Database server

In short: A database server is a server that runs a database system and stores and queries data for other programs.

In more detail: Applications (e.g. a web server) connect over the network as a client and send queries with SQL. Examples of systems are PostgreSQL, MySQL or MariaDB. This project uses PostgreSQL at Neon.

In Depth

• Ports: PostgreSQL 5432, MySQL/MariaDB 3306.
• Separate from the web server: application and database often run on different machines. That way they can be secured and scaled separately.
• Hardware: plenty of memory (for caching), fast SSDs and reliable power are important.
• Security: not directly reachable from the internet, access only via a firewall rule, encryption of the connection (TLS), separate users with minimal rights.
• Operation: regular backups, replication (a copy on a second server) for reliability, and updates.

See also: database, NeonDB