Frequently Asked Questions: Database Design & Optimization
How is high availability ensured?
We configure multi-AZ deployments with automatic failover, read replicas for load distribution, and connection pooling (e.g., PgBouncer). For cloud databases, we leverage managed HA features from AWS RDS, Azure SQL, or GCP Cloud SQL.
How do schema migrations work without downtime?
We use controlled migration tools like Prisma Migrate or Flyway with automatic rollback strategies. Risky changes are performed via blue-green deployments or gradually (expand-contract pattern). All migrations are CI/CD-integrated.
How are backups tested?
Backups alone aren't enough – we perform regular restore tests to validate data integrity. You receive documented Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) based on actual test results.
What security measures are included?
Full encryption (at rest and in transit), role-based access control (RBAC), secrets management for credentials, audit logs for all access, and PII handling per GDPR. For sensitive data, we additionally implement masking and tokenization.
Which database do you recommend for my project?
It depends on your requirements: PostgreSQL for complex queries and ACID consistency, MongoDB for flexible documents and horizontal scaling, Redis for caching and real-time features. We analyze your use cases and recommend the optimal stack.