Database Insights

TiDB 8.0 is the most production-ready version of the distributed SQL database yet. With improved HTAP, stronger MySQL compatibility, and Resource Groups, it's compelling for teams outgrowing single-node MySQL.

Configure ProxySQL for transparent read/write splitting, connection pooling, and replication lag monitoring. Covers query rules, hostgroups, and stats analysis.

OpenSearch (Apache 2.0) and Elasticsearch (EL2/SSPL) have diverged. Compare licensing, security features, AI/ML capabilities, and migration complexity for 2026.

Use StarRocks for high-performance vector search with HNSW indexes. Learn real-time vector ingestion, hybrid queries combining vectors with analytics, and scaling strategies.

Use Neon for serverless PostgreSQL — database branching for dev/test, autoscaling, and cost model

TiDB's write path crosses multiple layers — SQL parser, planner, TiKV region leader, Raft log replication, and 2PC commit — before a transaction is durable. Here's a complete walkthrough.

A detailed comparison of PgBouncer, Odyssey, and pgcat for PostgreSQL connection pooling — architecture differences, threading models, pool modes, TLS support, and decision criteria for each workload type.

A practical guide to choosing between read replicas and caching layers — replication lag behavior, cache invalidation strategies, thundering herd prevention, tiered read architecture patterns, and decision framework.

How to size your database connection pool correctly — the HikariCP formula, the variables that determine optimal pool size, and the mistakes that cause connection exhaustion or underutilization.

Compare CockroachDB, Google Spanner, and YugabyteDB — consistency models, PostgreSQL compatibility, and operational costs

Deploy Vitess for horizontal MySQL sharding — VSchema design, vtgate routing, and migration from single-instance MySQL

ProxySQL pools thousands of application connections into a small backend pool, splits reads to replicas automatically, and lets you change routing without touching application code or restarting MySQL.