livedash-node/docs/postgresql-migration.md

PostgreSQL Migration Documentation

Overview

Successfully migrated the livedash-node application from SQLite to PostgreSQL using Neon as the database provider. This migration provides better scalability, performance, and production-readiness.

Migration Summary

What Was Changed

1. Database Provider: Changed from SQLite to PostgreSQL in prisma/schema.prisma
2. Environment Configuration: Updated to use environment-based database URL selection
3. Test Setup: Configured separate test database using DATABASE_URL_TEST
4. Migration History: Reset and created fresh PostgreSQL migrations

Database Configuration

Production/Development

• Provider: PostgreSQL (Neon)
• Environment Variable: DATABASE_URL
• Connection: Neon PostgreSQL cluster

Testing

• Provider: PostgreSQL (Neon - separate database)
• Environment Variable: DATABASE_URL_TEST
• Test Setup: Automatically switches to test database during test runs

Files Modified

1. prisma/schema.prisma

• Changed provider from sqlite to postgresql
• Updated URL to use env("DATABASE_URL")

2. tests/setup.ts

• Added logic to use DATABASE_URL_TEST when available
• Ensures test isolation with separate database

3. .env (created)

• Contains DATABASE_URL for Prisma CLI operations

4. .env.local (existing)

• Contains both DATABASE_URL and DATABASE_URL_TEST

Database Schema

All existing models and relationships were preserved:

• Company: Multi-tenant root entity
• User: Authentication and authorization
• Session: Processed session data
• SessionImport: Raw CSV import data
• Message: Individual conversation messages
• Question: Normalized question storage
• SessionQuestion: Session-question relationships
• AIProcessingRequest: AI cost tracking

Migration Process

1. Schema Update: Changed provider to PostgreSQL
2. Migration Reset: Removed SQLite migration history
3. Fresh Migration: Created new PostgreSQL migration
4. Client Generation: Generated new Prisma client for PostgreSQL
5. Database Seeding: Applied initial seed data
6. Testing: Verified all functionality works with PostgreSQL

Benefits Achieved

✅ Production-Ready: PostgreSQL is enterprise-grade and scalable
✅ Better Performance: Superior query performance and optimization
✅ Advanced Features: Full JSON support, arrays, advanced indexing
✅ Test Isolation: Separate test database prevents data conflicts
✅ Consistency: Same database engine across all environments
✅ Cloud-Native: Neon provides managed PostgreSQL with excellent DX

Environment Variables

# Production/Development Database
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:pass@host/database?sslmode=require"

# Test Database (separate Neon database)
DATABASE_URL_TEST="postgresql://user:pass@test-host/test-database?sslmode=require"

Test Configuration

Tests automatically use the test database when DATABASE_URL_TEST is set:

// In tests/setup.ts
if (process.env.DATABASE_URL_TEST) {
  process.env.DATABASE_URL = process.env.DATABASE_URL_TEST;
}

Verification

All tests pass successfully:

• ✅ Environment configuration tests
• ✅ Transcript fetcher tests
• ✅ Database connection tests
• ✅ Schema validation tests
• ✅ CRUD operation tests

Next Steps

1. Data Import: Import production data if needed
2. Performance Monitoring: Monitor query performance in production
3. Backup Strategy: Configure automated backups via Neon
4. Connection Pooling: Consider connection pooling for high-traffic scenarios

Rollback Plan

If rollback is needed:

1. Revert prisma/schema.prisma to SQLite configuration
2. Restore SQLite migration files from git history
3. Update environment variables
4. Run prisma migrate reset and prisma generate

Conclusion

The PostgreSQL migration was successful and provides a solid foundation for production deployment. The application now benefits from PostgreSQL's advanced features while maintaining full test isolation and development workflow compatibility.