Technical Architecture Summary

System Overview

The jonbeckett.com blog is a modern static website built with Jekyll and hosted on GitHub Pages, providing fast, reliable, and secure content delivery through a global CDN.

Core Architecture

Static Site Generator: Jekyll 4.x with Ruby
Theme: Minimal Mistakes (remote theme)
Hosting: GitHub Pages with custom domain
Content Management: Git-based workflow
Deployment: Automated on Git push

Technology Stack Summary

Backend Technologies

Jekyll: Ruby-based static site generator
Ruby: 2.7+ runtime environment
Bundler: Dependency management
Liquid: Template engine
Kramdown: Markdown processor with GFM support

Frontend Technologies

HTML5: Semantic markup structure
SCSS/Sass: CSS preprocessing
JavaScript: Minimal JS for theme functionality
Font Awesome: Icon library
Responsive Design: Mobile-first CSS framework

Infrastructure & Services

GitHub Pages: Hosting and automated building
GitHub CDN: Global content delivery
Let’s Encrypt SSL: Automatic HTTPS certificates
Custom Domain: jonbeckett.com with DNS configuration
Google Analytics 4: Traffic analytics
Giscus Comments: GitHub Discussions-powered comments

Content Architecture

Content Organization

Content Strategy:
├── Blog Posts (_posts/)
│   ├── Year-based organization (2025/, 2026/)
│   ├── Date-prefixed filenames
│   └── Markdown with YAML front matter
├── Static Pages (_pages/)
│   ├── About, Disclaimer, Archives
│   └── Navigation and taxonomy pages
├── Data Files (_data/)
│   └── Site navigation configuration
└── Assets (assets/)
    ├── Stylesheets (SCSS)
    └── Images and banners

Content Workflow

Creation: Write Markdown posts with YAML front matter
Local Testing: bundle exec jekyll serve for preview
Version Control: Git commit and push to main branch
Automated Build: GitHub Pages Jekyll compilation
Deployment: CDN distribution within 60 seconds

Performance & Optimization

Build Performance

Build Time: 30-60 seconds for full site
Incremental Builds: Available locally, not on GitHub Pages
Asset Optimization: SCSS compression, HTML minification
Caching: Browser caching with appropriate headers

Runtime Performance

Global CDN: Sub-100ms response times globally
Static Assets: Long-term browser caching
Minimal JavaScript: Theme uses minimal client-side scripts
Mobile Optimization: Responsive design with mobile-first approach
Image Optimization: Compressed images with responsive handling

Security & Reliability

Security Features

HTTPS Everywhere: Automatic SSL certificate renewal
Static Site Security: No server-side vulnerabilities
Dependency Scanning: Automated security updates via Dependabot
Safe Mode: Jekyll runs in safe mode on GitHub Pages
Content Security: Git-based version control and history

Reliability Features

99.9% Uptime: GitHub Pages SLA
Global Redundancy: Multiple CDN edge locations
Version Control: Complete history and rollback capability
Automated Backups: Git repository serves as backup system
Error Monitoring: GitHub Actions build status monitoring

Development Environment

Local Development Setup

# Prerequisites
- Ruby 2.7+
- Bundler gem manager
- Git version control

# Quick Start
git clone https://github.com/jonbeckett/jonbeckett.github.io.git
cd jonbeckett.github.io
bundle install
bundle exec jekyll serve
# Site available at http://127.0.0.1:4000

Development Workflow

Content Creation: Markdown files with YAML front matter
Local Preview: Real-time regeneration during development
Git Integration: Standard Git workflow for version control
Automated Deployment: Push to main branch triggers build

Monitoring & Analytics

Traffic Analytics

Google Analytics 4: Comprehensive visitor tracking
Privacy-Focused: Minimal tracking with user privacy considerations
Performance Monitoring: Core Web Vitals and page speed metrics
SEO Monitoring: Google Search Console integration

Operational Monitoring

Build Status: GitHub Actions monitoring
Uptime Monitoring: Implicit through GitHub Pages infrastructure
Performance Metrics: Lighthouse scores and web vitals
Error Tracking: Build failure notifications

Scalability & Future Growth

Current Capacity

Content Volume: Handles hundreds of posts efficiently
Traffic Capacity: Unlimited bandwidth (fair use policy)
Build Limitations: 10 builds per hour, 10-minute build time limit
Repository Size: 1GB soft limit, 5GB hard limit

Growth Considerations

Content Scaling: Year-based organization supports indefinite growth
Performance: Static site architecture scales horizontally
Feature Expansion: Theme supports additional Jekyll plugins
Migration Path: Standard Jekyll site can move to other hosts

Cost Structure

Current Costs

Hosting: Free (GitHub Pages public repository)
Domain: Annual domain registration fee (~$10-15/year)
SSL Certificate: Free (included with GitHub Pages)
CDN: Free (included with GitHub Pages)
Analytics: Free (Google Analytics)
Comments: Free (GitHub Discussions via Giscus)

Total Cost of Ownership

Annual Cost: ~$10-15 (domain only)
Development Time: Minimal ongoing maintenance
Infrastructure Management: Zero (fully managed by GitHub)

Technical Advantages

Developer Experience

Simple Workflow: Write Markdown, push to Git
Local Development: Full-featured local preview
Version Control: Complete change history and collaboration
Theme System: Easy customization and updates

Content Management

Markdown Writing: Fast, distraction-free content creation
Asset Management: Simple file-based asset organization
SEO Optimization: Built-in SEO best practices
Fast Loading: Static files served from global CDN

Maintenance & Operations

Zero Maintenance: No servers, databases, or updates to manage
Automatic Security: Platform-level security and SSL management
Backup Strategy: Git repository IS the backup system
Disaster Recovery: Clone repository and redeploy anywhere

Architecture Type: JAMstack (Jekyll, APIs, Markup)
Hosting Model: Serverless static hosting
Content Strategy: Git-based content management
Deployment: Continuous deployment via Git
Performance: CDN-delivered static assets
Security: Zero-attack-surface static site architecture