Where Do We Store Your Data at AskHandle?
At AskHandle, data storage is a top priority, and we use secure, high-performance cloud services to keep your data safe, accessible, and well-managed. Our database infrastructure is now powered by Heroku Postgres, a reliable and scalable SQL database solution directly managed by Heroku. This transition allows us to offer improved flexibility, security, and performance for our users.
Database Location and Compliance
Our Heroku Postgres database is hosted on servers in the United States, aligning with our main application server location. This setup provides optimal performance and compliance with U.S.-based regulations, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Data stored on U.S. servers adheres to local data protection standards, ensuring compliance with American privacy laws.
What PostgreSQL Version Are We Using?
With Heroku Postgres, we have access to stable, recent versions of PostgreSQL. Heroku frequently updates its PostgreSQL instances to provide the latest features, performance enhancements, and security improvements. This ensures our database infrastructure remains current and fully functional, supporting the best possible experience for our users.
Heroku Postgres Features and Dashboard
Heroku Postgres offers a powerful web dashboard for easy database management. You can monitor performance, view usage statistics, and even share queries through dataclips. Additionally, you can manage the database using Heroku CLI commands, giving flexibility in how the database is maintained.
Choosing the Right Heroku Postgres Plan
Heroku Postgres provides a range of service plans, including Essential, Standard, Premium, Private, and Shield. Each plan has different resources, so as your data storage needs grow, it’s easy to upgrade to a more robust option.
High-Performance Infrastructure
Heroku’s infrastructure ensures our databases run efficiently, with performance optimized for high-demand applications. Each database instance is hosted on dedicated, isolated virtual machines within Heroku’s cloud environment. This setup guarantees the speed, reliability, and isolation necessary to handle concurrent connections and large volumes of queries smoothly.
Security and Data Protection
Heroku Postgres includes several robust security features, providing peace of mind for users:
- IP Restrictions: Heroku allows us to control database access by IP, ensuring only authorized users can connect.
- No Direct SSH Access: Heroku manages the underlying infrastructure, applying regular updates and patches to maintain security, which eliminates the need for SSH access.
- Backups and Disaster Recovery: Heroku Postgres includes daily backups, stored within the U.S., to protect data against loss. For additional disaster recovery, continuous protection features are available to capture snapshots and transaction logs in the same region as the database.
Local Development and Environment Parity
To ensure smooth deployment, Heroku recommends setting up Postgres locally, matching your local development environment to the production database. This simplifies testing and deployment by keeping the development and production databases consistent.
Managing Multiple Applications
Heroku allows us to share a single Postgres database across multiple applications using the heroku addons:attach command. This is helpful for apps that need to collaborate on data but still operate independently. Config vars allow us to assign aliases to shared databases, making management straightforward and organized.
Logging and Privacy Options
For additional privacy, Heroku provides options to block logging of database queries. This prevents sensitive data from appearing in logs, although it may limit some debugging capabilities. For detailed logging needs, we recommend selectively logging specific data points.
Flexible Plan Upgrades
Heroku Postgres allows easy migration between plans as application needs evolve. When our app’s requirements exceed the resources of the current plan, upgrading to a larger plan is straightforward, ensuring our database can scale with our users’ demands.
Consistent, Reliable Backups
Backups are stored within the U.S. and managed by Heroku’s continuous protection systems. Snapshots and transaction logs are kept consistent, ensuring data integrity and enabling us to restore data effectively if necessary. This approach ensures that all backups are reliable and encrypted, safeguarding data even in storage.
AskHandle’s integration with Heroku Postgres provides a secure, flexible, and high-performance data storage solution. Optimized for U.S.-based compliance, this setup ensures reliable and efficient access to data across our platform, meeting the highest standards of performance and security for our users.
