Backstory:

Webserver development is a skill I taught myself in the pursuit of finding a job. After seeing dozens of job postings that asked for a portfolio website, I took the hint.

Using spare computer parts, I assembled a computer to use as a server.

Step by step:

• Assemble server PC
• Install webhosting services
• Buy a domain
• Set up DNS
• Configure backend security
• Design front end

My website’s security is hardened with DDoS protection, SSL, IPsec, and several other layers of protection in an “onion approach” to security.

It is important to keep most details of your server configuration a secret for security reasons. I’ve purposefully kept most of the process ambiguous and overly simplified in this post. Please feel free to ask me more about the backend of my webserver during interviews.

Other uses:

The server computer now hosts a variety of services for my friends and I, including a Minecraft server, ARMA III server, CS2 server, file hosting server, and more. Due to the limited hardware, these servers are typically run individually.

Room for improvement:

Security, performance, and longevity of the webserver would be dramatically increased with the implementation of virtualization. With virtual machines, I could separate each server onto its own machine. In addition, I could image the whole virtual machine to make backups, instead of simply copying folders and relying on Window’s backup services.

Unfortunately, due to the limited hardware resources on the webserver, implementing virtualization would slow down the server as a whole, making it not feasible at the moment.