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+# Infrastructure Standards & Best Practices
+
+## Overview
+
+This document outlines the standardized infrastructure patterns and best practices for the **Elmeg** and **Ersen** ecosystem. It is intended for future agents and developers to ensure consistency and avoid common pitfalls during deployment and configuration.
+
+## 1. Routing & Load Balancing (Traefik)
+
+### Architecture
+
+The production server (`tangible-aacorn`) uses **Traefik** as the reverse proxy and load balancer. Unlike standard Docker deployments that often rely solely on container labels, this environment uses a **hybrid approach** with a strong preference for **static configuration files** for critical routing.
+
+### Critical Anti-Pattern: Docker Labels vs. Static Routes
+>
+> [!IMPORTANT]  
+> **Do not rely solely on `docker-compose.yml` labels for routing public traffic on the production server.**
+>
+> While the Traefik Docker provider is enabled, the primary routing logic for `ersen.xyz`, `elmeg.xyz`, and their subdomains is managed via a **centralized static routes file**. Relying only on labels can lead to 404s if the static configuration takes precedence or if the Docker socket connection is flaky.
+
+### Standard Procedure: Adding a New Subdomain
+
+To expose a new service (e.g., `stats.elmeg.xyz`), you must:
+
+1. **Define the Service in Docker**: Ensure your container exposes the correct port internally (e.g., `3000`).
+2. **Update the Central Routes File**:
+    * **File Path**: `/srv/containers/ersen/traefik-routes.yml` (on `tangible-aacorn`)
+    * **Action**: Add a new `Router` and `Service` definition.
+
+#### Example Configuration (`traefik-routes.yml`)
+
+```yaml
+http:
+  routers:
+    # ... existing routers ...
+    my-new-service-router:
+      rule: "Host(`new.elmeg.xyz`)"
+      service: my-new-service
+      entryPoints:
+        - websecure
+      tls:
+        certResolver: letsencrypt
+
+  services:
+    # ... existing services ...
+    my-new-service:
+      loadBalancer:
+        servers:
+          - url: "http://container-name:port" 
+```
+
+1. **Reloading**: Traefik is configured to watch this file (`--providers.file.watch=true`), so changes should apply automatically. If not, restart the Traefik container.
+
+## 2. Deployment Standards
+
+### Directory Structure
+
+All services reside in `/srv/containers/`.
+
+* **Repo Root**: `/srv/containers/<project-name>` (e.g., `/srv/containers/elmeg-demo`)
+* **Ownership**: All files must be owned by the `deploy` user.
+  * Fix command: `sudo chown -R deploy:deploy /srv/containers/<project-name>`
+
+### Git-Based Deployment
+
+We use a **Pull-based** workflow on the server:
+
+1. **Commit & Push** changes to the remote configuration (Forgejo).
+2. **SSH into Server**: `ssh tangible-aacorn`
+3. **Pull & Restart**:
+
+    ```bash
+    cd /srv/containers/<project-name>
+    git pull
+    docker compose up -d --build <service-name>
+    ```
+
+### Docker Compose
+
+* **Version**: Use `services` top-level key. Avoid the deprecated `version: '3.x'` line in new files.
+* **Networking**:
+  * Services sharing the same proxy must be on the same external network (usually `ersern_traefik-public` or `traefik`).
+  * Define this network as `external: true` at the bottom of `docker-compose.yml`.
+
+## 3. Environment Variables
+
+* **Production**: Use a `.env` file in the project root on the server.
+* **Security**: Never commit `.env` files to the repository.
+* **Variables**:
+  * **DATABASE_URL**: Full connection string for Prisma/Postgres.
+  * **INTERNAL_API_URL**: Used for SSR (Server-Side Rendering) to talk to the backend within the Docker network.
+  * **NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL**: Used for the client-side browser to talk to the backend (via public URL).
+
+## 4. Troubleshooting Checklist
+
+If a service is returning 404:
+
+1. **Check DNS**: Is the subdomain pointing to the server IP?
+2. **Check Traefik Logs**: `docker logs ersen-traefik-1 --tail 50`
+3. **Verify Routes File**: Cat the `traefik-routes.yml` to see if your route exists.
+4. **Verify Network**: Inspect the service container to ensure it's connected to the `traefik` network.