Andrew Thompson

Subtitle: A Practical Guide to DB tuning from the country's least notable relational db expert.

In this talk we'll dive into the fundamentals of creating a database that flies like a Concorde jet minus the crash-y parts and does so without racking up an AWS bill requiring you to drain your kid's 529 accounts! We'll touch on starting with a good data model, review the basics of DB profiling, discuss mental framework for implementing data logic/computation on the backend vs DB engine. Next we'll look at the fundamentals of indexing, add in some clustering/sharding for when our DB outgrows it's training wheels, and talk about how to determine when it's best to bail out of strict "third normal form" DB dogma and start adding in computed columns or even add a full-blown ETL to columnar DB solution. Wrapping up we look at how even just picking the right software tools can have an impact on performance over a wide variety of clients, engines, ORMs and platforms.