});

server.listen(port, () => {
    console.log(`Server running  on ${port}/`);
});
```

This is a simple listener that will wait for a request with a body, and will print the body contents to the console. We will use this to make sure we are getting our notifications, meaning the webhook is effectively working.

To start the listener, run:

```
node app.js
```

By default, the server will be running on localhost:3000. Since we need to communicate with our listener from AWS Lambda, we need to make this endpoint public. A really useful tool for this I often use is [ngrok](https://ngrok.com/{externalnofollow}), you can use it to create a public proxy to your local port (you’re free to use any other method you’re familiar with). After exposing the endpoint publicly, you should have a URL that is reachable from the Internet.

## Infrastructure

So we have a client endpoint waiting for notifications. Now we need the infrastructure to send the notifications.

Let's detail how each architecture component fits together.

### Components

#### Amazon SQS

In this particular use case, Amazon SQS is used as a source of events for the notifications. The server business logic is abstracted here, for simplicity purposes; in a real life scenario, a service would send events, which eventually reach an Amazon SQS queue. Here, we'll push messages directly to the queue to model this behaviour.

#### AWS Lambda

For this particular use case, the Lambda function will be invoked to consume messages from the SQS queue and, for each message, will send a notification to the customer webhook endpoint.

### Building the infrastructure

#### Using AWS CDK to deploy infrastructure

Amazon offers an _Infrastructure-As-Code_ solution, called [AWS Cloud Development Kit](https://aws.amazon.com/cdk/{externalnofollow}), or CDK for short. It uses [AWS Cloudformation](https://aws.amazon.com/cloudformation/{externalnofollow}) internally to define infrastructure in a reviewable, deployable manner. CDK is offered in multiple languages, we'll use Typescript in this example.

#### AWS CDK setup

Assuming you already have CDK Toolkit installed, create a folder for the CDK code and initialise the project:


```
mkdir notification-cdk
cd notification-cdk && cdk init app --language typescript
```

cdk init app builds some initial scaffolding for the project. It creates a Stack, which will contain the pieces of infrastructure required.

A final step for the setup is to go the generated code for the stack under bin/my-app-cdk.ts and uncomment the env: line and replace with your AWS account info:


```
// env: { account: '123456789012', region: 'us-east-1' },
```

Let's add the necessary pieces for building our infrastructure stack on 'lib/cdk-stack.ts'

```
import * as path from "path";
import * as cdk from "aws-cdk-lib";
import { Construct } from "constructs";
import * as sqs from "aws-cdk-lib/aws-sqs";
import * as lambda from "aws-cdk-lib/aws-lambda";
import { SqsEventSource } from "aws-cdk-lib/aws-lambda-event-sources";

export class EcdevWebhookInfrastructureCdkStack extends cdk.Stack {
  constructor(scope: Construct, id: string, props?: cdk.StackProps) {
    super(scope, id, props);

    const queue = new sqs.Queue(this, "EventsQueue", {
      queueName: "EventsQueue",
    });

    const lambdaFunction = new lambda.Function(this, "EventHandler", {
      runtime: lambda.Runtime.NODEJS_16_X,
      handler: "index.handler",
      code: lambda.Code.fromAsset(path.join(__dirname, "lambda-handler")),
    });

    lambdaFunction.addEventSource(new SqsEventSource(queue));
  }
}
```

#### Code walkthrough

Let's go through the code to make sure everything is clear.

1.  Create an Amazon SQS queue.
2.  Create an AWS Lambda function, using a local folder as source.
3.  Set Amazon SQS queue as an event source for the function.

#### Edit code for AWS Lambda function

We'll use the CDK stack to include the Lambda function code, since it's a simple example.

In the root of the cdk project, run:

```
mkdir lambda-handler
touch lambda-handler/index.js
```

This creates a new folder and file where the AWS Lambda function code will live. Edit the file with the following code, replacing <LISTENER_URL>:

```
var http = require('https');

exports.handler = function (event, context) {
    event.Records.forEach(record => {
        const params = {
            host: "<LISTENER_URL>",
            body: record.body,
            method: "POST"
        }
        var post_req = http.request(params);

        post_req.write(record.body);
        post_req.end()
    })
}
```

What the lambda handler's code does is, for each event record (which will match an individual queue message), create a HTTP POST request and send it to the Listener endpoint that was setup earlier. Please note that the host mustn't include the protocol (http:// or https://).

#### Deploy the infrastructure

Now that we have the infrastructure ready to be deployed, let's execute the following command to do it:


```
cdk deploy
```

### Sending the message to Amazon SQS


```
aws sqs get-queue-url --queue-name EventsQueue

aws sqs send-message --queue-url 'QUEUE_URL' --message-body 'This is an important and time-critical message'
```

### Checking the notification is received

After sending the message to the Amazon SQS queue, if all went well, you should see the message in the client application console:

```
Server running  on 3000/
Received notification: This is an important and time-critical message
```

### Cleanup

To clear the infrastructure resources just created, you can use CDK Toolkit to destroy the stack. Simply run:

```
cdk destroy
```

## Conclusion

In this blog post, a simple architecture to use a webhook to send notifications to clients was presented. This shows the essential working blocks the solution. In real life scenarios, there are other concerns, such as security, reliability, cost, that are out of scope for this use case, but definitely crucial to a production service.

All code referenced in this blog post is available in the [listener](https://github.com/luiscrs14/ecdev-webhook-listener{externalnofollow}) and [cdk](https://github.com/luiscrs14/ecdev-webhook-infrastructure-cdk{externalnofollow}) repositories.


An article about using Amazon SQS and Lambda for Webhooks processing

thumbnail_blog_9.png

blog_9.png

Reliable Webhooks processing with AWS Lambda and Amazon SQS

Amount of businesses that failed due to poor web hosting is tremendous. You can make a stunning design, build a quality product, build your brand, and build a sales funnel, but if you take hosting lightly, it can ruin everything you did. Surprisingly, how many web hosting propositions are available across the web, and they all look so promising that you might think nothing could be better.

Web hosting is like a truck, which needs to be fast enough, reliable, and strong enough to carry heavy loads.

In this article, I will examine the following topics:
- What is the high availability on a website
- What are 3 types of web hosting commonly used for [WordPress](https://www.ecdevstudio.com/hire-wordpress-developers/)
- How to install AWS hosting for WordPress with preinstalled cPanel

## What is the high availability on a website

People usually say that website hosting availability is when the server is able to respond 99.9% of the time. I'd include a load resistance here too, otherwise it makes no sense if the server that is up 99.9% of the time goes down because of too many connections.

Below is a list of **key facilities (services) that help in better availability of the site:**
- Correct web hosting. More information about that I will write below.
- CDN service.
- Proper caching mechanism.
- Load balancer (rarely used for WordPress).

Of course, the WordPress website should be technically correct itself, otherwise no one hosting will help.

## What are 3 types of web hosting commonly used for WordPress

### Type 1. Shared hosting

In this type of web hosting, your website resides on a single server instance along with others, and all resources are shared among all sites hosted on that server.

Advantages of shared hosting:
- Low cost.
- Simplicity in use.

Disadvantages of shared hosting:
- You are restricted in traffic and bandwidth.
- Shared resources are not isolated. In the case of a traffic surge on one website, all others may go down for some period.
- A large number of websites are usually hosted on one server instance, about one hundred.
- You are limited in the number of websites you can host.

### Type 2. Managed WordPress hosting

This type of web hosting offers isolated system resources and a ready-to-use WordPress environment.

Advantages of managed WordPress hosting:
- Simplicity in use.
- Very quick site setup.
- Backup and staging options in a few clicks.

Disadvantages of managed WordPress hosting:
- You are restricted in traffic and bandwidth.
- You are restricted in the amount of hosted websites.
- You don't know the exact hardware resources you pay for. We think users significantly overpay for the allocated resources they have.
- Most of the managed WordPress hosting platforms have their global server-side cache to speed up hosted websites. It cannot be disabled, it cannot work together with other caching mechanisms, and in some cases, it can cause problems when developing user flows of higher complexity. In EcDev Studio we can make a custom caching configuration that provides a pretty higher speed increase than such a global cache. This is a primary reason why we don't recommend managed WordPress web hosting to any of our clients.

### Type 3. Cloud server

Before talking about cloud servers I want to mention such hosting types as **VPS (Virtual Private Server) and Dedicated Server**. They are advanced hosting types and they offer isolated resource allocation. When you purchase hosting, the initial configuration and launch of the server instance are handled by hosting company staff, and the hardware configuration is fixed. VPS and classic dedicated servers we consider outdated hosting types and I will not describe them in detail in this article.

The cloud is a network of connected hardware with the ability to quickly set up server instances, change their configuration on the fly, or destroy them. Unlike VPS and dedicated servers, with **cloud server instances** all the operations are performed without human staff involvement. For example, it is possible to change RAM, CPU, and SSD storage with just a few clicks without contacting customer support.

The cloud server is an advanced and recommended approach to hosting websites. There are such popular cloud server providers as AWS (Amazon Web Services), Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Heroku, and Digital Ocean. In EcDev Studio our preferred provider is AWS so in this article I will provide an in-detail guide on how to host a WordPress site on AWS without previous knowledge of cloud administration.

Advantages of cloud servers:
- Infrastructure is backed by a large company.
- Easy and fast setup in a few clicks.
- Relatively high overall performance and stability of the cloud server instance.
- You are able to choose the exact hardware resources you pay for.
- You can pay $30-$80 per month for the average resources and host an unlimited amount of websites. Of course, you should care if the allocated server resources are enough for your needs.

Disadvantages of cloud servers:
- Together with total freedom, it usually requires higher skills in order to administrate the server instances. Administration tasks can be simplified in case of using options with a preinstalled web panel like cPanel.
- You need to have basic Linux skills in order to connect to the server and check the disk usage, as well as RAM/CPU usage.

## How to install AWS hosting for WordPress with preinstalled cPanel

In this guide, we will launch the **AWS EC2** instance of class **t3.small**. AWS EC2 is an on-demand computing service based on the AWS cloud platform, that allows you to create server instances quickly and scale them as needed. The total approximate price in the **us-west-2** region (Oregon) is **$30.96 per month**. I say approximate because billing is calculated on an hourly basis. Later, you will be able to scale your server to a higher plan according to your needs based on the expected number of hosted websites, traffic, etc.

Here is what's inside the **t3.small** package:
- 2 X CPU Intel Xeon 3.1 GHz.
- 2 GB memory.
- 20 GB SSD disk space.

In this guide, I will show how to create a server with cPanel, however, in the real case, you will be able to use a free [CentOS Web Panel](https://centos-webpanel.com/{externalnofollow}) instead of a poplar cPanel, but in that case you'll need to manually install it on the server via SSH.
Below is a step-by-step instruction for setting up an AWS EC2 instance with preinstalled cPanel.

### Part 1. Creating EC2 instance

**Step 1.** Log in AWS console, and switch to the right region.

**Step 2.** Enter EC2 in the search, and click on the corresponding service.

![EC2 search](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/2_bfbce33d0f.png)

**Step 3.** Click on “Launch instance” and choose “Launch instance”

![Launch instance](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/3_7d5a7b0b7d.png)

**Step 4.** Set the server instance name, for example, "WordPress Web Server"

![server instance name](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/4_9fe85a0d7f.png)

**Step 5.** In the search enter “cPanel&WHM for Linux” and press Enter

![search cPanel&WHM for Linux](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/5_5fe33766d6.png)

**Step 6.** In the tab “AWS Marketplace AMIs” select “cPanel&WHM for Linux” By cPanel

![select cPanel&WHM for Linux](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/6_3e8f28727e.png)

**Step 7.** Click “Continue”

![Continue](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/7_5b3f47f5c3.png)

**Step 8.** Click “Confirm Changes”

![Confirm Changes](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/8_875f051892.png)

**Step 9.** Leave “t3.smal” in the Instance type field

![Leave t3.smal](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/9_b7c82c049b.png)

**Step 10.** Click on “Create new key pair” to create a new SSH key.

![Create new key pair](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/10_f69d291fda.png)

**Step 11.** Enter a key name and click ”Create key pair”. You should download the key pair and save it on a local computer. You need it to access the server instance via SSH.

![download the key pair](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/11_67a27ac4bf.png)

**Step 12.** Leave the default Network settings.

![Leave the default Network settings](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/12_bc2b58b976.png)

**Step 13.** For the storage, you can either leave the default 20Gb or make it higher.

![storage](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/13_5945a68fd5.png)

**Step 14.** Click “Launch instance”.

![Launch instance](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/14_956dec7938.png)

**Step 15.** Click “View all instances”.

![View all instances](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/15_98d4ca9bb7.png)

**Step 16.** Select the newly created server.

![Select the newly created server](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/16_284e78ccb8.png)

**Step 17.** Open the Security tab and click on the security group that is created by default. You will see the security group settings at the bottom.

![Security tab](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/17_41e1da3c0d.png)

**Step 18.** Add the following rules:
- 22 - for SSH access.
- 2083 - for cPanel access.
- 2087 - for WHM access.


It should be the same as in the screenshot below.

![rules](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/18_a0d2c8db5c.png)

**Step 19.** Click “Save rules”.

**Step 20.** Go to the Elastic IPs section.

![Elastic IPs section](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/20_47825dd666.png)

**Step 21.** Click “Allocate Elastic IP address”

![Allocate Elastic IP address](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/21_fff41c3779.png)

**Step 22.** Click “Add new tag”, add tag “Name”, and click “Allocate”

![Add new tag](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/22_9dac8484fe.png)

**Step 23.** Select the newly created IP address, copy the “Allocated IPv4 address” value, and save it locally (you will need it for further server access via SSH). Then click Actions >> Associate Elastic IP address.

![copy the Allocated IPv4 address](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/23_752a36f310.png)

**Step 24.** On the next screen choose the server and click “Associate”

![choose the server](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/24_007a944104.png)

We completed steps 20-24 to set the static IP address for the server. Otherwise, the IP address would change with every restart of a server instance.

### Part 2. Configuring cPanel

**Step 25.** Launch SSH terminal. If you use Windows OS it can be a Putty application.

**Step 26.** If you use a Linux-based OS you should grant the right permissions for the key. Use this command:\
chmod 600 {path_to_private_key}

The key pair you have downloaded at step 11.

**Step 27.** Connect to the server via SSH in order to get the URL for accessing WHM (Web Host Manager). Use this command if you use a Linux-based OS:\
ssh centos@{server_ip_address} -i {path_to_private_key}

**Step 28.** When you get the question “Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])?“ you should type “yes” and press Enter.

![Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/fingerprint)](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/28_2089d17ebf.png)

**Step 29.** Connect to WHM using the URL that you get in a terminal.

![Connect to WHM](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/29_59b7089302.png)

**Step 30.** The browser will show the SSL error “Your connection is not private”. You should click “Advanced” and then “Proceed”.

![ click Advanced and then Proceed](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/30_dcd14e13a7.png)

To get rid of a warning, the SSL certificate should be installed for your cPanel instance, there is a lot of available information about that in public access.

**Step 31.** Accept the terms of usage for access to WHM and cPanel.

![Accept the terms of usage](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/31_4fbd65c2f5.png)

**Step 32.** Click “Log in”

![Log in](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/32_9b310246c1.png)

**Step 33.** Create a new cPanel account or log in to your existing account.

![Create or log in](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/33_74157f7da5.png)

**Step 34.** Enter the email address for receiving service notifications and click “Finish”.

![Enter the email address](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/34_f8b05573d7.png)

**Step 35.** Set the root password. Click WHM >> Home >> Server Configuration >> Change Root Password

**Step 36.** Click WHM >> Home >> Networking Setup >> Change Hostname in order to change hostname. You can choose one from the list displayed on the right side.

![change hostname](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/36_5964b137ae.png)

### Part 3. Adding the domain

**Step 37.** Create WHM account. Click WHM >> Home >> Account Functions >> Create a New Account

![Create WHM account](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/37_06489da53c.png)

**Step 38.** Copy Name Servers from your WHM account and set them for your domain.

![Name Servers](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/38_b1505ec14e.png)

**Step 39.** Log in to cPanel. To do this you should go to WHM >> Home >> Account Information >> List Accounts, and click on the сPanel icon.

![Log in to cPanel](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/39_3ab93032a1.png)

**Step 40.** On the new page, you should choose WordPress.

![choose WordPress](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/40_9c9b76e439.png)

**Step 41.** Wait until WP installation finishes, and click on “Add content”.

![Wait until WP installation finishes](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/29/41_f13eb51bf4.png)

**Step 42.** You will be able to fully control WordPress on the opened page, log in as a WP-admin, etc.

![fully control](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/7/27/42_min_4af1669e5f.png)

## Сhoosing and configuring high availability WordPress hosting: Final Thoughts

There is a large room for improvement of the WordPress site and web hosting in order to achieve higher speed and availability. It is possible to use Docker container, setup automated deployment, move a database to the cloud and decouple it from the server instance, add CDN, make the headless architecture for WordPress, set up autoscaling, and make other improvements. Here in this article, I have covered just the basics, so users without much technical knowledge can start using the high-availability AWS cloud to host their WordPress websites.

In addition, consider [hiring WordPress developers](/hire-wordpress-developers/) if you need assistance with the development, optimization, maintenance, or infrastructure changes to your WordPress website.

Different types of web hostings listed, and a guide to configuring high availability WordPress hosting on AWS

thumbnail_Frame 68.png

Frame 68.png

A guide to choosing and configuring high availability WordPress hosting

This article is not an attempt to describe project management theory from books. It rather enlists my key project management techniques and principles based on years of practice, pitfalls and pearls.

#### 1. The more risks identified at the planning stage the better

Apart from affecting budget resources and reputation, risks can even lead to project death. A carefully-selected project management technique will help you detect all the major risks at the early stages when you only start building a project model.

Imagine you are responsible for developing a high-load system that supports 5,000 users, but you don't have the right team member who can handle such complex projects. For sure, it is a risk as you might fail to find the right fit in time or a newcomer will fail you in the long run.

Or, let's say, you need to enable data synchronization between your data storage and a few other 3-rd party platforms. So what exactly needs to be done within this project scope? First of all, writing code that will do the necessary synchronization. But what about data integrity, big data support, automatic scaling, automatic process retrieval after the downtime, and finally finding the right tools and ways of testing all the above-mentioned project activities? Does this mean extra time estimates and the risks to be taken into account? For sure, yes. Will all the project managers consider it at the project initiation stage? From my experience, no. Yet, risk management is definitely one of those winning project management techniques that will help you create more accurate estimates as well as prevent unplanned scenarios and frustration. It's better to spend more time on program evaluation and review than later discover significant deviations from the agreed budget and timelines.

All the risk types can be checked here in this reliable [article](https://www.simplilearn.com/common-project-risks-article/{externalnofollow}), so I will not copy them. But please take them into account when estimating the scope of your next project and creating a project plan.

#### 2. Predict and prevent problems during development

When the development process is on and running, a few problems might evolve: a lack of understanding of how to implement an appropriate technical solution, repository mess, server configuration instability, no data backups, certain team-specific issues, such as low performance of one or multiple developers. That's especially true for more complex projects.

In such cases, the owner might fail to (or be unwilling to) discover these issues on the project. Or may know about them, but do nothing. Yet, it's for sure one of the best project management techniques to react to them in a timely manner. This will save dozens of hours and tons of effort in the long run.

Any working environment will only get healthier if you keep things organized. Everything that could possibly go wrong, will go wrong. So what's the point in ignoring the problems if they show up later anyway?

Lastly, even if you understand the customer requirements well despite hazy specifications, you cannot expect your project team to be on the same page as you are. To achieve the project goal, all the specifications must be well-detailed at the program evaluation and review stage during the team meetings so that any misunderstandings are resolved before they occur.

#### 3. Visualize progress to see the whole picture, use appropriate project management tools

On multiple projects, progress visual representation is an important project management technique that allows you to immediately see project progress, spot any dependent tasks and plan other important tasks. In a project management methodology, the most popular ways of visual representation are Kanban Board and Gantt chart. Some key details are provided below:

##### Kanban board

Kanban itself is a project management methodology with its own rules. It is well described in this [article](https://kanbanize.com/kanban-resources/getting-started/what-is-kanban/{externalnofollow}). I will talk about its visual aspect only, from the perspective of understanding the project workflow. In Kanban Boards, you have different statuses (columns) and a set of tasks in each column, which are moved from left to right systematically, upon changing statuses.

##### The key things you can see in Kanban Boards:
- It helps to create a detailed plan, make predictions, and conduct risk management by means of setting specific statuses for certain project tasks (e.g. Code review).
- Easier workflow health tracking. Another helpful project management technique lies in making sure one specific to-do column is not overloaded with tasks, while other columns contain fewer. Ensuring a balanced amount of tasks in each column leads to good workflow health and better work breakdown structure.
- Almost in every project management software, you will find user icons next to the tasks in a project board. They show people's involvement in a more visual way and thus project managers can spot task dependencies more efficiently (see picture below).

![ecdev kanban board.jpg](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/3/kanban_5688eb4374.jpg)

The huge benefit of Kanban Boards is that a project manager does not need to spend time on maintaining them throughout the entire project life cycle, unlike the Gantt Chart that I am describing below.

##### Gantt chart

In project management, you always need a reliable way of calculating the valid completion dates of specific manageable tasks within one project. A Gantt chart is an ideal solution. It is one of the oldest project management techniques that was originally used in the Waterfall technique, but now it can be easily used in Agile, let's say for visualizing sprints and project progress tracking.

![ecdev gantt chart](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/3/gant_88fc06d9f6.jpg)

For you as a project manager, the smartest advantage of Gantt charts is seeing the exact project timeline for any task. It might be really useful in identifying task dependencies and seeing how the project progresses. However, it requires spending additional resources on chart maintenance, as you have to constantly reestimate each task separately.

#### 4. Always be aware of priorities, approaches and current problems

Throughout the project life cycle, reconsider task priorities occasionally, discuss approaches with the team (regarding delivery strategy, server infrastructure, technologies, task dependencies, etc), assist the team in resolving current project problems, or make necessary allocations for any new project activities. This project management technique will help you avoid a bunch of common pitfalls that usually occur on a project.

#### 5. Split the responsibilities correctly to avoid demotivation among the team

If project managers assign more complex projects to a developer than his skills level allows him to accomplish at the moment, it is normal as it will contribute to his growth. But if all the tasks related to e.g. administration, automation or infrastructure are assigned to a web developer, then you should expect his demotivation about the job he is doing.

In project management, to ensure a balanced work breakdown structure, the above-listed types of tasks should be assigned to other team members, such as an IT administrator, DevOps expert and an infrastructure expert. In addition, it is always better to assign new employees (who you trust) to those smaller tasks than exploit your current team member. If there are no trusted people available, then the problem lies more in recruiting than project management. My recommendation is to start cultivating friendly relationships with experts in different fields. It is highly useful to always be able to have specific/untypical tasks done within a project schedule just because you have the right people at hand and can assign those smaller tasks to them. Even in extreme project management, it is always recommended to have someone qualified for non-typical tasks.

#### 6. React immediately in critical situations

Project managers should never hope for luck. If the problem occurred, it cannot be ignored or postponed for later. Technical problems can be resolved by lead developers or tech leads. However, everything related to organization problems, resources planning, task dependencies, decision making, etc., should be a subject of prompt intervention by the management staff who should be able to apply suitable project management techniques depending on the situation.

#### 7. Work with the budget carefully

When working on any project tasks, whether big or small, respect your client's budget and inform in advance if you feel that one task requires more resources than you estimated initially or if there are certain unplanned task dependencies. It is always a winning project management technique to agree on all the time estimates upfront with your client than "surprise" them later. Dividing the project into distinct phases and work packages is the most reliable evaluation and review technique that will help you plan resources more carefully.

To work with project budgets more accurately, a critical path method (CPM) can be used. It is useful for analysing and planning mid-to-high complexity projects. It allows you to determine which tasks are the most critical and how to schedule them in a way you can meet the deadline at minimum cost. These tasks are called critical because if they take longer, the entire project will take longer to complete. This is the reason why the critical path method is very helpful for project managers. With its help they can estimate project duration more accurately, spot any task dependencies, identify risks, create more realistic project schedules and thus budgets. Program evaluation and review is made easier, smoother and more accurate.

#### 8. Be a superhero project manager - grow your soft skills

To manage the project successfully and achieve smooth project completion, the importance of soft skills cannot be underestimated. I mean communication, empathy, stress-resistance, leadership, and others.

Let's say you have difficulty getting some precise details from the client. This is because he is either a non-technician at all, or just explaining some real case scenarios in a specific domain like fintech. However, you don't understand them, no matter how much research you put into that. Or your whole team overworks to demonstrate the best delivery they can, but the client complains that your work is slow anyway.

Skilled project managers should be able to resolve these and many other unique challenges in an elegant way, so that both parties are left happy with the result. By implementing tried and tested project management techniques that are proven to work, you will contribute to not just your current project's success, but will also get more confidence when working on each next project.

## An ideal project management technique - can one size fit all?

Being a good project manager is not just about following specific project management principles and rules. Very often, certain situations require immediate actions when you need to find a solution to some problems on the project. No matter which party caused this problem, the customer or the development team, it needs to be addressed. All the project managers at EcDevStudio are trained to serve as problem-solvers for the customer, not just an intermediary. Out of many project management techniques described above and even more, we never try to find a one-size-fits-all scenario. Each project is unique, so the project management principles and other approaches need to be selected accordingly.

In our team, even the choice of the most suitable project manager is made based on some project specifics: technologies to be used, UX focus, etc. Let's say, if the project needs to start with the design stage and the customer deeply relies on excellent UX, we will definitely assign it to a project manager who is a former [UI/UX designer](/hire-ui-ux-designers/). If you are looking for a team you would find comfortable to work with, contact us for free a consultation.

There are many ways to organize project management, but to increase the efficiency there are specific principles and techniques for that.

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8 ultimate project management techniques and principles

When you run a startup, you definitely can't risk wasting your time or budget. Your specs have to be followed, and things need to go as planned. There is no room for pitfalls or failures. So it's only obvious that the choice of a software development company needs to be made with the utmost caution.

Fortunately, Ukraine is a reliable outsourcing destination for hiring software developers for startups. This article will give you an in-depth look into:

- Why you should hire Ukrainian developers
- How to hire software developers in Ukraine

#### Why is Ukraine a good fit for software development outsourcing?

![good fit for software development](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/7/27/Frame_69_2_f84f3fb6f3.svg)

There are countless reasons that make Ukraine one of the best places in the world to outsource your software development. Before I dig deeper into the details, here’s a short list of the top reasons for hiring Ukrainian developers:
- **More dollar-for-dollar value** - A Ukrainian software development agency can provide the same quality services you can expect from an EU- or US-based firm at a much lower rate.
- **Intellectual property protection** - Ukraine respects intellectual property rights across the globe. This means you won’t need to worry about your software development partner lifting proprietary code.
- **Dedicated teams** - Ukrainian developers are known for burning the midnight oil to meet strict deadlines. If you have a problem, rest assured that they will quickly solve it.
- **Top-tier talent** - Ukrainian software development and IT industry are exploding right now, and the market is packed with highly educated Ukrainian programmers ready to help you with the web and mobile development.
- **Staggered time schedules (for US clients)** - Ukrainian working hours take place while you’re fast asleep. So if you make a request past sunset, your development company could have it delivered by morning.

These are just a handful of reasons why you might want to outsource software development to a Ukrainian company. There are many more that I will address.

#### Engineering and Mentality in Ukraine
What is undeniably true about Ukrainian developers is their positive mindset and determination.

In fact, Ukrainians have earned a strong reputation as hard workers. It’s their tenacity that makes them well-suitable for custom software development positions. This is a role that requires them to constantly invent innovative digital solutions to stay one step ahead of their competition and become top software developers in Ukraine.

#### Resourcefulness
Ukrainians are also known for their passion and resourcefulness: two essential qualities you want to get when outsourcing software development. Meeting strict deadlines often takes a level of ingenuity that only comes from a truly dedicated service provider.

#### Responsible Teams
Another core trait associated with Ukrainians is their strong sense of responsibility. Software developers in Ukraine will treat your project as if it’s their own. They want to do their job right and will take any steps necessary to build world class software products that will make your project successful.

#### Communication and English proficiency
A major benefit of outsourcing software development to technology companies in Ukraine is that about 70% of Ukrainian developers have an intermediate to upper-intermediate level of English proficiency.

Strong communication is a key in project management, so it’s important to have a dedicated team with a firm grasp of English in your corner.
![Software development team in Ukraine](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/5/6/Frame_56_f0269e1919.jpg)
With such a high level of English proficiency, you won’t need to worry about miscommunications when dealing with software developers in Ukraine. 

#### Ukraine is a hub for software development companies
From 2015 to 2017, the number of Ukrainian software developers grew from 74k to 166k. In 2020, it reached as many as 166k. Yearly, this number grows on average by 30k of new specialists, who are usually the graduates from Ukrainian tech universities.

With the largest number of C++ and Unity 3D developers and the second-largest number of JavaScript developers, it's no wonder why Ukraine is listed among "Top 10 Countries with the Best Software Developers in the World" (source: HackerRank). Yet, the variety of programming languages in this talent pool is much bigger.

Giants and global corporations like Microsoft, Samsung, and Oracle have already discovered the tech talent of Ukrainian developers and thus keep hiring them on an ongoing basis. In fact, companies of different sizes often feel lucky to have found a great development team for a long-term partnership at a fair cost.

#### IT market and development costs in Ukraine
The average rate of skilled software developers in Ukraine of middle-to-senior levels varies from $40 to $50 per hour, depending on the technology stack and technical expertise. Lower rates (e.g. $30 per hour) are relevant to mostly junior developers, they can be a part of an experienced software development team in a startup, but not to be its skeleton.

#### Potential risks when hiring a software development company for a startup
Below are some specific risks that startups might face when hiring software developers. These insights are based on real-life stories that the clients have shared with my team.

- Inappropriate or faulty tech decisions made by software developers, insufficient technical skills, low-quality of deliveries and quality assurance.
- Product performance issues. Delivered website or web application is either slow or unstable upon high traffic load.
- Security issues. The delivered product (or any of its components) comes with vulnerabilities like XSS or Insecure Deserialization.
- The delivered software is poorly usable and imbalanced/outdated in terms of UI/UX.
- The delivered software fails to meet expectations. Developers demonstrate a poor understanding of business goals, no respect for the mission, and are not committed to the idea of building a successful startup.
- Software developer doesn't meet the timeline or budget constraints.

The above-listed issues can be relevant to any country, and they are mostly caused by ineffective check-up of soft and hard skills.

The ways how EcDev Studio prevents the above problems can be read in my separate [article](https://www.ecdevstudio.com/blog/how-ecdev-studio-prevents-six-most-common-problems-in-software-outsourcing/).

#### How to hire a Ukrainian software developer for your startup? 

![How to hire a Ukrainian software developer for your startup](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/7/27/How_to_hire_a_Ukrainian_software_developer_for_your_startup_45ef5b32aa.svg)

As said above, Ukrainian software developers have earned an excellent reputation for providing quality and affordably priced services for their partners all over the world. 

Yet, it does not necessarily mean that the hiring process is a 1-day job. Once you’re ready to hire Ukrainian software developers, these are the steps you should take when building relationships with the outsourcing companies and looking for the reliable candidate:
1. Evaluate the local IT industry market.
2. Analyze your potential vendor's portfolio.
3. Check the reviews and compliances.
4. Set up a call with the vendor and evaluate their soft skills.
5. Evaluate the hard skills.
6. Get involved in the engagement process.
7. Agree on the estimation, delivery plan, and payments.
8. Sign the contract and get your software development process started.

#### How Can EcDev Studio Help with Your Software Development?
We will provide you with a one-on-one consultation regarding your startup so we can understand what tech approach is the most suitable for your software projects. This will also be a decisive factor in planning your budget and time constraints. Our goal is to provide premium-quality custom software development services, and in-depth analysis is the first step in this process.

After we understand the scope of the project and all the planning processes are done, we assemble a team of dedicated developers who are perfectly qualified to build your product based on your software concepts and specifications. Rest assured that our engineers are highly vetted and deliver reliable, well-tested solutions.

#### Hiring a Ukrainian software developer: Final Thoughts
The choice of the right software development company is a crucial step toward bringing your software idea to life. You want your future product to thrive and bring value to your clients — not die on the vine. That's what we focus on when building our company values.

Software development is like rowing a boat with a team. Either everyone works together, or you’ll spin in circles and never reach your destination.

For your startup, you’ll need to pick capable performers who can deliver complex custom software development solutions so you can surpass your competitors. Working with software developers in Ukraine is a winning strategy, and that's what millions of success stories can prove.

If you’re looking for a software development firm you can trust, contact us for a free consultation.

Tips and guideline of hiring Ukrainian developers, potential risks described.

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How to hire a developer for startups in Ukraine

In the following list are 6 common problems and the well-tested solutions offered by EcDev Studio for each of them.


#### Conclusion
These are only common problems but not the entire list of problems that can happen. Some cases are easier to prevent, some not. My point is that we understand the IT outsourcing market, its common problems and work hard to prevent most of them for our clients.

There are common problems in software outsourcing. You have more chances to prevent them if you know about those problems.

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How EcDev Studio prevents 6 most common problems in software outsourcing

In my view, people that pay for quality services should get quality results, and any commercial services should be upscale. That’s why with the business that I run, I take every step possible to ensure that our clients receive a high-end service. That's especially relevant to hiring remote developers in order to succeed with software projects.

I've seen people try to save pennies on services only to realize that, in the end, they wasted their time and money by receiving an uninspiring product. On the other hand, I've also seen people pay top dollar for a service or product that provided no tangible value to the buyer. There are many examples when companies hire remote software developers but the main goal of those developers is to just check enough boxes to get paid.

That’s why I want to offer my insights on how to help you find a quality service. You'll also get a better understanding of when to cut a service provider if they fail to deliver.

The success of an entire business can depend on the relationship with your software development team. If you have a truly good business plan and strategy, your goals are still at risk if, for example, your in-house or remote team is not involved enough or lacks analytical or communication skills.

Below, I will describe 5 common issues business managers encounter when hiring remote or in-house developers, and then tips on how to avoid such issues. If you see something similar throughout your collaboration, you need to take action to prevent further risks.

## Potential issues when hiring remote developers

#### 1. Insufficient skills
The remote developer or team can have poor technical skills, limited understanding of development processes, and make faulty decisions which harm the development process and lead to the overall low quality of the delivery. Usually, this situation creates a need for a customer to spend significant time testing and reporting obvious bugs. Meanwhile, the development process is better organized when a customer only suggests improvements (such as UI tweaks, new use cases, etc.) but does not perform QA testing work which is what a remote development team is responsible for. In order to hire developers, the candidates should not only pass the technical interview but also complete a coding challenge of decent difficulty.

#### 2. Bad communication

Ideally, when a team of software developers works on a particular project there is a productive environment, high motivation, professional communication.  But exceptions happen, and here are the precise examples:

- Lack of interest. Reluctance to productively discuss an actual problem during remote working. Instead, the developer is doing some lower-prioritized tasks and postponing the problem discussion for later.
- Logically incorrect sentences, language, and communication barriers of remote employees. It causes difficulties when trying to understand the pressing issues or explain them.
- Aptitude to criticize teammates/customers instead of resolving mistakes. It is rather a personal characteristic, not a communication problem. Btw, the experienced hiring manager would spot this in the screening process.
- Delayed responses. It belongs to the issues with culture fit and dependability. During the hiring process, this can be determined with specific questions in the interview process.

There also exist etiquette problems, such as interruptions during voice calls, personal criticism, lack of respect, raising the voice while communicating. Etiquette problems of both in-house and remote teams are the most critical and should be avoided at the very beginning when hiring remote workers. Ensure there are no such issues before you hire remote developers. I'll tell you more about that below.

#### 3. Insufficient understanding of the requirements
Small interest in understanding the requirements, reluctance to think and analyze out of the boundaries, reluctance to think like a customer or see particular cases from the end-user perspective.

Apart from motivation problems mentioned above, software engineers can also lack soft skills or technical expertise which makes it difficult to understand project requirements in detail.

#### 4. Attempts to make poor deliveries
It is a common and well-known issue when a developer either knowingly or mistakenly delivers an unfinished or wrongly done job and hopes it to be enough to get approved. If you are going to hire developers consider giving them a complex test, and see if they will try to deliver a poor result instead of researching a task deeper.

#### 5. No respect for customer's business
It happens when remote developers work on particular tasks but have very little interest in what the final plan or business objectives are. It is fine if your developers deliver tasks based on your precise specifications. But your engineers should be team players who care about common success, for maximum efficiency.

## How to avoid the above listed problems when hiring remote software developers

Hiring remote developers, or in-house teams is a highly responsible activity because you either move forward growing your startup or keep struggling with the technical or other issues. I will describe how we at EcDev Studio hire engineers and build talented teams.

The first thing we do when we hire software developers is review their resumes, where we check how responsible the candidate is when searching for a job (resume accuracy, informativeness of the details, overall openness, etc), and also check actual skills with the experience in the resume.

The next step is soft skills and language proficiency check. During the first interview round, we check the developer candidate for the culture fit, dependability, emotional intelligence, communication skills, problem-solving attitude, perseverance, leadership qualities, English language. Many companies either skip this step or do it unprofessionally, but to hire remote developers and do well, a soft skills assessment is necessary. The short but great guide to checking soft skills is by this authoritative [article](https://sprockets.ai/interview-questions-to-evaluate-soft-skills/{external}).

![soft skill ecdev](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/6/6/small_skill_8c711133a1.svg)

Next comes the hard skills check, which is a pretty straightforward step in hiring remote developers.

![hard skills](https://ecdev-cms-dev-ecdev-cms-ecdev-cms-bucket.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/7/27/banner_471d784c81.svg)

Finally, a 2-month evaluation period starts where the newcomer gets a deep dive into work ethics, and the company-established rules and gets a chance to prove themself as a credible team player. The goal is to give a higher complexity task in this period to either identify the talented developer with high technical skills or drop the underperforming developer in the early stage. A probationary period is a good and proven practice in software development, especially when hiring remote talents.

Tech companies usually spend some time in order to hire remote developers successfully, sometimes it can take weeks to close particular positions. If to do things right it's definitely possible to hire a developer or team and avoid the problems listed in this article.

## The biggest trap in hiring remote developers

What do you think is the biggest trap? To hire a low-performing developer with poor hard skills? Or maybe to hire a developer who communicates badly? But what if you hired somebody who delivers and communicates, and you even see the results constantly (e.g. new web flows delivered), but you feel something is still wrong you don't know what. You see new flows getting developed but their page speed is average, the developer is telling you there are no technical capabilities to make it higher, you trust them and say "Okay, I understand". Read further.

Later after 6 months of a relationship, you decided to give him a more complex task e.g. 5 out of 10 complexity, while in the past he did only easy tasks (e.g. 3/10 complexity). You see developer fails and you fire him away. Let's say later you were lucky to hire somebody truly proficient.

Upon seeing how a skilled developer got your complex tasks done, optimized speed to the utmost, you became amazed at how it could be done. Finally, the new developer makes a code review of your previous engineer and concludes there is a ton of poor code that needs refactoring.

So what is the biggest trap? That's when you hire remote developers guessing you evaluated them well but in fact, the developer is burnt out, they have a junior level with low growing capabilities and poor motivation. Finally, it results in wasted months of time and corresponding expenses, which were possible to prevent in the beginning.

What is the difference between professional hiring managers and amateurish ones? It is the ability to professionally evaluate soft and hard skills, and give the complex (10 out of 10) test at the beginning to properly identify the real capabilities of the developer candidate.

Here in the EcDev Studio team are only such talented developers who passed the evaluation, and we proudly call them vetted experts.

There is a specific set of rules to follow when hiring remote developers, to avoid a lot of known issues.

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What you should know about hiring remote developers

You should carefully consider the relevance of a particular technology for your business goals, development costs, and the risks associated with further support when choosing a technology stack. If you want to create a custom e-commerce store for retail, you can choose between WooCommerce and Magento platforms. Magento comes with more built-in features, however development is more expensive. Moreover, due to market peculiarities, there is a risk of failing to find good Magento developers when required (it could become an issue during further maintenance).

If you are thinking of using CMS such as [WordPress](/hire-wordpress-developers/), Drupal or Magento, I recommend you to avoid using ready themes and page builders. Use only custom themes and clean markup without auto-generated excessive code. Otherwise, you may experience significant performance and maintainability issues. Websites that we delivered on WordPress ([https://picupmedia.com/](https://picupmedia.com/{externalnofollow}), [ https://www.ratesandmoney.com/](https://www.ratesandmoney.com/{externalnofollow})) have excellent load speed mostly because they are custom-made (without the use of ready themes and page builders).

If you consider using back-end frameworks, the most popular are Django, [Express](/hire-node-developers/), [NestJS](/hire-node-developers/), Laravel and Spring. The most popular front-end frameworks are Angular, Vue.js, and [React library](/hire-react-developers/).

As mentioned above, instant site speed is essential. A significant performance indicator is TTFB value (time to the first byte). In CMS-based sites, the only way to avoid delays is the proper use of server-side caching, which caches the entire back-end, including database queries and page response. A proper mechanism for updating the cache should also be implemented based on both schedule and content updates by the admin. With framework-based websites, it is easier to achieve the good TTFB. It is often enough to follow standard coding practices and have NGinx or Apache configured correctly.

Avoid using shared web hosting services (like GoDaddy or Hostgator). Use only reliable cloud servers like AWS, Google Cloud, or Digital Ocean. Of course, you will need the qualified staff to set things up on a clean Linux server, but for sure, you can't let such a detail as web hosting prevent you from fulfilling your business goals. In my other article [a guide to choosing and configuring high availability WordPress hosting](/blog/guide-to-choosing-and-configuring-high-availability-wordpress-hosting/) I've described how people without deep technical skills can set up a reliable WordPress hosting on AWS.

Whenever possible, use cloud infrastructure. For example, if your website is equipped with a search feature with autocomplete functionality, you can integrate AWS Elasticsearch and achieve immediate search results or auto-suggestions on your website. Instead of utilizing your servers' space to store large files, use AWS S3.

Use CDNs (content-delivery networks) such as Cloudflare and Amazon Cloudfront. This method allows your heavy content (e.g. images, videos) to be distributed across multiple servers in different countries, reducing distance latency and allowing your visitors to access this heavy content almost immediately. A Cloudflare Pro plan can also store HTML output in multiple locations, not just heavy content like images and videos.


Recommendations regarding technology choice to organize web development correctly.

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The importance of right technology choice in web development

A couple of years ago, we started working with an Australian company, a supplier of B2B services for the jewelry industry. Their idea was simple: provide retouching services for jewelry product photos so they look professional.

The company initially came to us with a small website and small client flow. Today, the company is widely successful and scaled up to provide its services worldwide.

I’m going to tell you some mistakes that were made early on, but could have positioned this business for its current success much sooner, if solved earlier.

Read on to find out if you’re following the best practices.
#### Problem 1: The website was incredibly slow and defective
It's great that our client decided to change their website developer, but why do companies like this wait for so long? In most cases, a client doesn’t have benchmarks set which can inform them if their website is functioning properly or not. Instead, they hope for the best outcome.

If you have a buggy site that runs at a snail's pace and your developer can’t resolve this after multiple attempts, they most probably lack the technical skills needed to complete this task. This is usually a strong indicator that you should terminate the contract with the developer and start looking for a new one.

Don’t fall into the trap of hoping that problems will get resolved on their own. You need to be proactive and intervene. To learn how to avoid such situations, check out my other article: [what you should know about hiring remote developers](/blog/what-you-should-know-about-hiring-remote-developers/).
#### Problem 2: The website was poorly designed and complicated to use
Too often, [UI/UX design](/hire-ui-ux-designers/) is an afterthought. In the case of my client, the company’s website was too difficult to navigate and use. That's because the website was not created with the user experience in mind.

The result? A lot of lost visitors who could have been potential buyers left the site without giving it a second thought.

First impressions are important so you should take your time finding a designer who can deliver a website that drives engagement and motivates visitors to take action. Carefully vet your talent to ensure they can craft a site that provides the best user experience possible.
#### Problem 3: Having an ineffective sales funnel was a problem for the company
This is a problem for tens of thousands of businesses across the globe — not just our client. Business owners expect visitors to buy products or services from their website, but visitors lack the motivation to even scroll down and continue reading.

An effective sales funnel builds a chain of user actions to smoothly warm up interests instead of expecting clients to buy on the first visit.

Our client implemented a sales funnel that incorporates warming leads, and their sales saw an immediate jump. Yes, it’s more complicated, but the rewards are much greater.
#### Problem 4. The company picked the wrong web hosting service
I’m going to write an extended post on this area later. For now, I’ll just say that choosing shared web hosting (the cheapest one) is one of the most common mistakes that businesses make. Unfortunately, selecting the wrong host can hamper a business ability to execute their planned goals.

Many business owners use websites built with [WordPress](/hire-wordpress-developers/), and use WP-managed web hosting (e.g., WPEngine, SiteGround, etc). This hosting type is faster but it’s too expensive to host several websites under the same account. The ideal hosting is to use cloud server instances (e.g., AWS EC2 or Digital Ocean) with a custom configuration.

Setting up cloud server instances requires a one-time expense for a DevOps expert to configure everything properly. But after setting it up, it only costs about $40 per month to have strong hardware, host unlimited amounts of websites, and maintain higher speed than with other hosting types I mentioned earlier.

I have more content in the pipeline that I’ll continue to release in the near future. Follow this blog to receive upcoming insights on how to cut down on waste.


The story about Australian business that struggled for 2 years before blowing up.