Backend
Zero-Downtime Postgres Migrations with NOT VALID
Learn how to safely add Foreign Keys and CHECK constraints to massive PostgreSQL tables without lock pileups using NOT VALID and VALIDATE CONSTRAINT.
Topic
Database
A collection of essays to explore, one idea at a time.
Essays
Newest firstBackend
Fencing Tokens: Why TTL Distributed Locks Still Corrupt Data
TTL distributed locks cannot prevent race conditions during process pauses. Learn why monotonic fencing tokens are necessary to guarantee data integrity.
Architecture
Why UUIDv7 Beats UUIDv4 for Database Primary Keys
Learn how UUIDv7 fixes B-tree index fragmentation, cuts write amplification, and keeps distributed ID generation fast in modern databases.
Database
Zero-Downtime Database Migrations with Expand and Contract
Learn how the Expand and Contract pattern prevents production outages when renaming or restructuring database columns in continuous deployment environments.
Architecture
Postgres SKIP LOCKED: The Lean Job Queue You Already Have
Build high-throughput background queues in PostgreSQL using FOR UPDATE SKIP LOCKED without adding Redis or RabbitMQ infrastructure.
Backend
Stop Running EXPLAIN ANALYZE Without BUFFERS
Execution time in PostgreSQL query plans can be deeply misleading. Here is why buffer metrics reveal the true I/O footprint of your queries.
Database
Why Smaller Database Connection Pools Run Faster
Learn why oversizing PostgreSQL connection pools degrades throughput and how the hardware-aligned sizing formula accelerates production databases.
Backend
Why Postgres SKIP LOCKED Beats Dedicated Message Queues
Before deploying Redis or RabbitMQ for background tasks, learn how PostgreSQL's FOR UPDATE SKIP LOCKED provides transactional job queues with zero extra infra.
Architecture
Stop Guessing Connection Pool Size: Fix DB Bottlenecks
Learn why oversized database connection pools ruin performance, and how to calculate the optimal pool size for high-throughput microservices.