3 lessons from a highly successful database migration and modernization

At RoachFest 2023, Spreedly's Senior Software Architect, Scott Traver, shared insights on their migration from Riak and Postgres to CockroachDB, emphasizing a cautious and responsible approach to modernizing their data architecture to avoid potential bottlenecks. Spreedly adopted a "source of truth" strategy by running CockroachDB alongside their existing system, allowing them to model data gradually and address inefficiencies, such as application-generated UUIDs that could create hotspot ranges. This strategy enabled them to improve performance by letting CockroachDB auto-generate UUIDs and utilize features like row-level time-to-live and change data capture to manage data efficiently. Traver highlighted the importance of using the right tools for specific tasks and ensuring they integrate well within a broader data ecosystem, rather than relying on a single solution to address all challenges. This approach not only mitigated risks but also allowed Spreedly to streamline its data systems, demonstrating how a thoughtful migration strategy can lead to a more efficient and scalable infrastructure.