July 2021 Summaries

This article discusses how to debug and analyze metrics from a Hasura instance for better understanding of operations. It covers two distinct areas - Network Boundary and Application Boundary (Business Logic). The network boundary profiling can be done using browser devtools, while the application boundary profiling requires OpenTracing implementation. For gaining insight about what's happening in the database layer, Hasura provides several tools such as ANALYZE feature to display compiled SQL query for an operation, running EXPLAIN ANALYZE on the resulting query, and using visualizers like explain.dalibo.com. The Cloud "Metrics" dashboard's Operation modal also provides timing spans for PG operations. Additionally, Query Tags can be used with tools like pganalyze.com to deeply investigate operations or overall database health/activity.

In July, Hasura introduced several new features and updates to its platform. These include support for BigQuery as an OLAP database, allowing users to create instant GraphQL & REST APIs on new or existing BigQuery workloads. Additionally, the company added support for Citus/Hyperscale (distributed Postgres), enhancing its compatibility with various Postgres databases. A Template Gallery was also introduced, providing installable samples of permissions, relationships, and advanced Hasura features to ease onboarding for new users. Furthermore, enhancements were made to computed fields, enabling their use in where and order clauses, permissions, and join conditions for remote schema relationships. New security features were added to Hasura Cloud, including node limits and the ability to disable GraphQL introspection per role. Database monitoring with Query Tags was introduced to help users debug performance issues by tracing GraphQL operations to their SQL queries in the database. Lastly, Github integration on Hasura Cloud allows for deploying local migrations to staging and production environments via a simple git push.

Hasura Cloud is a fully managed version of Hasura that includes features designed to make it easier for users to run Hasura in production. These features range from monitoring/analytics features for increased observability to built-in caching for improved performance, to a suite of security features that help safeguard your production Hasura applications against injection attacks, DDoS attacks, excessive data exposure, and more. Key security features include global and role-based API controls, depth limit, node limit, rate limiting, disabling introspection, allow lists, and support for SSL certificates on the client.

This article compares managed PostgreSQL providers including AWS RDS, Google Cloud SQL, Azure PostgreSQL, DigitalOcean, Heroku, and ElephantSQL. The comparison is based on various factors such as high availability, auto-scaling, Postgres versions, Postgres extensions, automated backups, monitoring and metrics, security, costs, and more. It provides an overview of each provider's capabilities in these areas and suggests that the choice between providers depends on specific needs and budget constraints. The author also mentions Hasura's compatibility with all these providers.

MachineMetrics, an Industrial IoT Platform that recently secured $20 million in Series B funding, has reported a tenfold increase in developer velocity by utilizing Hasura. The company's platform collects and analyzes machine data to provide insights into reducing downtime, increasing throughput, and maximizing profitability for manufacturers. By integrating TimescaleDB with Hasura, MachineMetrics was able to create fast, reliable, and secure GraphQL-powered APIs that significantly increased developer productivity. The adoption of Hasura also allowed the company to transition from REST to GraphQL without disrupting operations or customer experience. Furthermore, Hasura's remote schemas and joins enabled data integration with existing systems, while its access control capabilities provided granular security for sensitive data. Overall, Hasura has played a crucial role in MachineMetrics' innovation and growth by accelerating development time, enabling custom feature creation, and enhancing customer engagement and retention.

Hasura, Apollo Server, and Prisma 2 are distinct tools that serve different purposes in application development, and they can be complementary rather than alternative solutions. Hasura is a web service that connects to data sources and exposes them through a GraphQL or REST API, with capabilities for federating APIs and enforcing configurable authorization layers. Apollo Server is a Node.js framework for creating custom GraphQL servers, allowing developers to define schemas and resolvers for various operations, such as processing payments or handling authentication. Prisma 2 functions as an ORM library, providing a bridge between Node.js applications and databases, enabling developers to write database queries within their business logic. These tools can be integrated within a development stack, such as using Hasura's Remote Schema feature to connect with Apollo Server or incorporating Prisma within an Express.js API, thereby enhancing the flexibility and functionality of the overall system.

Nexlab, a Vietnam-based software development agency, used Hasura to modernize Daikin Vietnam's air conditioning servicing business unit. The project was delivered ahead of schedule and at 50% lower cost than planned. Nexlab chose Hasura for its ability to deliver projects within tight timelines and confidently develop complex enterprise applications. Using Hasura, Nexlab reduced development costs by 50%, empowered frontend developers to become full-stack developers, and enabled incremental migration to ensure compatibility with legacy systems.