Gold Lapel has introduced a PostgreSQL proxy designed to enhance the performance of database queries for applications utilizing PostgreSQL. This innovative software acts as an intermediary between applications and their databases, meticulously analyzing query traffic in real time.
How it works
By connecting applications to the proxy rather than directly to PostgreSQL, the system monitors live queries and identifies potential issues such as sequential scans, missing indexes, repetitive costly operations, N+1 patterns, and deep pagination. It then implements database-level optimizations to address these concerns.
The optimizations include the creation of materialised views for expensive JOINs, GROUP BY operations, aggregations, subqueries, and common table expressions. Additionally, the software introduces various index types, such as B-tree, covering, trigram GIN, expression, and partial indexes, while rewriting queries to utilize these enhanced paths.
Gold Lapel ensures each materialised view is validated against live query results prior to routing production traffic through the optimized path. A built-in kill switch allows for an immediate reversion to passthrough mode, all while maintaining Row-Level Security policies during rewrites.
The product comes equipped with over ten optimization strategies, supports seven programming languages, four frameworks, and three ORMs. It is available as a single binary for Linux, macOS, and Windows, as well as through Docker.
Wider stack
In addition to SQL optimization, the software features prepared statement caching, in-memory result caching with write-driven invalidation, and query coalescing for identical in-flight queries. It also facilitates connection pooling in both session and transaction modes, automatic read replica routing with read-after-write protection, and failover capabilities with health probes. Security measures include TLS and serverless-friendly idle timeout settings.
An observability layer enhances the user experience with a live web dashboard, an audit timeline for optimization decisions, command-line tools, and counters. Gold Lapel has also rolled out language wrappers, framework plugins, and ORM plugins to further streamline integration.
Gold Lapel positions its product as a means to simplify the typical application stack, arguing that many development teams currently rely on multiple services alongside PostgreSQL to mitigate performance issues. A spokesperson from the company emphasized this perspective, stating, “Your PostgreSQL database is better staff than you have been led to believe.” They further elaborated, “It already knows the answers to your most expensive queries. It simply needs someone to set the table before the guests arrive. That is what we do.”
Pricing and book
The pricing model for Gold Lapel is set at USD 9 per month per instance, with a discounted rate of USD 9 per month for annual billing. For organizations requiring unlimited instances, a site license is available for USD ,000 per year.
In conjunction with the software launch, Gold Lapel has released a comprehensive 19-chapter technical book titled You Don’t Need Redis: PostgreSQL Performance Optimization for Developers Who’d Rather Not Manage Another Service. This publication delves into optimization techniques across seven programming languages.
Founded by Stephen Gibson, Gold Lapel operates out of San Francisco, and the company assures that every pricing plan includes the same robust feature set.
