Deep dives into backend engineering, system design, distributed systems, and DevOps. Written by senior engineers shipping code at scale.
Go context.Context: constructors, cancellation, deadlines, request values, and five goroutine leak patterns in production.
Kafka producer configuration: acks, idempotence, batching, compression, and the tradeoffs that matter for throughput and durability.
Postgres EXPLAIN plans: node types, cost interpretation, and six patterns that kill query performance on large datasets.
2,500 API endpoints in one MCP server without blowing context windows. The Code Mode pattern uses search + execute to cut token cost by 1,000x.
AI agents calling tools via MCP create new attack surfaces: prompt injection through tool responses, credential leakage, and unauthorized execution.
Adding one cache server shouldn't invalidate every key. Consistent hashing with virtual nodes and bounded loads — full Go and Java implementations.
Probabilistic drop rate limiting: uncoordinated enforcement bypassing Redis for 1M+ RPS with zero coordination overhead.
Compare pgvector, Pinecone, Weaviate, Qdrant, Milvus, and Chroma on performance, cost, and operational fit with real code and benchmarks.
Handle unpredictable JSON in Go: map[string]any, json.RawMessage, type switches, and defensive patterns for shifting schemas.
Go graceful shutdown: SIGTERM handling, health probe coordination, and Kubernetes drain patterns for zero dropped requests.