The BENED Ecosystem
Every project built on the same foundation: databases, interfaces, API calls. Here's how they all connect.
Active Domains
| Domain | Purpose | Stack |
|---|---|---|
praxis.bened.works |
This site — architectural teaching and documentation | PHP, PostgreSQL |
devtradecraft.bened.works |
TradeCraft development — algorithmic trading platform | PHP, TimescaleDB, Keycloak |
tradecraft.bened.works |
TradeCraft production | Same stack, same database, different code path |
stagingtrailers.bened.works |
Trailer rental platform (staging) | Next.js, PostgreSQL, Stripe Connect |
trailers.bened.works |
Trailer rental platform (production) | Next.js, PostgreSQL, Stripe Connect |
api.bened.works |
Platform API — identity verification spine | Express, TypeScript, PostgreSQL |
auth.bened.works |
Keycloak SSO — one login for everything | Keycloak, Docker |
finance.beneficialeducationworks.com |
Finance tracker — personal accounting with AI | Next.js, Python API, OpenAI |
Data Flow Patterns
Pattern 1: PHP Direct (TradeCraft, Praxis)
Browser ──GET /strategies──▶ Nginx ──▶ PHP-FPM (host)
│
▼
┌───────────────┐
│ TimescaleDB │
│ :5433 │
└───────────────┘
│
▼
PHP renders full HTML page
│
▼
Browser ◀───────────────────────── Complete HTML response
Why: Simple, fast, no build step. Direct database queries.
Works great for content-heavy sites and admin panels.
Pattern 2: Docker + Next.js (Rental Platform, Finance Tracker)
Browser ──GET /listings──▶ Nginx ──proxy_pass──▶ Docker Container
│
┌───────┴───────┐
│ Next.js │
│ Server │
│ (Node.js) │
└───────┬───────┘
│
┌─────────────────┼─────────────────┐
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐
│ PostgreSQL│ │ Stripe │ │ B2 │
│ :5432 │ │ API │ │ Storage │
└───────────┘ └───────────┘ └───────────┘
Response: Server-rendered HTML + React hydration for interactivity
Why this pattern: Complex UI interactions, real-time updates, component reuse. Stripe integration works better with React.
Pattern 3: TimescaleDB + Heavy Queries (TradeCraft)
Browser ──GET /backtest──▶ Nginx ──▶ PHP
│
▼
┌───────────────┐
│ TimescaleDB │
│ :5433 │
│ │
│ 100M+ rows │
│ Hypertables │◀── Automatic time partitioning
│ Compression │◀── 90%+ storage savings
└───────────────┘
│
Query: SELECT * FROM candles
WHERE symbol = 'AAPL'
AND timestamp BETWEEN '2024-01-01' AND '2024-12-31'
Result: Sub-second response on millions of rows
Why TimescaleDB: Stock candles are time-series data. MySQL would choke on 100M rows with time-range queries. TimescaleDB partitions by time automatically.
Shared Infrastructure
/var/www/private/.env
Single source of truth for all secrets. Every app reads from here. Never committed to git.
Nginx
Routes traffic based on domain/path. Terminates SSL. Proxies to PHP-FPM or Docker containers.
Keycloak SSO
Centralizes authentication. Users log in once, access all BENED apps. OAuth2/OIDC protocol.
Stripe
Payments for rental platform (and eventually TradeCraft subscriptions). Webhooks notify your app of events.
Repository Map
| Repository | Language | Database | Deployment |
|---|---|---|---|
benedllc/bened-tradecraft |
PHP | TimescaleDB (5433) | Direct to VPS |
benedllc/bened-rental |
TypeScript/Next.js | PostgreSQL (5432) | Docker container |
benedllc/bened-main-site |
TBD | TBD | TBD |
benedllc/bened-platform |
TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Case Portal (local) | PHP | MySQL (3306) | Direct to VPS |
| Praxis (local) | PHP | MySQL (3306) | Direct to VPS |
Key Architectural Decisions
PHP apps (case portal, praxis, tradecraft) are content-focused with forms. Next.js (rental) needs complex UI interactions and real-time updates. Use the right tool for the job.
Every app reads from /var/www/private/.env. This means one place to update credentials, one place to secure, one pattern to understand.
Rather than building auth into each app, centralize it. Users get one login. Apps get proven security. You don't reinvent the wheel.
TradeCraft deals with millions of stock candles. TimescaleDB handles this natively. MySQL would require manual partitioning and still be slower.