Daniel Mercer
Senior Systems Engineer
Systems engineer at Raff Technologies. Builds VM image pipelines, maintains OS templates, and writes the deployment automation that keeps Raff's compute fleet consistent.
23 articles published
Blog Posts(1)
Tutorials(11)
Automate Server Backups with Cron and Rsync on Ubuntu 24.04
Automate file and database backups on a Raff Ubuntu 24.04 VM using cron, rsync, and tar. Covers scheduling, retention, off-server copies, and combining with Raff snapshots.
Install MongoDB on Ubuntu 24.04
Install MongoDB Community Edition on a Raff Ubuntu 24.04 VM. This tutorial covers adding the official repository, installation, security hardening, database creation, user authentication, and basic CRUD operations.
Install Python and pip on Ubuntu 24.04
Install Python 3 and pip on a Raff Ubuntu 24.04 VM. This tutorial covers the default installation, virtual environments, pip package management, and running your first Python script.
Install MariaDB on Ubuntu 24.04
Install and secure MariaDB on a Raff Ubuntu 24.04 VM. This tutorial covers installation, security hardening, user and database creation, basic SQL operations, and optional remote access configuration.
Deploy Portainer with Docker on Ubuntu 24.04 (Free CE)
Deploy Portainer CE on a Raff Ubuntu 24.04 VM using Docker. This tutorial covers installation, HTTPS setup, container management, and connecting to Docker Compose stacks.
Deploy Gitea Self-Hosted Git Server on Ubuntu 24.04
Deploy Gitea on a Raff Ubuntu 24.04 VM with Docker Compose. This tutorial covers setup, database configuration, Nginx reverse proxy, HTTPS with Let's Encrypt, and creating your first repository.", "metaTitle": "Deploy Gitea on Ubuntu 24.04 | Raff Technologies
Install Redis on Ubuntu 24.04: In-Memory Caching in 10 Minutes
Install and configure Redis on a Raff Ubuntu 24.04 VM. This tutorial covers installation, security hardening, password authentication, persistence settings, and basic operations.
Install and Secure MySQL on Ubuntu 24.04 (2026)
Install MySQL 8.0 on a Raff Ubuntu 24.04 VM with this step-by-step tutorial. Covers installation, security hardening, user creation, remote access, and basic database operations.
Install Node.js on Ubuntu 24.04: Up and Running in 10 Minutes
Install Node.js and npm on a Raff Ubuntu 24.04 VM using NodeSource, nvm, or the default repository. Covers all three methods with verification and your first HTTP server.
How to Build a Remote Development VM with code-server and Tailscale
Build a remote development VM with code-server and Tailscale on Ubuntu 24.04. Create a secure browser IDE on a Raff VM without exposing it publicly.
How to Set Up a LEMP Stack on Ubuntu 24.04
Set up a LEMP stack on a Raff Ubuntu 24.04 VM with Nginx, MariaDB, and PHP-FPM. Covers installation, security, database config, and production tuning.
Guides(6)
Linux Commands for Cloud Servers: A Practical Reference (2026)
Learn the Linux commands you actually use on a cloud server. Organized by real tasks — connecting, securing, deploying, monitoring, and troubleshooting — with examples tested on Ubuntu 24.04.
Cloud-Init vs Custom Images vs One-Click Apps
Learn cloud-init, custom images, and one-click apps for VM provisioning. Understand when to use each model and choose the right approach for your Raff infrastructure.
Understanding Cloud Server Backups: RPO, RTO, and Snapshots
Learn cloud server backup strategy with RPO, RTO, snapshots, and restore planning. Build a reliable backup system for your Raff infrastructure.
Private Networking in Cloud: Public vs Private Traffic
Learn when to use public vs private traffic in cloud infrastructure. Understand isolation, latency, security, and networking design patterns for Raff workloads.
DNS for Cloud Applications: Records, TTL, and Failover
Learn DNS for cloud applications including records, TTL, propagation, and failover strategies for reliable deployments.
Understanding Private Cloud Networks: VPC Design and Best Practices
Learn how Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) networks work and how to design secure private cloud architectures using subnets, firewall rules, and best practices.
Comparisons(5)
Raff vs DigitalOcean: Full Comparison (2026)
A detailed comparison of Raff and DigitalOcean in 2026. Compare pricing, features, performance, and bandwidth policies to find the best cloud provider for your needs.
Raff vs Oracle Cloud: Cloud VPS Comparison (2026)
Compare Raff and Oracle Cloud across pricing, bandwidth, features, and complexity. See which cloud VPS platform fits your workload better in 2026.
Raff vs Linode (Akamai Cloud): Cloud VPS Comparison (2026)
Compare Raff and Linode (Akamai Cloud) across pricing, bandwidth, storage, and platform features. See which VPS fits your workload and budget in 2026.
Raff vs OVHcloud: Cloud VPS Comparison (2026)
Compare Raff Technologies and OVHcloud across shared VPS pricing, performance-class compute, traffic policy, platform features, and support in 2026.
Raff vs Vultr: VPS Pricing and Global Reach Comparison (2026)
Compare Raff and Vultr across VPS pricing, features, bandwidth, and global infrastructure. See which cloud provider offers better value for developers in 2026.