Optimizing Postgres Queries for Performance

In his talk at ElixirConf 2022, Justin Wood, a Staff Engineer at Firework, shares insights into proactive performance optimization for Postgres databases when working with Elixir applications. Instead of waiting for performance issues to arise, he encourages a proactive approach by using tools and techniques to debug and optimize SQL queries before they cause significant problems. Wood introduces the PG Stat Statements extension for identifying poorly performing queries and how to leverage the EXPLAIN command to analyze query execution plans. He advocates for the use of appropriate indexing strategies, including compound indexes, to significantly enhance query performance. By attentively choosing correct indexes, unnecessary database scaling and the introduction of caching layers can be prevented, allowing for a more efficient and cost-effective performance.