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Database Architecture & Performance

Your database is the foundation of your application. Poor database design leads to performance problems, scaling challenges, and technical debt. I bring expertise in designing, optimizing, and scaling databases for modern web applications.

Database Design

Schema Architecture

  • Normalized schema design following best practices

  • Denormalization strategies where performance requires it

  • Relationship modeling (one-to-many, many-to-many, polymorphic)

  • Index strategy for optimal query performance

  • Partitioning strategies for large tables

  • JSON/JSONB usage in PostgreSQL for flexible data

Data Modeling

  • Domain modeling and entity relationship design

  • Choosing between SQL and NoSQL for different use cases

  • Multi-tenancy patterns (schema per tenant, row-level security, shared database)

  • Audit trails and historical data tracking

  • Soft deletes vs hard deletes strategy

Database Performance

Query Optimization

  • Query analysis and optimization (EXPLAIN ANALYZE)

  • Index optimization (B-tree, GiST, GIN, partial indexes)

  • Query rewriting for better performance

  • N+1 query elimination

  • Pagination strategies for large datasets

  • Full-text search optimization

Caching Strategies

  • Redis for application-level caching

  • Query result caching

  • Session storage and rate limiting

  • Cache invalidation strategies

  • CDN integration for static assets

Database Scaling

Vertical Scaling

  • Connection pooling (PgBouncer, pgpool)

  • Configuration tuning for your workload

  • Memory optimization

  • Monitoring and alerting setup

Horizontal Scaling

  • Read replicas for read-heavy applications

  • Primary-replica replication setup

  • Load balancing across replicas

  • Handling replication lag

  • Sharding strategies (when needed)

Operational Excellence

Backup & Recovery

  • Automated backup strategies

  • Point-in-time recovery setup

  • Disaster recovery planning

  • Backup testing and validation

Monitoring & Observability

  • Slow query logging and analysis

  • Performance metrics dashboards

  • Alerting for critical issues

  • Database health monitoring

Security

  • Row-level security (RLS) for multi-tenant applications

  • Encryption at rest and in transit

  • SQL injection prevention

  • Least privilege access control

Technologies I Work With

Primary Expertise

  • PostgreSQL (15+): My go-to database for most applications

  • Redis: Caching, sessions, queues, real-time features

Additional Experience

  • SQLite: Embedded databases, edge computing

  • MySQL: Legacy system support

  • ElasticSearch: Full-text search and analytics

ORMs & Query Builders

  • Prisma: Modern ORM with excellent TypeScript support

  • Drizzle ORM: Lightweight, type-safe SQL query builder

  • Knex.js: Query builder for complex SQL

  • TypeORM: Full-featured ORM for TypeScript

Ideal For

  • Applications experiencing database performance issues

  • New products needing proper database architecture from day one

  • Companies planning for scale and wanting to avoid future bottlenecks

  • Teams migrating between database systems

  • Products with complex data requirements needing expert design

Case Study

For Bondlayer, I designed a complex PostgreSQL schema handling user projects, real-time collaboration state, and generated code. The schema supported thousands of concurrent users with optimized queries and efficient caching strategies.

Deliverables

  • Database schema design and documentation

  • Migration scripts and rollback procedures

  • Query optimization and index recommendations

  • Performance testing and benchmarking results

  • Monitoring and alerting setup

  • Database best practices documentation

Velocity Paradigm

Traditional engineering methods usually take several weeks or even months to reach MVP. Through my AI-augmented workflows and 15+ years of experience with high-end no-code building tools, I leverage acceleration methods that condense these usual timelines significantly without sacrificing architectural integrity or security.