What should a PHP/MySQL web developer know about servers?

Question

I develop websites using PHP and MySQL. What resources would a seasoned web developer recommend that would cover server-specific information relevant to the job of a developer.

If it helps, I work specifically with an Apache server (through my hosting company).

Answer 1

You say: seasoned web developer ... so:

So you should know as much as any respectable sys admin. This allows you to pick the right technologies for the business case/constraints.

You should also know about:

1. Database servers / DBA
2. Network architecture, bottleneck prevention, resource allocation
3. Network and system security
4. Protocols, firewalls, routing
5. Various application stack configurations (beyond LAMP or .NET)
6. Distributed systems, scalability
7. Technology evaluation (MoEs, MoPs and all that)

And tons of other stuff. Being a web developer is a specialization of 'developer' for a given environment ... as such you should know everything about that environment and everything that emerges out of, develops from or impacts on it.

Answer 2

Rule #1: Get your development environment as close as possible to the server environment. (I.e. use Apache on both, use the same versions of PHP and MySQL on both, ideally use the same operating system on both.)