This ebook, “Understanding Databases: Deploy High-Performance Database Clusters in Modern Applications,” by Justin Mitchel of Akamai Technologies, serves as a comprehensive guide for developers seeking to effectively manage and deploy databases for modern applications. It’s structured in two main parts: The first part focuses on foundational knowledge, covering database landscape evaluation, architecture design, and cloud deployment methods, including managed services. The second part offers a practical project application, providing step-by-step instructions on building a production-ready application using Django, Docker, and Linode Managed Databases for MySQL, emphasizing the use of infrastructure as code (IaC) tools like Terraform and Ansible for automation. The ultimate purpose is to empower developers with the understanding and practical skills needed to deploy scalable and reliable database solutions in the cloud, particularly highlighting the cost-effectiveness and performance of alternative cloud providers like Linode.