Time Travel in the SQL Editor

Neon has introduced a Time Travel Queries feature in its SQL Editor, allowing users to query their Postgres databases at any point in the recent past, aiding in diagnosing and debugging complex issues. This feature is part of Neon's broader capabilities, which include creating instantaneous development and preview environments with their branchable Postgres and autoscaling production environments. By enabling Time Travel, users can use a timestamp selector to access their database within a configured history retention window, making it possible to identify and restore lost data. This is achieved through Neon's architecture, which separates storage and compute, allowing for near-instantaneous point-in-time recovery using the Write-Ahead Log (WAL) processed by Safekeepers and Pageservers. Neon plans to enhance this feature by enabling users to connect to ephemeral branches directly through a timestamp or LSN in their connection string, facilitating database dumps and connections to prior database versions, while ephemeral branches help manage compute and storage costs.