
Database School
Join database educator Aaron Francis as he gets schooled by database professionals.
Latest episodes

4 snips
May 14, 2025 • 1h 15min
How Durable Objects and D1 Work: A Deep Dive with Cloudflare’s Josh Howard
Josh Howard, Senior Engineering Manager at Cloudflare, dives into the innovative world of Durable Objects and D1 products. He discusses how Cloudflare's unique approach to stateful serverless infrastructure revolutionizes cloud computing. Explore the intricacies of V8 isolates, routing strategies, and the tradeoffs between stateless and durable models. Learn about the performance of local storage writes, storage replication, and the fascinating relationship between Durable Objects and modern game applications. Discover how these advancements enhance developer experiences!

May 6, 2025 • 2h
20 years of hacking Postgres with Heikki Linnakangas (cofounder of Neon)
Heikki Linnakangas, co-founder of Neon and a PostgreSQL expert since 2003, shares insights from his extensive journey in the Postgres community. He discusses the evolution of Postgres governance and the importance of community contributions. The conversation dives into the architecture of Neon, emphasizing serverless databases and latency improvements. Heikki also explores the exciting future of multi-threaded Postgres, addressing its challenges and potential impact on cloud services. Tune in for a wealth of technological insights and personal anecdotes!

7 snips
Apr 18, 2025 • 1h 29min
Building a serverless database replica with Carl Sverre
Carl Sverre, the creator of SQLSync and Graft, delves into the world of edge-native, partially replicated databases. He argues that syncing everything isn’t efficient and unveils Graft's innovative approach to optimize data transfer. The discussion covers the challenges of traditional database synchronization, the groundbreaking features of SQL Sync, and how Graft's architecture scales effectively. Full of insights on transactional guarantees and caching performance, this conversation highlights the future of serverless database replicas and efficient data retrieval.

Feb 17, 2025 • 1h 24min
Postgres on bare metal with the CEO of Prisma
Prisma started as a GraphQL backend and pivoted into one of the most widely used ORMs in the world. Now, they’ve launched Prisma Postgres, and CEO Søren Bramer Schmidt is here to break down the journey, the challenges, and the massive technical innovations behind it—including bare-metal servers, Firecracker microVMs, and unikernels. If you care about databases, performance, or scaling, this one’s for you.Want to learn more Postgres? Check out my Postgres course: https://masteringpostgres.com.Follow Søren:Twitter: https://twitter.com/sorenbsGitHub: https://github.com/prisma/prismaPrisma Postgres: https://www.prisma.io/postgresFollow Aaron:Twitter: https://twitter.com/aarondfrancis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarondfrancisWebsite: https://aaronfrancis.com - find articles, podcasts, courses, and more.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction01:15 - The Origins of Prisma: From GraphQL to ORM02:55 - Why Firebase & Parse Inspired Prisma04:04 - The Pivot: From GraphQL to Prisma ORM06:00 - Why They Abandoned Backend-as-a-Service08:07 - The Open Source Business Model Debate10:15 - The Challenges of Monetizing an ORM12:42 - Building Prisma Accelerate & Pulse14:55 - How Prisma Accelerate Optimizes Database Access17:00 - Real-Time Database Updates with Prisma Pulse20:03 - How Prisma Pulse Handles Change Data Capture (CDC)23:15 - Users Wanted a Hosted Database (Even When Prisma Didn’t)25:40 - Why Prisma Finally Launched Prisma Postgres27:32 - Unikernels, Firecracker MicroVMs & Running Millions of Databases31:10 - Bare Metal Servers vs. AWS: The Controversial Choice34:40 - How Prisma Routes Queries for Low Latency38:02 - Scaling, Cost Efficiency & Performance Benefits42:10 - The Prisma Postgres Roadmap & Future Features45:30 - Why Prisma is Competing with AWS & The Big Cloud Players48:05 - Final Thoughts & Where to Learn More

13 snips
Nov 26, 2024 • 1h 9min
Moving from Redis to SQLite with Mike Buckbee
Mike Buckbee, co-founder of Wafris and an expert in cybersecurity, discusses his transition from Redis to SQLite for web application firewalls. He shares challenges faced in managing security and architecture, emphasizing the enhanced performance and usability gained through SQLite. The conversation highlights SQL's advantages over JSON, addressing operational challenges and how Wafris effectively handles IP data. Buckbee also reflects on Wafris' dual architecture, operational efficiencies, and the importance of community engagement in cybersecurity.

Oct 14, 2024 • 1h 22min
Bootstrapping an email service provider (with Jesse Hanley)
Jesse Hanley, founder of Bento, shares insights from running a lean email service provider in Japan. He discusses the innovative use of Discord for customer support, emphasizing its efficiency and community-driven feedback. Jesse dives into the challenges of scaling infrastructure, managing databases, and maintaining calm in a competitive landscape. He also explores the journey of bootstrapping Bento and highlights the importance of personal relationships in growing a business. A must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs!

12 snips
Oct 7, 2024 • 1h 1min
Creating a Postgres platform with Monica & Tudor from Xata.io
Monica Sarbu, founder of Xata.io, and Tudor Golubenco, the CTO, share their journey from Elastic to launching Xata, a Postgres database platform. They discuss the challenges of schema management and the innovations behind their free tier, which supports both developers and nonprofits. The duo also explores how user-friendly database solutions can empower underrepresented groups in tech and the significance of their open-source roots in shaping Xata's mission.

Sep 24, 2024 • 1h 3min
Heroku's glory days & Postgres vs the world, w/ Craig Kerstiens
Craig Kerstiens, an expert from Crunchy Data specializing in Postgres, dives into the rise and importance of Postgres, particularly during its glory days at Heroku. He shares insights on scaling databases and the innovative 'data clips' feature that bridges technical and non-technical teams. The conversation touches on the evolution of Postgres and its extension ecosystem, highlighting challenges like database sharding. Craig also discusses future trends and the unique strengths of Postgres compared to competitors like DuckDB.

Aug 8, 2024 • 1h 43min
Ruby on Rails + SQLite with Stephen Margheim
In this lively discussion, Stephen Margheim, a professional developer with a unique background in classical studies, shares his journey from academia to mastering Ruby on Rails and SQLite. He emphasizes the importance of operational simplicity in tech, optimizing SQLite for better performance, and the value of community collaboration. Stephen also delves into multi-threading challenges and innovative strategies to enhance database access. His insights offer a mix of practical advice and inspiration for both novice and experienced developers.

12 snips
Jun 20, 2024 • 52min
Migrating from Postgres to SQLite with Kent C. Dodds
In this enlightening discussion, Kent C. Dodds, a key figure in the React community and creator of the Epic Stack, shares his expertise on migrating from Postgres to SQLite. Kent highlights the simplicity and efficiency of using SQLite to solve common database challenges, balancing tech projects with family life. He dives into performance management with Lightstream and LiteFS, emphasizes enhancing user experience, and explores the future of educational podcasts. Tune in for valuable insights into modern web infrastructure!