Backend
Fencing Tokens: Why TTL Distributed Locks Still Corrupt Data
TTL distributed locks cannot prevent race conditions during process pauses. Learn why monotonic fencing tokens are necessary to guarantee data integrity.
Topic
System Architecture
A collection of essays to explore, one idea at a time.
Essays
Newest first
Database
Zero-Downtime Database Migrations with Expand and Contract
Learn how the Expand and Contract pattern prevents production outages when renaming or restructuring database columns in continuous deployment environments.
Database
Why Smaller Database Connection Pools Run Faster
Learn why oversizing PostgreSQL connection pools degrades throughput and how the hardware-aligned sizing formula accelerates production databases.
API Design
Designing Safe APIs: The Mechanics of Idempotency Keys
How to build production-grade idempotency in REST APIs using atomic locks, response caching, and payload hashing to prevent duplicate mutations.
Backend
Why Postgres SKIP LOCKED Beats Dedicated Message Queues
Before deploying Redis or RabbitMQ for background tasks, learn how PostgreSQL's FOR UPDATE SKIP LOCKED provides transactional job queues with zero extra infra.
JavaScript
Stop Polling: Build Real-Time Apps with Server-Sent Events
Need real-time updates for your web app? Skip the complexity of WebSockets and the inefficiency of polling. Discover the power of Server-Sent Events (SSE).
API
Stop Fearing Retries: Building Idempotent REST APIs
Learn how to implement idempotency keys in your backend APIs to safely handle client retries, prevent double charges, and build robust distributed systems.