Setting up a proxy with NGINX

What is a proxy? In its simplest form, a proxy is a server that listens for requests and redirects them to other servers. This allows multiple servers to run on the same system but still receive their requests, such as the case with many large hosting servers today. Requests are redirected depending on how they were made to the machine such as the URL that was used. Proxies can also provide other benefits such as distributing traffic among multiple instances of the same web server, formatting the requests such as adding additional headers, filtering requests, or adding an additional security layer.

System monitoring with the TICK stack

Time series database A time series database is a type of database that is optimized for storing data based on time stamped data. This method of storing data is useful in situations where values need to be monitored for change over time. While any database could be used to store this information, time series databases are time stamp aware which leading to improved organization and query speeds. Time series databases have come up more in recent times due to the increase in the number of internet connected devices.

Creating a local DNS with CoreDNS

What is a Domain Name System? A Domain Name System (DNS) acts like the the phone book of the internet. When we enter a URL in our browser, it sends the URL to a DNS server to look up the actual IP address. Many times a DNS server will not know the IP address of the URL and it will have to forward it on to additional DNS servers. The next server to ask is determined by reading the URL from right to left.

Creating an ESP8266 Based Wireless Thermometer

I’ve been taking a look at InluxData’s TICK stack and figuring out some ESP8266 chips that I recently purchased. I always like to come up with practical projects to do when I’m learning about some new tech. When my dad came to me asking me to keep an eye on the temperature of his house while he was out of town, I knew exactly what I needed to build. It got even better when he told me his plan.

Create an LXC container on Proxmox

Proxmox uses LXC containers rather than the more commonly heard of Docker containers. LXC containers can be thought of as very lightweight virtual machines. LXC containers can be customized to run an application but typically their images are for linux operating systems. Adding a template There are two methods for adding an LXC container template to Proxmox. The first is very convenient but requires Proxmox to be connected to the internet.

Create a Windows 10 VM on Proxmox

Using the Proxmox server I set up to run a Windows virtual machine would let me move away from dual booting on my main machine. I boot into Windows maybe twice a year so there won’t be much that I miss. A remote connection from my desktop (or another machine) will more than cover my occasional use case for Windows. Creating a virtual machine in Proxmox is straightforward for anyone who has worked with virtual machines before.