Supercharging Apps with Polyglot Persistence: A Simple Guide

After working for more than 4 years on Data Intensive applications in a startup, consultancy and product-based companies. I think that the most important design and decision of any successful project is choosing the right Database and Data Storage at different layers of application.

Whenever I am discussing my design with my seniors or architect most of the time, I am most concerned about my databases. I have learned from my failures of choosing the wrong storage at different layers and It has impacted the design a lot.

Some days back I was reading my favourite book i.e. Designing Data-Intensive Applications and I found a wonderful concept i.e. Polyglot Persistence.

Let’s try to see what is polyglot persistence and why it hurt me a lot at the beginning of my career. In fact, I am still figuring out the right and learning daily.

Polyglot persistence advocates for selecting the most appropriate database or storage technology for each specific data type based on its characteristics and requirements.

It is about recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for data storage, and it encourages developers to choose the most suitable storage technology for each data type within an application’s architecture. This can lead to improved performance, scalability, and flexibility in managing different types of data effectively.

Imagine your data-intensive app as a puzzle with different pieces. Each piece of data has its own shape, size, and purpose. Now, think about having a magical toolbox that offers just the right tool for each puzzle piece. That’s what polyglot persistence is all about!

Here’s why it’s like having magic for your app:

Custom Fit: Just like shoes — one size doesn’t fit all. Some data likes to be in tables, some in flexible spaces, and some just want to be found quickly.

Speedy Spells: Different tools make things faster. Imagine searching through a big library — some tools help you find books faster, while others help you read them quickly.

Growing Up Strong: Think of your app as a plant. Some data needs more water, some need more sun. Polyglot persistence lets your app grow strong by giving each piece of data what it loves.

Saving Money, Saving Energy: Imagine a money jar. You don’t want to put the same amount of money in every day, right? Polyglot persistence helps you put more money in places that need it and less where it’s not necessary.

Special Powers for Special Data: Just like superheroes have different powers, data has different needs. Some data needs extra security, and some data needs to be counted really quickly.

Easy Puzzles, Quick Wins: Ever tried putting a circle puzzle piece into a square hole? It’s tough! With polyglot persistence, every puzzle piece fits perfectly, and you don’t waste time trying to make it fit.

Less Frustration, More Fun: Have you ever spent hours fixing a toy? With polyglot persistence, you spend less time fixing and more time playing with your app.

Mix and Match: Imagine mixing your favourite ice cream flavours. Polyglot persistence lets you combine different flavours (or tools) to make something super tasty (or super useful).

Back-Up Buddy: You have a secret backup teddy bear, right? Polyglot persistence gives you backup friends for your app’s data, so you’re never alone when something goes wrong.

Smart Thinking, Smart Choices: Remember when you chose the right colours for your painting? Polyglot persistence helps you choose the right tools for your app so it can do amazing things.

To ensure optimal performance, it is essential to select the most suitable technology for each application’s unique requirements. As such, it is highly probable that both relational databases and nonrelational data stores will persist side by side, a concept often referred to as polyglot persistence, for the foreseeable future.

Choosing the right tech 🤖 for a task depends on what you need 📈. So, old-school databases 💾 might still hang out with cool new data homes 📊. People call this mix-up “polyglot persistence” 🌎. It’s like tech diversity!

Feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel i.e. The Big Data Show. I might upload a more detailed discussion of the above concepts in the coming days.

More so, thank you for that most precious gift to a me as writer i.e. your time.

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.