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Database

The Flow-Like API stores platform data in a PostgreSQL-compatible relational database. The Prisma schema is under packages/api/prisma/schema/.

Internal Database

Section titled “Internal Database”

database.type: internal deploys one CockroachDB pod:

database:
  type: internal
  internal:
    replicas: 1
    persistence:
      storageClass: ""
      size: 10Gi

This workload runs CockroachDB with start-single-node --insecure. It is a convenient evaluation and development database, not a highly available or TLS-hardened production topology.

Do not increase database.internal.replicas. Multiple independent start-single-node pods do not form a CockroachDB cluster.

External Database

Section titled “External Database”

Use an externally operated PostgreSQL or CockroachDB service for production:

database:
  type: external
  external:
    existingSecret: flow-like-database

The named Secret must contain one key:

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://flowlike:[email protected]:5432/flowlike?sslmode=require

The URL is consumed by both the API and the migration Job. Keep it in an externally managed Kubernetes Secret; avoid database.external.connectionString in shared or committed values files.

See Installation for a command that creates the Secret without putting the URL in shell history.

Schema Application

Section titled “Schema Application”

The chart enables database.migration by default:

database:
  migration:
    enabled: true
    image:
      repository: registry.example.com/flow-like/migration
      tag: replace-me
      pullPolicy: IfNotPresent

The Job waits on DATABASE_URL, then runs Prisma schema push during install and upgrade. For the internal database it is a post-install hook; for an external database it is a pre-install hook.

The current migration command uses prisma db push --accept-data-loss. Review that behavior against your backup, change-management, and production migration policy. To manage schema changes separately, set database.migration.enabled: false and run an approved migration process before rolling out the API.

The repository helper can run the same schema push from a trusted workstation. Put DATABASE_URL in the ignored apps/backend/kubernetes/.env file first:

Terminal window
cd apps/backend/kubernetes
./scripts/migrate-db.sh

It also accepts --docker when the local Docker Compose migration service is configured.

Verification

Section titled “Verification”

Check the API’s Secret reference and database readiness without printing the credential:

Terminal window
kubectl get secret flow-like-database -n flow-like
kubectl logs -n flow-like -l app.kubernetes.io/component=db-migration
kubectl rollout status deployment/flow-like-api -n flow-like

Successful Helm hook Jobs may already have been deleted according to the chart’s hook policy. Use helm status and namespace events when no migration pod remains.