How Can I Update a Private Database from a Public Server?

For instant updates, you really want to keep the client notified. Constant polling for updates is a pain, especially on public networks. The best way is to register your client as a subscriber for updates whenever your local IP changes. But I've also found that maintaining a direct connection works well too, letting traffic flow back and forth.

The simplest way is to have your webserver sit on both the external network and the internal one. Picture this: your public server has two network cards—one for the internet and another connecting directly to your database server. In reality, you'd be managing this with routers and firewalls for safety.

If updates must be immediate, keeping an open connection might be effective. The private server needs to start the connection, and then you can allow two-way traffic over a TCP socket. Honestly, reverse proxies, Cloudflare tunnels, or even a VPN might be cleaner solutions depending on your needs.

Using a reverse proxy could be a smart move! The private server would initiate a connection that tunnels through to the public server. This way, you can link the database server port to the public server’s port. If they're on the same private network, you would still interact with the API externally, allowing the API service to talk to the database internally.

Typically, setups like this involve having the public-facing server on the same network as the database, which isn’t really what you have here. Most often, you might expose the public server to the internet or use some other network configuration to make it work. If both are on a public network, a firewall usually handles things smoothly.