🏗️ COMPLEXITY LEVEL: 🟠 MEDIUM
Executive Summary: What is it?
The LAMP Stack is a classic architecture for web applications, consisting of Linux (OS), Apache (Web Server), MySQL (Database), and PHP (Language).
CFO / Business Impact: What does it cost/risk?
Cheap but Labor Intensive.
- Commoditized Hosting: Runs on a single virtual private server; the cost grows with the server's size and the site's traffic.
- Maintenance Liability: Responsibility for OS patches, language version upgrades, and database backups rests entirely with the internal team or agency.
Technical Reality: How does it work?
It is a monolithic architecture where all components typically reside on a single server or a closely coupled cluster.
- Performance Scalability: Fast for read-heavy sites, but requires additional caching layers like Redis or Varnish to scale effectively.
- Security Surface: Secure if maintained, but every exposed component is a target for automated exploit attempts.