OpenAI's PostgreSQL Powerhouse: Scaling to 800 Million Users!
Analysis
This article unveils OpenAI's impressive strategy for scaling PostgreSQL to support the massive user base of ChatGPT. By skillfully optimizing a simple "one write, many read" architecture, they demonstrate that foundational technologies, when expertly tuned, can handle enormous loads. It's a testament to the power of smart engineering!
Key Takeaways
- •OpenAI leverages a single primary PostgreSQL database for writes, supported by approximately 50 read replicas.
- •They offload heavy write operations to alternative databases like CosmosDB.
- •Optimization of connection pooling and aggressive elimination of slow queries are key to their success.
Reference / Citation
View Original"They are using a textbook "basic master-slave configuration (Primary-Replica configuration)" and have tuned it to the extreme."
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Zenn OpenAIJan 28, 2026 08:12
* Cited for critical analysis under Article 32.