#020 - Running SQLite on the Edge with Pekka Enberg
Sep 25, 2023
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Pekka Enberg, CTO of TursoDB, talks about running SQLite on the edge and discusses the benefits of using SQLite as an embedded database. They explore the challenges of distributing a centralized database worldwide and improving performance with AWS Lambda. They also touch on using Postgres and Elasticsearch for transactional data and analytics, and discuss write guarantees and data consistency in databases.
Running SQLite on the edge allows for low latency access to data across different locations.
SQLite is a versatile database solution for small to medium-sized applications, but larger datasets may require a more traditional database system.
Trade-offs between SQLite and MySQL include optimization for low latency and developer productivity versus scalability and specific use cases.
Deep dives
Advantages of Using SQLite for Integration Tests and Developer Experience
Developers love using SQLite for integration tests and the simplicity it offers. SQLite provides a fast and convenient developer experience, allowing developers to not worry about managing a separate database server and ensuring that it serves queries efficiently.
Bringing Data Close to Compute in a Global Deployment Context
In a global deployment context, where the backend code is distributed across multiple data centers, the challenge is to bring the data closer to the compute to minimize latency. By using Cloudflare Workers or similar platforms, custom logic can be executed closer to the users. To address this challenge, embedding SQLite into the runtime or employing read replication over HTTP can allow the deployment of small database servers in different locations, ensuring low latency access to the data.
The Scalability and Applicability of SQLite
SQLite is a versatile and scalable database solution that can handle significant data volumes, particularly for small to medium-sized applications. With optimizations and multi-tenancy options, SQLite can continue to perform well even as the data size expands. However, for large datasets and complex analytical queries, a more traditional database system like Postgres may be more suitable.
Distribution and replication of SQLite databases
The podcast episode explores the distribution and replication of SQLite databases across different locations. The speaker discusses how they took the SQLite database and distributed it across various locations around the world, allowing for faster access to the database from different servers. They mention the concept of embedding replicas in applications, which enables the application to become a full replica. The speaker also discusses the importance of minimizing round trip latency and tail latency in order to provide a better user experience.
Choosing between SQLite and MySQL for database distribution
The episode also delves into the trade-offs between using SQLite and MySQL for database distribution. The speaker explains that SQLite optimizes for low latency and developer productivity, as it allows for ad-hoc queries and transactional reads. In contrast, MySQL may be preferred when dealing with larger data sizes or specific use cases like analytics or search. The speaker highlights that eventual consistency is a consideration when choosing a database replication model, but emphasizes the importance of transactional reads in providing a consistent user experience.
Pekka is the CTO of TursoDB, a cloud database product that helps developers run SQLite on the edge. Lane and Pekka talk about all the tradeoffs involved with SQLite, as well as the tradeoffs of putting your database geographically near your backend servers.
