The Database Schema Evolution

Starting Point

The initial schema was simple: users, sessions, and a few core tables. As features grew, so did complexity.

Current Schema Highlights

Our schema now includes 50+ models covering:

• Authentication - users, sessions, oauth_account_links, webauthn_credentials
• Blog System - blog_posts, blog_categories, blog_tags, blog_comments
• Project Management - projects, tasks, milestones, time_entries
• Orders & Billing - orders, invoices, payments, subscriptions
• System - error_logs, log_settings, webhooks, notifications

Migration Strategy

We use Prisma Migrate for schema changes:

# Development: Push changes directly
npx prisma db push

# Production: Create and apply migrations
npx prisma migrate dev --name add_log_settings
npx prisma migrate deploy

Lessons Learned

• Add indexes early—retrofitting is harder
• Use @db.Text for long strings, not VARCHAR
• Foreign keys with onDelete: Cascade prevent orphans
• Test migrations with production data copies