Developer hosting glossary
Plain-English definitions for PaaS, Docker, reverse proxies, GitOps, custom domains, and self-hosted deployment terms.
36 pages
Glossary
What is PaaS?
Platform as a Service software that builds, runs, and manages applications. Learn what PaaS means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is self-hosted PaaS?
A PaaS you install on infrastructure you control. Learn what self-hosted PaaS means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is reverse proxy?
A server that receives web traffic and forwards it to the right app. Learn what reverse proxy means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is Caddy?
A web server often used for automatic HTTPS and reverse proxying. Learn what Caddy means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is Nixpacks?
A build system that detects app frameworks and creates runnable images. Learn what Nixpacks means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is Docker container?
An isolated runtime unit for an application and its dependencies. Learn what Docker container means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is zero-downtime deployment?
A release process that avoids serving downtime during deploys. Learn what zero-downtime deployment means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is blue-green deployment?
A release pattern that switches traffic from one environment to another. Learn what blue-green deployment means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is webhook deployment?
A deployment triggered by an HTTP event, often from Git pushes. Learn what webhook deployment means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is custom domain?
A domain name you attach to a deployed application. Learn what custom domain means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is Let's Encrypt?
A certificate authority that provides free TLS certificates. Learn what Let's Encrypt means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is VPS?
A virtual private server rented from a hosting provider. Learn what VPS means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is GitOps?
Using Git state and events to drive deployment operations. Learn what GitOps means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is environment variable?
A configuration value supplied to an app at runtime. Learn what environment variable means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is persistent volume?
Storage that survives container replacement and redeploys. Learn what persistent volume means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is health check?
A request used to confirm an app is ready for traffic. Learn what health check means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is rollback?
Returning an application to a previous working deployment. Learn what rollback means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is buildpack?
A tool that detects source code and builds a runnable app image. Learn what buildpack means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is control plane?
The service that coordinates deployment, routing, databases, and configuration. Learn what control plane means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is managed database?
A database provisioned and connected through the platform workflow. Learn what managed database means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is Dockerfile?
A file that describes how to build a Docker image. Learn what Dockerfile means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is SSL certificate?
A certificate used to secure HTTPS traffic. Learn what SSL certificate means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is TLS?
The protocol used to encrypt HTTPS connections. Learn what TLS means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is cron job?
A scheduled command that runs at specific times. Learn what cron job means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is container log?
Output written by a running container. Learn what container log means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is domain routing?
Mapping incoming domains to the correct application container. Learn what domain routing means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is Git branch?
A named line of source code history used for deployment. Learn what Git branch means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is private repository?
A Git repository requiring authentication to clone. Learn what private repository means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is secret encryption?
Protecting sensitive values before storing them. Learn what secret encryption means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is Docker network?
A private network containers use to communicate. Learn what Docker network means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is app catalog?
A curated list of preconfigured applications that can be deployed quickly. Learn what app catalog means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is self-hosting?
Running software on infrastructure you administer. Learn what self-hosting means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is serverless?
A managed compute model where infrastructure operations are abstracted away. Learn what serverless means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is edge deployment?
Running application code close to users across regions. Learn what edge deployment means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is container orchestration?
Coordinating container scheduling, networking, and lifecycle. Learn what container orchestration means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.
Glossary
What is deployment platform?
Software that turns source code or images into running applications. Learn what deployment platform means in self-hosted deployment and Better-PaaS workflows.