We rails people tend to think of Rails as the center-piece of web development. The same thing can be said of .net, Spring/Java Server Faces, Drupal, Python or name-your-web-framework-of-choice-here people. Web frameworks are just a component of web applications, and if you want to succeed you better know the miriads of other components beyond your rockstar code. In my session I will talk about things you must take into account and tools/techniques you should master if you want to make a difference in web development, independently of your development language/framework. Talk delivered at conferencia rails 2010 in Madrid, Spain.

1. RailsRails
is notis not
EnoughEnough
by javier ramírezby javier ramírez
@supercoco9@supercoco9
jramirez@aspgems.comjramirez@aspgems.com
http://javier-ramirez.comhttp://javier-ramirez.com

2. A monkey's viewA monkey's view
of weBof weB
developmentdevelopment
internet
web server
database
request
response
model
controller
view
model

3. StandingStanding
on theon the
shouldersshoulders
of giantsof giants
Ignoring HTTP, HTML, JavaScript or CSS is not an optionIgnoring HTTP, HTML, JavaScript or CSS is not an option
Code like a pro. Validate!Code like a pro. Validate!
Protect yourself, use frameworksProtect yourself, use frameworks

4. RunRun
FORRESTFORREST
RUNRUN
https://code.google.com/speed/page-speedhttps://code.google.com/speed/page-speed
http://developer.yahoo.com/yslow/http://developer.yahoo.com/yslow/
https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook-engineering/bigpipe-https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook-engineering/bigpipe-
pipelining-web-pages-for-high-performance/389414033919pipelining-web-pages-for-high-performance/389414033919
http://yehudakatz.com/2010/09/07/automatic-flushing-the-rails-3-1-planhttp://yehudakatz.com/2010/09/07/automatic-flushing-the-rails-3-1-plan
http://github.com/mkelly12/google_closure_compilerhttp://github.com/mkelly12/google_closure_compiler

5. SizeSize
Doesn'tDoesn't
matter,matter,
if youif you
knowknow
howhow

6. Adding muscleAdding muscle
Server Configuration management and provisioningServer Configuration management and provisioning
Cloud servicesCloud services
http://opscode.com/chefhttp://opscode.com/chef
http://puppetlabs.comhttp://puppetlabs.com
Deploy strategiesDeploy strategies
http://github.com/capistranohttp://github.com/capistrano
http://github.com/lg/murderhttp://github.com/lg/murder
http://github.com/calavera/marabuntahttp://github.com/calavera/marabunta

7. Reducing loadReducing load
User external serversUser external servers
Page/reverse proxy cachingPage/reverse proxy caching
Key/value middlemenKey/value middlemen
Distribute (queue, map reduce...)Distribute (queue, map reduce...)
Set limitsSet limits
Display less contentDisplay less content
Degrade gracefullyDegrade gracefully
http://www.railsinside.com/case-studies/421-http://www.railsinside.com/case-studies/421-
kgb-scaling-superbowl-traffic-case-study.htmlkgb-scaling-superbowl-traffic-case-study.html

8. PaulPaul
the octopusthe octopus

9. Look for traffic patterns (peak hours and “valleys”)Look for traffic patterns (peak hours and “valleys”)
Test your siteTest your site
ApachebenchApachebench
httperfhttperf
JmeterJmeter
Do the mathsDo the maths
(req/s)*60*60(req/s)*60*60
(req/s)*60*60*100/(busiest % hour)(req/s)*60*60*100/(busiest % hour)
Our numbers:Our numbers:
7%7%
11 million pageviews/month11 million pageviews/month
8 boxes8 boxes
~37 million pageviews limit~37 million pageviews limit

10. Plan ForPlan For
FailureFailure

11. My other car is a porscheMy other car is a porsche

12. SharpeningSharpening
youryour
axeaxe

13. general programming Conceptsgeneral programming Concepts
RubyRuby
Data StorageData Storage
Algorithms (sorting, map/reduce, sawzall...)Algorithms (sorting, map/reduce, sawzall...)
ACIDACID
SOLIDSOLID

14. How muchHow much
did yourdid your
businessbusiness
Yesterday?Yesterday?

15. http://google.com/analyticshttp://google.com/analytics
http://web.analytics.yahoo.comhttp://web.analytics.yahoo.com
http://omniture.comhttp://omniture.com
http://coremetrics.comhttp://coremetrics.com
http://webtrends.comhttp://webtrends.com
http://piwik.orghttp://piwik.org
How many visitors I get?How many visitors I get?
How many pages they see?How many pages they see?
Why are they getting here?Why are they getting here?
What's the entry/exit point?What's the entry/exit point?
Where are they going?Where are they going?
Which pages are engaging?Which pages are engaging?
Is my workflow too complex?Is my workflow too complex?
Am I doing better than before?Am I doing better than before?
How much did my business today?How much did my business today?
http://clicktale.comhttp://clicktale.com
http://percentmobile.comhttp://percentmobile.com
http://feedburner.comhttp://feedburner.com

16. Do you knowDo you know
who enterswho enters
your shop?your shop?
https://www.google.com/adplannerhttps://www.google.com/adplanner

17. How can I help you?How can I help you?
Are you happy with me?Are you happy with me?
What do you like about me?What do you like about me?
Am I missing the point?Am I missing the point?
https://www.kissinsights.comhttps://www.kissinsights.com
http://www.4qsurvey.comhttp://www.4qsurvey.com
http://getsatisfaction.comhttp://getsatisfaction.com
http://uservoice.comhttp://uservoice.com
How popular/unpopular am I?How popular/unpopular am I?
http://blogpulse.comhttp://blogpulse.com
http://icerocket.comhttp://icerocket.com
http://thinkupapp.comhttp://thinkupapp.com
https://analytics.postrank.comhttps://analytics.postrank.com
http://www.google.com/alertshttp://www.google.com/alerts

18. Mirror mirrorMirror mirror
on the wallon the wall
Who in theWho in the
land island is
fairestfairest
of all?of all?
http://compete.comhttp://compete.com
http://google.com/trendshttp://google.com/trends

19. If you build it, they will comeIf you build it, they will come

20. Mr. ObviousMr. Obvious
SEMSEM
PRPR
TwitterTwitter => 126=> 126
Facebook => 130Facebook => 130
Buttons/bannersButtons/banners
Share profitsShare profits

21. quack like a duckquack like a duck
what's the message I'm sending? => webmaster toolswhat's the message I'm sending? => webmaster tools
Internal/external searches => webmaster tools & analyticsInternal/external searches => webmaster tools & analytics
Google adwords keyword toolGoogle adwords keyword tool
http://google.com/insights/searchhttp://google.com/insights/search
http://youtube.comhttp://youtube.com
http://delicious.comhttp://delicious.com

22. TheThe
ScientificScientific
methodmethod
A/B TestingA/B Testing
https://optimizely.appspot.comhttps://optimizely.appspot.com
http://google.com/websiteoptimizerhttp://google.com/websiteoptimizer
A/B Testing for AdsA/B Testing for Ads
Adwords campaign experimentsAdwords campaign experiments

23. UxymoronUxymoron
Non-standard interfaces, usually hard to build,Non-standard interfaces, usually hard to build,
making the users more likely to make mistakes andmaking the users more likely to make mistakes and
find the design much more difficult to usefind the design much more difficult to use
Also said of the moron whoAlso said of the moron who
thought it was such a greatthought it was such a great
idea to implement thatidea to implement that
interfaceinterface

24. Jakob's Law of the InternetJakob's Law of the Internet
User ExperienceUser Experience
Users spend most ofUsers spend most of
their time on other sites.their time on other sites.
This means that usersThis means that users
prefer your site to workprefer your site to work
the same way as all thethe same way as all the
other sites they alreadyother sites they already
know alikeknow alike
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20000723.htmlhttp://www.useit.com/alertbox/20000723.html

25. RTFCRTFC
GoogleGoogle
MicrosoftMicrosoft
YahooYahoo
TwitterTwitter
FacebookFacebook
LinkedInLinkedIn
XingXing
Github...Github...
Read The F***king CodeRead The F***king Code

26. AllAll
togethertogether
now!now!
Standards are coolStandards are cool
Remember the client-sideRemember the client-side
Think big, keep smallThink big, keep small
EstimateEstimate
Have a B planHave a B plan
Analyse & MeasureAnalyse & Measure
Have a conversationHave a conversation
Shout your nameShout your name
Make an educated guessMake an educated guess
Be easy to useBe easy to use
Keep learningKeep learning

27. javier ramírezjavier ramírez
@supercoco9@supercoco9
jramirez@aspgems.comjramirez@aspgems.com
http://javier-ramirez.comhttp://javier-ramirez.com
All the images were found viaAll the images were found via http://ffffound.comhttp://ffffound.com . Many thanks to their authors. Many thanks to their authors