At EloqData, we've developed Data Substrate—a database architecture designed to meet the unprecedented demands of modern applications in the AI age. Unlike traditional database systems that struggle with the scale and complexity of AI workloads, Data Substrate reimagines the database as a unified, distributed computer where memory, compute, logging, and storage are fully decoupled yet globally addressable.
This series of articles explore the motivations, technical foundations, and benefits of Data Substrate, providing a comprehensive understanding of how this architecture addresses the critical challenges facing modern data infrastructure in the AI age.
Some of the topics covered are rather heavy in technical jargons, and require a good understanding of database internal mechanisms to appreciate. We apologize in advance.
1. Data Substrate: Motivation and Philosophy
This article introduces the core philosophy behind Data Substrate. We explore why traditional database architectures fall short in the AI era and present our vision for a new approach that treats the entire distributed system as a single, unified computer.
2. A Deeper Dive Into Data Substrate Architecture
This technical deep-dive explores the architectural foundations of Data Substrate. We examine the key design decisions, abstractions, and technical choices that set Data Substrate apart from both classical and modern distributed databases.
3. The Benefits of Data Substrate Architecture
This article examines the practical benefits and real-world implications of Data Substrate. We discuss how our design choices translate into concrete advantages for modern applications, particularly in cloud environments.
Why Data Substrate Matters
Traditional database architectures were designed for a different era—one where data volumes were smaller, workloads were more predictable, and the demands of AI applications were unimaginable. Data Substrate represents a fundamental rethinking of database design, built from the ground up for the challenges and opportunities of the AI age.
By treating the distributed system as a single, unified computer, Data Substrate eliminates many of the complexities that have traditionally made distributed databases difficult to build, operate, and reason about. This approach enables:
- Modular architecture enables community collaboration and avoid reinventing the (many) wheels
- True scalability without sacrificing consistency
- Independent resource scaling for compute, memory, logging, and storage
- Better performance through optimized hardware utilization and innovative algorithm design
- Cloud-native features like auto-scaling and scale-to-zero
- Simplified development through familiar single-node programming models
Get Started with Data Substrate
Ready to explore Data Substrate in action? Our open-source implementations are available on GitHub:
- EloqKV: A high-performance key-value store built on Data Substrate
- EloqSQL: A MySQL-compatible distributed SQL database
- EloqDoc: A document database for modern applications
Join our Discord community to connect with other developers and stay updated on the latest developments in Data Substrate technology.