Web Operations - Keeping the Data On Time

ByJohn Allspaw, Jesse Robbins

Publisher:O’Reilly Media

Released:June 2010

This is simply the best book on running a commercial web services I have ever read.  Lots of texts cover parts and pieces of the what it takes from to manage a website. They will tell you how to configure Apache or how to load balance web traffic.  This book covers every aspect from developing and managing code development to scaling database services.   This is truly a must read!

I’ve developed code for what is now Telaflora.com. I’ve managed servers for Herta.com and now I’m managing the databases for WDTinc.com so I know what I’m talking about. If you are operating such a website this book will give you a deeper understand of the problems and point you to some solutions.

Why am I gushing about this book?  Because it is timely and covers the subject as in whole.  Web operations are not about one thing.  Code effects systems, systems effect data storage, storage effects databases and databases effect code.  No other book I’ve read gives such a complete picture.

A problem with this book is it will be out of date in two years.  READ IT NOW.  The information is very timely.

Chapter 12, titled Relational Database Strategy and Tactics for the Web, mostly supported the things I’m doing and led me to mysql-mmm.org – “In theory, this system is a reasonable fit for the requirements of a web application. It’sessentially just a lightweight, best-effort helper tool that tries to keep the applicationconnected to servers that are functioning well.” This is a project I’d never hear of.

Don’t expect to get anything tangible from this book like code. What you will get is a better idea of the direction you should be taking if you become the next Facebook.

Tweet