Dev Tools · 1h ago
Why Immutable Data Belongs in Files, Not Databases
A developer argues that immutable data, such as genomic variant calls, should be stored in object storage with Parquet and DuckDB instead of a relational database. Their database doubles yearly to 180 GB, with five tables over 20 GB each that never receive updates. Moving to file-based storage could drastically reduce costs and complexity.
Meridian48 take
The piece makes a solid case for using the right tool for the job, but the real challenge is organizational inertia—teams often default to databases because they're familiar, not because they're optimal.
database-optimizationdata-storage