Every day, we hear about new vulnerabilities or exploits that underline the importance of application security in today’s connected world. Such incidents put sensitive user information at risk and threaten applications’ infrastructure. Securing applications is therefore crucial not only from a technical standpoint but also to maintain user trust and ensure service reliability. The challenge lies in identifying and mitigating potential security threats before they can be exploited.

The.NET framework is a powerful platform for creating various applications, from web-based services to comprehensive enterprise solutions. Its extensive libraries, support for multiple programming languages, and powerful development tools enable the creation of high-performance, scalable applications that can be customized to suit various needs. This framework continuously evolves to meet the demands of modern software development with a complete ecosystem of add-ons created by an enthusiastic community.

Java has long been a foundational pillar in application development, its versatility and robustness serving as key drivers behind its widespread adoption. Since its inception, Java has evolved to meet the ever-changing demands of scalable deployments, offering a reliable platform for creating everything from web applications to complex, server-side systems.

As software systems become more complex, navigating their inner workings has become increasingly difficult due to the evolution of more advanced architectures. While distributed systems, such as microservices and cloud-native architectures, offer benefits in scalability and agility, they also make it more challenging to pinpoint and resolve system issues. Traditional methods for tracking errors are often insufficient in these multifaceted environments.

Standardized frameworks play a fundamental role in leveling the playing field and setting the standard within the tech industry, ensuring that everyone has access to the same tools and practices. These frameworks promote best practices and foster innovation and collaboration across different sectors. One example of such a framework is OpenTelemetry, a project that has rapidly gained traction and continued to flourish as an open-source initiative under the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF).

In Part 1 of this blog, we prepared our demo container environments using Docker for the Node Express and Python Flask applications. Now, we move on to the more complex phase of our exploration, where we will dissect and explain the inner workings of our applications. This sequel is designed for those who want to improve their web development skills, offering a comprehensive guide to debugging and tracing.

This is the first post in a series of two looking at debugging and tracing MySQL, which has been a foundation stone of the tech industry, utilized by applications big and small, from personal blogs to complex e-commerce platforms. MySQL has demonstrated adaptability and robustness countless times, making it a critical part of the Internet’s infrastructure. This adaptability has helped MySQL remain relevant amidst the constantly evolving technological landscapes.