How OpenAI stretched PostgreSQL to hyperscale
OpenAI's engineering post breaks down its decision to rely on a single PostgreSQL primary with dozens of read replicasrather than sharded distributed databasesto power ChatGPT and API workloads at unprecedented scale (800M users, millions of QPS). :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
Engineering choices with real impact
- Instead of jumping to exotic distributed systems, the team optimized traditional PostgreSQL with connection pooling, caching, workload isolation, and aggressive query tuning. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
- Read traffic is largely offloaded to replicas, while write-heavy tasks are selectively migrated to sharded systems like CosmosDB, striking a practical balance between simplicity and scalability. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
Lessons for platform builders
This work isn't just about internal scaling; it reframes architectural assumptions for AI and high-throughput platforms. It suggests that relational databases, when engineered carefully, remain viable at scales many thought were exclusive to distributed SQL or NoSQL systems a strategic insight for CTOs and infrastructure architects navigating AI-driven product growth. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}