Skip to content
NorthStackHubNorthStackHub home
Service

Databases & caching

Data modelling that survives growth: normalised relational schemas where consistency matters, document stores where the shape is genuinely fluid, and a Redis layer with explicit invalidation rules. We tune the slow queries you already have and put migrations under version control.

Scope this projectBook a 30-min call1–5 weeksQuoted per project

What you get

The outcomes we hold ourselves to on this work. If we cannot commit to them for your project, we say so during scoping rather than after the invoice.

  • Slow queries identified and fixed with measured before/after numbers
  • A cache layer with defined TTLs and invalidation — not guesswork
  • Reversible, reviewed migrations that run in CI
  • Backup and restore actually tested, not just configured

Deliverables

Everything on this list is handed over and documented. Anything outside it is quoted before it is built.

  • Schema design and ER documentation
  • Index strategy and query optimisation report
  • Redis caching layer with invalidation rules
  • Migration tooling and seed data
  • Read replicas / connection pooling where needed
  • Backup, restore and retention policy

Typical timeline

Most engagements of this type run 1–5 weeks end to end. Step four absorbs the difference between the short and long end of that range.

  1. Discovery call

    30 minutes, free

    We walk through what you are building, who it is for, and what has to be true for the project to count as a success. You leave with a rough scope, a rough number and an honest read on whether we are the right team.

    You receive: Written scope summary within 24 hours

  2. Proposal & fixed scope

    2–3 days

    A written proposal: milestones, deliverables, timeline, price and explicit exclusions. No hourly surprises — you approve a scope, and changes to it are quoted before any work starts.

    You receive: Proposal, contract and milestone schedule

  3. Architecture & design

    Week 1

    Data model, API contracts and infrastructure plan on paper before code. UI work starts in Figma so you approve screens rather than reviewing half-built pages.

    You receive: Architecture doc, ER diagram, approved designs

  4. Build in weekly sprints

    Bulk of the project

    Working software every week on a staging URL you can click through. A short written update each Friday: what shipped, what is next, anything blocking. You are never guessing where the project stands.

    You receive: Staging environment, weekly demo and written update

  5. Test, harden & launch

    Final 1–2 weeks

    Automated tests in CI, load and failure-path testing, security review, performance budgets, then a rehearsed deploy with a rollback plan. Launch day is uneventful by design.

    You receive: Test suite, CI pipeline, production deployment

  6. Handover & support

    Ongoing

    Documentation, a recorded walkthrough and a 30-day warranty on everything we shipped. If you want us to keep operating it, a maintenance retainer picks up from there.

    You receive: Docs, walkthrough video, 30-day warranty

Questions we get asked

SQL or NoSQL?
Start relational unless you have a specific reason not to. We reach for MongoDB or DynamoDB for genuinely schemaless documents, event streams or very high write fan-out — and often the answer is both, for different parts of the system.
Can you fix a database that is already slow?
That is a common first engagement. We profile real queries, add the missing indexes, restructure the worst offenders and hand you the measurements.
Related work

Where this has shipped

Case studies with the numbers we measured, including the ones that did not move.

Car rental homepage with a 'Plan Big on Our Rental Service' hero, a red hatchback, and a 'Book a Car' form with car type, pick-up and drop-off location and date fields.
Web app2026

AK Car Rental

A car rental booking platform — accounts, a vehicle catalogue, and a booking form that captures type, locations and dates in a single pass.

Client projectRead case study

AC repair service website with call-for-service numbers in the header, a hero photograph of a technician servicing an air conditioner, and a 'Book Service Now' form with name, mobile number and location fields.
Business site2025

MHB AC Repair & Services

A service business site built around one job: turn a visitor into a booked call-out, on a phone, in under a minute.

Client projectRead case study

Clothing e-commerce homepage with a dark editorial hero collage, a cart counter in the navigation, and a 'Best Sellers' product carousel.
E-commerce2024

Fashion Storefront

A clothing storefront with category browsing, a cart that survives navigation, and a best-sellers carousel on the landing page.

Client projectRead case study

All case studies
Other services

Usually paired with this

Most projects combine two or three of these. We scope them as one engagement rather than separate invoices.

End-to-end web applications

Full product builds — from empty repo to live, monitored deployment.

4–12 weeksFrom $96

Android & iOS applications

Cross-platform mobile apps that ship to both stores from one codebase.

6–16 weeksQuoted per project

RAG systems & knowledge assistants

Retrieval pipelines that answer from your data, with citations.

3–10 weeksFrom $108

Back to all services

Need databases & caching?

Tell us what you are working with — existing code, a blank repo, or a deadline you are worried about. This one is quoted per project: you get a written scope and a fixed number within 24 hours.

Start a projectBook a 30-min call

Replies within 4 business hours · No obligation · You keep the scope document