Cluster Autoscaler vs Karpenter: How Node Scaling Really Differs
Compare Cluster Autoscaler and Karpenter by architecture, scale-down, spot handling and portability, with a decision guide and a safe migration path for EKS.
14 min read
Category
DevOps
Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, PostgreSQL, Redis, Nginx, monitoring and deployment.
Docker Multi-Stage Build for Python APIs: Venv-First Guide
Build smaller Python API images with a docker multi-stage build: pass one venv between stages, order layers for caching, use uv and slim bases safely.
13 min read
PgBouncer Transaction Pooling: Prepared Statements and Session State
How PgBouncer transaction pooling works, why prepared statements and session state break, how to audit your app, and how to size and monitor pools.
13 min read
Nginx Upstream Keepalive and Timeouts for Node.js Backends
Fix intermittent 502s between Nginx and Node.js by aligning nginx upstream keepalive with Node's keepAliveTimeout and scoping proxy timeouts per location.
16 min read
Redis Eviction Policy: Choosing maxmemory Settings Safely
Pick a redis eviction policy per dataset, size maxmemory with real headroom, avoid redis OOM kills, and test eviction under memory pressure before production.
14 min read
Secrets Management in Kubernetes: Vault vs SOPS vs Cloud Managers
Compare Vault, SOPS and cloud secret managers for Kubernetes by storage, delivery and rotation, and learn when to combine them with External Secrets Operator.
17 min read
PostgreSQL Zero Downtime Migration: Expand and Contract in Practice
Run PostgreSQL schema changes without outages: lock_timeout with retries, expand and contract steps, batched backfills, NOT VALID constraints and concurrent indexes.
14 min read
Kubernetes Network Policy: Lock Down Pod-to-Pod Traffic Step by Step
Build a Kubernetes network policy allowlist: default deny ingress and egress, DNS, three-tier rules, namespace isolation, testing and safe rollout.
14 min read
PostgreSQL Blocking Queries: Find the Root Blocker with pg_locks
Learn to trace PostgreSQL blocking queries to the root blocker with pg_stat_activity, pg_blocking_pids() and pg_locks, then prevent them with lock_timeout.
13 min read
PostgreSQL Index Types: B-Tree, GIN, BRIN and Partial Indexes
Learn how B-Tree, GIN, BRIN and partial indexes work in PostgreSQL, when each fits your data and operators, and how to verify the choice with EXPLAIN.
14 min read
Kubernetes Liveness vs Readiness Probes (and Startup): Getting Them Right
Learn what Kubernetes liveness, readiness and startup probes each decide, how to time them, and how to avoid misconfigurations that cause pod restart storms.
16 min read
Kubernetes Pod Disruption Budget Guide: Safe Node Drains and Upgrades
Learn how a Kubernetes pod disruption budget works with the Eviction API, why PDBs block or fail drains, and how to design safe cluster upgrades.
13 min read