Tigris: A Global Key Value Database with S3-like Capabilities

Fly.io presents Tigris, a new file storage solution with S3 compatibility but designed specifically for Fly.io users. Tigris addresses the challenge of building globally distributed applications by offering a key-value store architecture that allows for global synchronization of objects smaller than 128kb, behaving similarly to a CDN without the need for additional configuration. Objects uploaded to Tigris are cached in the region closest to the uploader and are then transparently moved and cached near the region of request. This approach mitigates the issue of 'US-EAST Privilege' and improves the user experience globally. Jason Stiebs explores the idea of using Tigris as a globally spanning key-value store, leveraging Elixir/Phoenix capabilities and the inherent fault tolerance of the BEAM to handle potential data races and ensure distributed transactions. He demonstrates how to set up Tigris with Fly.io and brainstorms on the creative applications of Tigris, such as durable processes, tables and indices, single tenancy, and append-only tables. The post concludes by highlighting the potential of using Tigris for globally distributed, fast synchronization, encouraging the Fly.io Elixir community to explore the possibilities.