OpenAI has revealed how it manages to serve 800 million users using a single-primary PostgreSQL instance for ChatGPT and its API platform, challenging traditional scaling methods. Instead of sharding or moving to a distributed SQL database, OpenAI relies on one Azure PostgreSQL Flexible Server for writes and nearly 50 read replicas for reads, processing millions of queries per second with minimal latency and high availability. This approach is supported by targeted optimizations such as connection pooling and cache locking to prevent overloads. OpenAI’s strategy emphasizes optimizing existing database technology based on workload patterns rather than premature re-architecture, offering valuable insights for enterprises. They apply strict operational discipline, monitor ORM-generated SQL queries, and separate workloads to maintain performance as the system scales.
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