Superior Database

Make data changes correct for the actual datastore, workload, and rollout environment. Preserve established migration tools and ownership boundaries; do not import generic database conventions without verifying engine behavior and repository practice.

Establish the data contract

Before changing a schema, query, or migration, determine:

• datastore engine, version, topology, and relevant extensions;
• authoritative schema and migration history;
• entity ownership, identifiers, relationships, and tenant boundaries;
• invariants that must hold at write time and read time;
• expected cardinality, access patterns, ordering, and retention;
• compatibility window across application versions, workers, and replicas;
• data volume, traffic shape, lock sensitivity, and recovery expectations.

Inspect effective production constraints only through authorized, non-sensitive evidence. Do not assume local fixtures represent production volume, skew, nullability, or legacy states.

Design schema and queries together