Shardines

lastmod 2025-04-29created 2025-04-291 edits

Managing per-tenant databases with SQLite in Rails

About

• Explains how to build a structure in Rails where each tenant uses a separate database, and the challenges involved
• ActiveRecord is designed around a single DB connection by default, so switching connections per tenant is complex and tricky
• Proposes using the connected_to feature in Rails 6+ to switch connections dynamically at runtime
• SQLite3 suits handling many small, independent DBs, making management such as backup, debugging, and deletion easy
• Emphasizes that, unlike Rails infrastructure that evolved around large-scale system optimization, an architecture centered on small, independent databases is possible

See also

• Rails
• SQLite

Favorite site

• A Can of Shardines: SQLite Multitenancy With Rails | Julik Tarkhanov
• Shardines - Managing per-tenant databases with SQLite in Rails | GeekNews