LEMP Stack: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners to Intermediate DevOps Enthusiasts (project 2)
The LEMP stack, an acronym for Linux, Nginx (pronounced Engine-X), MySQL, and PHP, is a powerful combination of software that can serve dynamic web pages and web applications. This guide aims to provide a clear understanding of the LEMP stack from a DevOps perspective.
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like operating system. It provides a foundation for the other software in the stack to run on. Linux is open-source and there are many different distributions or versions you can use such as Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, and more.
Nginx
Nginx (pronounced “engine x”) is the HTTP server for the stack. It can also be used as a reverse proxy, load balancer, and HTTP cache. Nginx is known for its high performance, stability, rich feature set, simple configuration, and low resource consumption.
MySQL
MySQL is a relational database management system. This means it can create, update, and manage relational databases. MySQL is used in this stack to store and retrieve data for your web applications.
PHP
PHP is the programming language we use in this stack. PHP is a server-side scripting language designed for web development. It’s the part of the package that handles the logic of your site: it’s used to interact with MySQL databases, form handling, and more.
DevOps Perspective
From a DevOps perspective, understanding the LEMP stack involves more than just understanding the basics. It’s about integrating these components into a cohesive workflow that emphasizes collaboration, automation, and streamlined deployment. Tools like Docker and Kubernetes come into play here, allowing you to define your LEMP stack and its configuration as code.
I’ve documented my journey of setting up a LEMP stack web server on AWS in a GitHub repository. It’s a step-by-step guide that can help you understand the process and the intricacies involved.
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