Prisma ORM Evaluation for Storage Classes

Prisma ORM Evaluation for Storage Classes

Overview

This document evaluates the storage backend options for the bloqr-backend project. Prisma ORM with SQLite is now the default storage backend.

Prisma Supported Databases

Prisma is a next-generation ORM for Node.js and TypeScript that supports the following databases:

Relational Databases (SQL)

Database	Status	Notes
PostgreSQL	Full Support	Primary recommendation for production
MySQL	Full Support	Including MySQL 5.7+
MariaDB	Full Support	MySQL-compatible
SQLite	Full Support	Great for local development/embedded
SQL Server	Full Support	Microsoft SQL Server 2017+
CockroachDB	Full Support	Distributed SQL database

NoSQL Databases

Database	Status	Notes
MongoDB	Full Support	Special connector with some limitations

Cloud Database Integrations

Provider	Status	Notes
Supabase	Supported	PostgreSQL-based
PlanetScale	Supported	MySQL-compatible
Turso	Supported	SQLite edge database
Cloudflare D1	Supported	SQLite at the edge
Neon	Supported	Serverless PostgreSQL

Upcoming Features (2025)

• PostgreSQL extensions support (PGVector, Full-Text Search via ParadeDB)
• Prisma 7 major release with modernized foundations

Current Implementation Analysis

Current Architecture: Prisma with SQLite

The project uses Prisma ORM with SQLite as the default storage backend:

flowchart TD
    adapter["PrismaStorageAdapter<br/>(SQLite / PostgreSQL / MySQL)"] --> caching["CachingDownloader"]
    caching --> detector["ChangeDetector"]
    caching --> health["SourceHealthMonitor"]
    adapter --> incremental["IncrementalCompiler"]
    incremental --> memory["MemoryCacheStorage"]

Key Characteristics:

• Flexible database support (SQLite default, PostgreSQL, MySQL, etc.)
• Cross-runtime compatibility (Node.js, Deno, Bun)
• Hierarchical keys: ['cache', 'filters', source]
• Application-level TTL support
• Type-safe generic operations

Storage Classes Summary

Class	Purpose	Complexity
PrismaStorageAdapter	Core KV operations	Low
D1StorageAdapter	Cloudflare edge storage	Low
CachingDownloader	Smart download caching	Medium
ChangeDetector	Track filter changes	Low
SourceHealthMonitor	Track source reliability	Low
IncrementalCompiler	Compilation caching	Medium

Comparison: Prisma SQLite vs Other Options

Feature Comparison

Feature	Prisma/SQLite	Prisma/PostgreSQL	Cloudflare D1
Schema Definition	Prisma Schema	Prisma Schema	SQL
Type Safety	Generated types	Generated types	Manual
Queries	Rich query API	Rich query API	Raw SQL
Relations	First-class	First-class	Manual
Migrations	Built-in	Built-in	Manual
TTL Support	Application-level	Application-level	Application-level
Transactions	Full ACID	Full ACID	Limited
Tooling	Prisma Studio	Prisma Studio	Wrangler CLI
Runtime	All	All	Workers only
Infrastructure	None (embedded)	Server required	Edge

Pros and Cons

Prisma with SQLite (Default)

Pros:

• Zero infrastructure overhead
• Cross-runtime compatibility (Node.js, Deno, Bun)
• Simple API for KV operations
• Works offline/locally
• Type-safe with generated client
• Built-in migrations and schema management
• Excellent tooling (Prisma Studio, CLI)
• Fast for simple operations

Cons:

• Single-instance only (no shared database)
• TTL must be implemented in application code
• Not suitable for multi-server deployments

Prisma with PostgreSQL

Pros:

• Multi-instance support
• Full ACID transactions
• Rich query capabilities
• Production-ready for scaled deployments
• Same API as SQLite

Cons:

• Requires database server
• Additional infrastructure overhead
• More complex setup

Cloudflare D1

Pros:

• Edge-first architecture
• Low latency globally
• Serverless pricing model
• No infrastructure management

Cons:

• Cloudflare Workers only
• Limited query capabilities
• Different API from Prisma adapters

Use Case Analysis

Current Use Cases

Use Case	Data Pattern	Complexity	SQLite Fit	PostgreSQL Fit	D1 Fit
Filter list caching	Simple KV with TTL	Low	Excellent	Excellent	Good
Health monitoring	Append-only metrics	Low	Good	Better	Good
Change detection	Snapshot comparison	Low	Good	Good	Good
Compilation history	Time-series queries	Medium	Good	Better	Good

When to Use PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL is beneficial if:

1. Multi-instance deployment - Shared database across servers/workers
2. Complex queries required - Filtering, aggregation, joins
3. Data relationships - Related entities need referential integrity
4. Audit/compliance needs - Full transaction logs, ACID guarantees
5. High concurrency - Multiple writers accessing the same data

When to Use SQLite (Default)

SQLite remains the best choice when:

1. Single-instance deployment - One server or local development
2. Simplicity is paramount - No external infrastructure needed
3. Local/offline use - Application runs standalone
4. Minimal maintenance - No database server to manage

When to Use Cloudflare D1

D1 is the best choice when:

1. Edge deployment - Running on Cloudflare Workers
2. Global distribution - Need low latency worldwide
3. Serverless - No infrastructure management desired

Recommendation

Summary

Prisma with SQLite is the default choice for simplicity and zero infrastructure.

The existing storage patterns (caching, health monitoring, change detection) are well-suited to the Prisma adapter pattern. SQLite provides a simple embedded database that requires no external infrastructure.

Architecture

The project uses a flexible adapter pattern:

classDiagram
    class IStorageAdapter {
        +set~T~(key: string[], value: T, ttl?: number) Promise~boolean~
        +get~T~(key: string[]) Promise~StorageEntry~T~ | null~
        +delete(key: string[]) Promise~boolean~
        +list~T~(options) Promise~Array~{ key: string[]; value: StorageEntry~T~ }~~
    }
    IStorageAdapter <|-- PrismaStorageAdapter
    IStorageAdapter <|-- D1StorageAdapter

This allows switching storage backends based on deployment environment without changing application code.

Implementation Status

The project includes:

1. IStorageAdapter - Abstract interface for storage backends
2. PrismaStorageAdapter - Default implementation (SQLite/PostgreSQL/MySQL)
3. D1StorageAdapter - Cloudflare edge deployment
4. prisma/schema.prisma - Prisma schema (for SQLite/PostgreSQL/MongoDB)

Conclusion

Aspect	Recommendation
Default Usage	Prisma with SQLite
Multi-instance	Prisma with PostgreSQL
Edge Deployment	Cloudflare D1
MongoDB	Prisma with MongoDB connector

The storage abstraction layer enables switching backends based on deployment requirements without affecting the application code.

References

• Prisma Supported Databases
• Prisma Database Features Matrix
• Cloudflare D1 Documentation
• Prisma MongoDB Connector
• Database Evaluation - Comprehensive PlanetScale vs Neon vs Cloudflare vs Prisma comparison with proposed PostgreSQL schema and Hyperdrive integration