Developer Voices InfluxDB: The Evolution of a Time Series Database (with Paul Dix)
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Jul 30, 2025 In a captivating discussion, Paul Dix, CTO and co-founder of InfluxData, shares his journey in building InfluxDB, a revolutionary time series database. He candidly reveals the challenges of rewriting the database three times while navigating technical failures and user feedback. Paul emphasizes the complexities of data management, transitions from Go to Rust, and the need for scalable, efficient solutions. With insights on pricing models and architectural shifts to cloud-based services, this conversation is a masterclass in the realities of tech entrepreneurship.
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Core of Time Series Data
- Time series data primarily organizes primitive values with timestamps, layered with tags for metadata.
- Effective queries depend on rapid retrieval of recent and historical time-stamped measures, often within milliseconds.
TSM Tree Storage Innovation
- Data arrives in wide format but queries need data deep and narrow, requiring custom storage optimization.
- InfluxDB developed the TSM tree to efficiently store and query time series by reorganizing data and indexes.
Choosing Go for Early Development
- Deciding to build InfluxDB in Go prioritized speed of development and community engagement despite garbage collector concerns.
- This allowed early success and good performance, and Go had growing momentum in 2013.