Technology Glossary
Clear definitions of the technologies, frameworks, and concepts we work with every day. Whether you're evaluating a technology partner or learning about software development, this glossary has you covered.
Cloud & Infrastructure
Cloud Migration
The process of moving data, applications, and IT processes from on-premises infrastructure to cloud computing environments (AWS, Azure, GCP). Migration strategies include rehosting (lift and shift), replatforming, refactoring, and rebuilding. A successful cloud migration reduces infrastructure costs, improves scalability, and increases reliability. Code19 provides end-to-end cloud migration services including assessment, planning, execution, and optimization.
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
The practice of managing and provisioning computing infrastructure through machine-readable configuration files rather than manual processes. Tools like Terraform, Pulumi, and AWS CloudFormation allow teams to version control their infrastructure, reproduce environments consistently, and automate deployments. IaC eliminates configuration drift and makes infrastructure changes auditable and repeatable.
CI/CD Pipeline (Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment)
An automated workflow that builds, tests, and deploys code changes. Continuous Integration (CI) automatically merges and tests code changes from multiple developers. Continuous Deployment (CD) automatically releases validated changes to production. CI/CD pipelines catch bugs earlier, reduce manual errors, speed up release cycles, and enable teams to ship with confidence. Code19 implements CI/CD using tools like GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and AWS CodePipeline.
Cybersecurity
Penetration Testing
A simulated cyberattack against a system, network, or application to identify security vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them. Penetration testers use the same tools and techniques as attackers but do so with authorization and report their findings. This is a critical part of any security program. Code19 offers penetration testing as part of our cybersecurity services, covering web applications, APIs, mobile apps, and cloud infrastructure.
Zero Trust Architecture
A security framework that requires all users, whether inside or outside the organization's network, to be authenticated, authorized, and continuously validated before being granted access to applications and data. The core principle is "never trust, always verify." This replaces traditional perimeter-based security models. Code19 implements zero trust architectures using identity-aware proxies, micro-segmentation, and continuous authentication.
SOC 2 Compliance
A compliance framework developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) that defines criteria for managing customer data based on five trust service principles: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. SOC 2 compliance is often required by enterprise customers before they will use a SaaS product. Code19 helps businesses achieve SOC 2 compliance through security audits, policy development, and technical implementation.
Mobile Development
Cross-Platform Mobile Development
Building mobile applications that run on multiple operating systems (iOS and Android) from a single codebase. Frameworks like React Native and Flutter enable this by compiling to native code or using native rendering engines. Cross-platform development reduces development time and cost compared to building separate native apps, while still delivering near-native performance. Code19 builds cross-platform apps using React Native and Flutter depending on project requirements.
Native Mobile Development
Building mobile applications specifically for a single platform using the platform's native programming language and tools — Swift/SwiftUI for iOS and Kotlin/Jetpack Compose for Android. Native apps typically offer the best performance, access to all platform features, and the most polished user experience. The tradeoff is maintaining two separate codebases. Code19 recommends native development for performance-critical applications and apps that need deep platform integration.
SaaS Development
Multi-Tenant Architecture
A software architecture where a single instance of an application serves multiple customers (tenants). Each tenant's data is isolated and invisible to other tenants, but they share the same underlying infrastructure. This approach is fundamental to SaaS platforms because it reduces operational costs, simplifies maintenance, and allows the platform to scale efficiently. Code19 builds multi-tenant systems with row-level security, tenant-specific configurations, and isolated data stores.
SaaS Platform (Software as a Service)
A cloud-based software delivery model where applications are hosted centrally and accessed by users over the internet, typically through a subscription. Unlike traditional software that requires installation, SaaS platforms handle hosting, maintenance, security, and updates. Examples include tools like Slack, Salesforce, and Stripe. Code19 specializes in building custom SaaS platforms with subscription billing, analytics, and scalability planning.
Software Architecture
API Gateway
A server that acts as a single entry point for all API requests in a microservices architecture. It handles request routing, authentication, rate limiting, caching, and monitoring. API gateways simplify client-side code by providing a unified interface, and they improve security by centralizing authentication and authorization. Common implementations include AWS API Gateway, Kong, and custom solutions built with Node.js or Go.
Microservices Architecture
An architectural pattern where an application is built as a collection of loosely coupled, independently deployable services. Each service handles a specific business capability and communicates with others through APIs. This contrasts with monolithic architectures where all functionality is in a single codebase. Microservices enable teams to develop, deploy, and scale services independently, but they introduce complexity in service communication, data consistency, and observability.