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Storage — LibreDB Studio

LibreDB Studio uses a pluggable storage abstraction layer that lets it operate in two modes:

  • Local mode (default): Zero-config, all data lives in the browser's localStorage. Ideal for single-user / open-source usage.
  • Server mode: Data is persisted to a server-side database (SQLite or PostgreSQL) with per-user scoping. Ideal for teams and enterprise deployments.

Switching between modes requires only one environment variable — no code changes, no rebuild.

This document is split into two parts. Most readers want Part 1 — Setup & Configuration. For internals, see Part 2 — Architecture & Internals.

Table of Contents

Part 1 — Setup & Configuration

Part 2 — Architecture & Internals

Part 1 — Setup & Configuration

LibreDB Studio supports three storage modes. Pick the one that fits your use case and follow the steps below.

Which Mode Should I Use?

Mode Best For Persistence Multi-User Setup
Local (default) Solo dev, quick start Browser only No Zero config
SQLite Small teams, single server Server file Yes 1 env var
PostgreSQL Enterprise, multi-node External DB Yes 2 env vars

1. Local Mode (Default)

No configuration needed. All data stays in the browser's localStorage.

# Just start the app — that's it
bun dev

What you get:

  • Instant start, no database required
  • Data persists across page reloads
  • Data is lost if browser storage is cleared or you switch browsers/devices

When to move on: When you need data to survive across devices, browsers, or team members.

2. SQLite Mode

A single file on the server. Great for self-hosted single-node deployments.

Minimal Setup (Just One Env Var)

# .env.local
STORAGE_PROVIDER=sqlite
bun dev

That's it. When STORAGE_SQLITE_PATH is not provided, the default path is ./data/libredb-storage.db.

What Happens Automatically

On the first API request, the SQLite provider:

  1. Creates the directory — ./data/ (or whatever parent directory the path points to) is created recursively if it doesn't exist
  2. Creates the database file — libredb-storage.db is created by better-sqlite3
  3. Enables WAL mode — Write-Ahead Logging for better concurrent read performance
  4. Creates the table — user_storage table with the schema below

No manual setup, no migrations, no SQL scripts needed.

Custom Path

If you want the database file in a different location:

# .env.local
STORAGE_PROVIDER=sqlite
STORAGE_SQLITE_PATH=/var/lib/libredb/storage.db

The directory must be writable by the app process. The directory and file are created automatically.

Docker

# docker-compose.yml
services:
  app:
    image: ghcr.io/libredb/libredb-studio:latest
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      - STORAGE_PROVIDER=sqlite
      - STORAGE_SQLITE_PATH=/app/data/libredb-storage.db
    volumes:
      - storage-data:/app/data

volumes:
  storage-data:
docker-compose up -d

Volume is essential. Without it, data is lost when the container restarts.

Verify

curl http://localhost:3000/api/storage/config
# → {"provider":"sqlite","serverMode":true}

Manual Table Creation (Optional)

The table is auto-created, but if you prefer to create it yourself (e.g., for auditing or version control):

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS user_storage (
  user_id    TEXT NOT NULL,
  collection TEXT NOT NULL,
  data       TEXT NOT NULL,
  updated_at TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT (datetime('now')),
  PRIMARY KEY (user_id, collection)
);

-- Recommended: enable WAL mode for concurrent read performance
PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL;

3. PostgreSQL Mode

Recommended for production, teams, and high-availability deployments.

Important: Unlike SQLite, STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL is required. There is no default value. If you set STORAGE_PROVIDER=postgres without providing a connection string, the app will throw an error on the first storage request:

Error: STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL is required when STORAGE_PROVIDER=postgres

Local Development

# Start a PostgreSQL instance (if you don't have one)
docker run -d --name libredb-pg \
  -e POSTGRES_DB=libredb \
  -e POSTGRES_USER=libredb \
  -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=secret \
  -p 5432:5432 \
  postgres:16-alpine
# .env.local
STORAGE_PROVIDER=postgres
STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL=postgresql://libredb:secret@localhost:5432/libredb?sslmode=disable
bun dev

What Happens Automatically

On the first API request, the PostgreSQL provider:

  1. Creates a connection pool — max 5 connections, 30s idle timeout
  2. Creates the table — user_storage table with the schema below via CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS

The database itself must already exist. The table is auto-created, but the database is not.

Required Privileges

The PostgreSQL user specified in STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL needs:

Privilege Why
CREATE TABLE Auto-create user_storage on first request (only needed once)
INSERT Save user data
UPDATE Update existing data
SELECT Read user data

If your DBA restricts CREATE TABLE, you can create the table manually (see below) and the user only needs INSERT/UPDATE/SELECT.

Docker Compose (App + PostgreSQL)

# docker-compose.yml
services:
  app:
    image: ghcr.io/libredb/libredb-studio:latest
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      - STORAGE_PROVIDER=postgres
      - STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL=postgresql://libredb:secret@db:5432/libredb?sslmode=disable
    depends_on:
      db:
        condition: service_healthy

  db:
    image: postgres:18
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_DB=libredb
      - POSTGRES_USER=libredb
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=secret
    volumes:
      - pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U libredb"]
      interval: 5s
      timeout: 3s
      retries: 5

volumes:
  pgdata:
docker-compose up -d

Using an Existing PostgreSQL

Just set the connection string — the table is auto-created:

STORAGE_PROVIDER=postgres
STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL=postgresql://user:pass@your-pg-host:5432/your_db

Use sslmode=disable for local/non-SSL PostgreSQL and sslmode=require for managed cloud PostgreSQL:

# Local PostgreSQL
STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL=postgresql://user:pass@localhost:5432/your_db?sslmode=disable

# Cloud PostgreSQL
STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL=postgresql://user:pass@your-pg-host:5432/your_db?sslmode=require

Verify

curl http://localhost:3000/api/storage/config
# → {"provider":"postgres","serverMode":true}

Manual Table Creation (Optional)

The table is auto-created on first request. However, if you prefer to create it yourself — for example, in environments where the app user doesn't have CREATE TABLE privileges, or you want to track schema changes in version control:

-- PostgreSQL
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS user_storage (
  user_id    TEXT NOT NULL,
  collection TEXT NOT NULL,
  data       TEXT NOT NULL,
  updated_at TIMESTAMPTZ NOT NULL DEFAULT NOW(),
  PRIMARY KEY (user_id, collection)
);

-- Optional: index for faster lookups by user
CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_user_storage_user_id ON user_storage (user_id);

Minimal Privileges (When Table Already Exists)

If a DBA creates the table, the app user only needs:

-- Grant only data access (no DDL needed)
GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE ON user_storage TO libredb_app;

Migration: Local to Server

When you switch from local mode to SQLite or PostgreSQL, existing browser data is automatically migrated on first login:

  1. User opens the app in server mode
  2. The sync hook detects it's the first time (no libredb_server_migrated flag)
  3. All localStorage data is sent to the server via POST /api/storage/migrate
  4. Server merges the data (ID-based deduplication — no duplicates)
  5. A flag is set in localStorage to prevent re-migration
  6. From this point on, the server is the source of truth

No manual steps required. Just change the env var and restart.

If multiple users were sharing a browser in local mode, only the data from the user who migrates first will be sent. Each user's server storage is isolated by their login email.

For the full migration lifecycle and the underlying merge semantics, see Migration Flow in Part 2.

Environment Variables Reference

Variable Required Default Description
STORAGE_PROVIDER No local local, sqlite, or postgres
STORAGE_SQLITE_PATH No ./data/libredb-storage.db Path to SQLite file. Directory and file are auto-created.
STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL Yes (postgres mode) — PostgreSQL connection string. No default — app will error without it.

These are server-side only variables (no NEXT_PUBLIC_ prefix). The client discovers the mode at runtime via GET /api/storage/config. This means one Docker image works for all modes. See Why Not NEXT_PUBLIC_*? for the rationale.

Default Behavior Summary

Mode Config needed What's auto-created
local Nothing N/A (browser localStorage)
sqlite Just STORAGE_PROVIDER=sqlite Directory + DB file + WAL mode + table
postgres STORAGE_PROVIDER=postgres + STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL Table only (database must exist)

Health Check

Check if the storage backend is reachable:

# Storage mode info (always works, no auth needed)
curl http://localhost:3000/api/storage/config

# Full data fetch (requires auth cookie)
curl -b cookies.txt http://localhost:3000/api/storage

Troubleshooting

"Data not syncing to server"

  1. Check storage mode: curl http://localhost:3000/api/storage/config
  2. Make sure the response shows "serverMode": true
  3. Check browser console for sync errors (look for [StorageSync] prefixed logs)

SQLite: "SQLITE_CANTOPEN"

  • The directory in STORAGE_SQLITE_PATH must be writable by the app process
  • In Docker, make sure the volume is mounted correctly

PostgreSQL: "STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL is required"

  • You set STORAGE_PROVIDER=postgres but didn't provide STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL
  • Unlike SQLite, PostgreSQL has no default — a connection string is always required
  • Fix: add STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL=postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/dbname to your env

PostgreSQL: "Connection refused"

  • Verify STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL is correct and the database is reachable
  • In Docker Compose, use the service name (db) as the host, not localhost
  • Check that the PostgreSQL container is healthy: docker-compose ps

PostgreSQL: "server does not support SSL connections"

  • Your PostgreSQL server does not accept SSL, but SSL is enabled in the connection URL
  • Fix local setups by adding ?sslmode=disable to STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL
  • For managed cloud PostgreSQL, use ?sslmode=require

"Data disappeared after switching modes"

  • Switching from server mode back to local mode doesn't pull data from the server
  • Local mode only reads from localStorage
  • To recover: switch back to server mode, the data is still in the database

"Duplicate data after migration"

  • Migration uses ID-based deduplication — this shouldn't happen
  • If it does, check if the same user logged in from multiple browsers before migration completed

Database Schema Reference

Both SQLite and PostgreSQL use the same single-table design. The table is auto-created on first request, but the full DDL is provided here for reference.

SQLite

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS user_storage (
  user_id    TEXT NOT NULL,
  collection TEXT NOT NULL,
  data       TEXT NOT NULL,
  updated_at TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT (datetime('now')),
  PRIMARY KEY (user_id, collection)
);

PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL;

PostgreSQL

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS user_storage (
  user_id    TEXT NOT NULL,
  collection TEXT NOT NULL,
  data       TEXT NOT NULL,
  updated_at TIMESTAMPTZ NOT NULL DEFAULT NOW(),
  PRIMARY KEY (user_id, collection)
);

-- Optional: index for faster lookups by user
CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_user_storage_user_id ON user_storage (user_id);

Schema Explanation

Column Type Description
user_id TEXT User's email from JWT token (e.g., admin@libredb.org)
collection TEXT Data category: connections, history, saved_queries, schema_snapshots, saved_charts, active_connection_id, audit_log, masking_config, threshold_config
data TEXT JSON-serialized collection data
updated_at TEXT / TIMESTAMPTZ Last modification timestamp

Each row stores one user's one collection as a JSON blob. Adding a new collection type requires no schema changes — just a new row.

Part 2 — Architecture & Internals

This part describes the internals of the storage abstraction layer: design goals, module structure, the storage facade API, provider interface, the write-through cache, the useStorageSync hook lifecycle, migration flows, and the security model.

1. Design Goals

Goal Approach
Zero breaking changes All 16+ consumer components keep the same synchronous storage.* API
Zero-config default localStorage works out of the box — no database, no env vars needed
Single image, all modes Runtime config via env var, not build-time NEXT_PUBLIC_*
Per-user isolation Server storage scoped by JWT username — no cross-user leaks
Graceful degradation If server is unreachable, localStorage continues to work
Extensible Adding a new backend (e.g., MySQL, DynamoDB) requires one file implementing ServerStorageProvider

2. Architecture Overview

┌──────────────────────────────┐
│   16+ Consumer Components    │  ← Unchanged, same sync API
│   storage.getConnections()   │
│   storage.saveConnection()   │
└──────────────┬───────────────┘
               │ sync read/write
┌──────────────▼───────────────┐
│   Storage Facade             │  ← localStorage read/write + CustomEvent dispatch
│   src/lib/storage/           │
│   storage-facade.ts          │
└──────────────┬───────────────┘
               │ CustomEvent: 'libredb-storage-change'
┌──────────────▼───────────────┐
│   useStorageSync Hook        │  ← Mounted in Studio.tsx (server mode only)
│   src/hooks/                 │
│   use-storage-sync.ts        │
└──────────────┬───────────────┘
               │ fetch (debounced 500ms)
┌──────────────▼───────────────┐
│   API Routes                 │  ← JWT auth + user scoping
│   /api/storage/*             │
└──────────────┬───────────────┘
               │
┌──────────────▼───────────────┐
│   ServerStorageProvider       │  ← Strategy Pattern
│   ┌─────────┐ ┌────────────┐ │
│   │ SQLite  │ │ PostgreSQL │ │
│   └─────────┘ └────────────┘ │
└──────────────────────────────┘

Key insight: localStorage is always the rendering source (L1 cache). The server database is the persistent source of truth (L2). The sync hook keeps them in sync via a write-through cache pattern.

3. Data Model

3.1 Collections

All application state is organized into 9 collections, each stored as a JSON blob:

Collection Type Description Max Items
connections DatabaseConnection[] Saved database connections —
history QueryHistoryItem[] Query execution history 500
saved_queries SavedQuery[] User-saved SQL/JSON queries —
schema_snapshots SchemaSnapshot[] Schema diff snapshots 50
saved_charts SavedChartConfig[] Saved chart configurations —
active_connection_id string | null Currently active connection —
audit_log AuditEvent[] Audit trail events 1000
masking_config MaskingConfig Data masking rules and RBAC —
threshold_config ThresholdConfig[] Monitoring alert thresholds —

3.2 Server Database Schema

Both SQLite and PostgreSQL use the same logical schema — a single table with collection-based JSON blobs:

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS user_storage (
  user_id    TEXT        NOT NULL,          -- JWT username (email)
  collection TEXT        NOT NULL,          -- 'connections', 'history', etc.
  data       TEXT        NOT NULL,          -- JSON serialized
  updated_at TEXT/TIMESTAMPTZ NOT NULL,     -- Last modification time
  PRIMARY KEY (user_id, collection)
);

This design is intentionally simple:

  • No schema migrations needed when adding new collections
  • One row per user per collection — efficient upsert
  • JSON blobs keep the server storage schema-agnostic

The full per-dialect DDL (with defaults and the recommended index) is in Database Schema Reference in Part 1.

3.3 localStorage Keys

Each collection maps to a libredb_-prefixed localStorage key:

connections       → libredb_connections
history           → libredb_history
saved_queries     → libredb_saved_queries
schema_snapshots  → libredb_schema_snapshots
saved_charts      → libredb_saved_charts
active_connection_id → libredb_active_connection_id
audit_log         → libredb_audit_log
masking_config    → libredb_masking_config
threshold_config  → libredb_threshold_config

4. Module Structure

src/lib/storage/
├── index.ts              # Barrel export — preserves @/lib/storage import path
├── types.ts              # StorageData, StorageCollection, ServerStorageProvider
├── local-storage.ts      # Pure localStorage CRUD (SSR-safe)
├── storage-facade.ts     # Public storage object with domain methods
├── factory.ts            # Env-based provider instantiation (singleton)
└── providers/
    ├── sqlite.ts         # better-sqlite3 implementation
    └── postgres.ts       # pg (Pool) implementation

src/hooks/
└── use-storage-sync.ts   # Write-through cache hook

src/app/api/storage/
├── config/route.ts       # GET: storage mode discovery (public)
├── route.ts              # GET: fetch all user data (auth required)
├── [collection]/route.ts # PUT: update single collection (auth required)
└── migrate/route.ts      # POST: localStorage → server migration (auth required)

5. Local Storage Layer

File: src/lib/storage/local-storage.ts

Pure, side-effect-free localStorage CRUD with SSR safety:

// All operations check isClient() before accessing localStorage
export function readJSON<T>(collection: string): T | null;
export function writeJSON(collection: string, data: unknown): void;
export function readString(collection: string): string | null;
export function writeString(collection: string, value: string): void;
export function remove(collection: string): void;
export function getKey(collection: string): string;  // → 'libredb_' + collection
  • Every function is guarded by isClient() — safe to call during SSR (returns null / no-op)
  • JSON parse failures return null instead of throwing

6. Storage Facade

File: src/lib/storage/storage-facade.ts

The public storage object provides the same synchronous API that all 16+ consumer components use. Every mutation method:

  1. Writes to localStorage (immediate)
  2. Dispatches a CustomEvent('libredb-storage-change') with the collection name and data
// Example: saving a connection
storage.saveConnection(conn);
// 1. Reads existing connections from localStorage
// 2. Upserts by ID
// 3. Writes back to localStorage
// 4. Dispatches CustomEvent({ collection: 'connections', data: updatedList })

Public API

Category Methods
Connections getConnections(), saveConnection(conn), deleteConnection(id)
History getHistory(), addToHistory(item), clearHistory()
Saved Queries getSavedQueries(), saveQuery(query), deleteSavedQuery(id)
Schema Snapshots getSchemaSnapshots(connId?), saveSchemaSnapshot(snap), deleteSchemaSnapshot(id)
Charts getSavedCharts(), saveChart(chart), deleteChart(id)
Active Connection getActiveConnectionId(), setActiveConnectionId(id)
Audit Log getAuditLog(), saveAuditLog(events)
Masking Config getMaskingConfig(), saveMaskingConfig(config)
Threshold Config getThresholdConfig(), saveThresholdConfig(thresholds)

All read methods are synchronous — they read from localStorage only. No network calls.

7. Server Storage Providers

7.1 Provider Interface

File: src/lib/storage/types.ts

interface ServerStorageProvider {
  initialize(): Promise<void>;
  getAllData(userId: string): Promise<Partial<StorageData>>;
  getCollection<K extends StorageCollection>(
    userId: string, collection: K
  ): Promise<StorageData[K] | null>;
  setCollection<K extends StorageCollection>(
    userId: string, collection: K, data: StorageData[K]
  ): Promise<void>;
  mergeData(userId: string, data: Partial<StorageData>): Promise<void>;
  isHealthy(): Promise<boolean>;
  close(): Promise<void>;
}

7.2 SQLite Provider

File: src/lib/storage/providers/sqlite.ts Package: better-sqlite3 (Node.js compatible, not bun:sqlite)

Feature Detail
WAL mode Enabled for concurrent read performance
Auto-create Directory and database file created on initialize()
Upsert INSERT ... ON CONFLICT (user_id, collection) DO UPDATE
Transactions mergeData() wraps all inserts in a single transaction
Health check SELECT 1 AS ok 
STORAGE_PROVIDER=sqlite
STORAGE_SQLITE_PATH=./data/libredb-storage.db   # default

7.3 PostgreSQL Provider

File: src/lib/storage/providers/postgres.ts Package: pg (connection pool)

Feature Detail
Pool config max: 5, idleTimeoutMillis: 30000
SSL behavior sslmode=disable for local/non-SSL servers, sslmode=require for cloud servers
Upsert INSERT ... ON CONFLICT (user_id, collection) DO UPDATE
Transactions mergeData() uses BEGIN/COMMIT/ROLLBACK with client checkout
Health check SELECT 1 AS ok 
STORAGE_PROVIDER=postgres
STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL=postgresql://user:pass@localhost:5432/libredb?sslmode=disable

7.4 Factory

File: src/lib/storage/factory.ts

The factory uses the Singleton pattern — one provider instance per process, lazy-initialized on first access:

getStorageProviderType()     // → 'local' | 'sqlite' | 'postgres'
isServerStorageEnabled()     // → true if not 'local'
getStorageConfig()           // → { provider, serverMode }
getStorageProvider()         // → ServerStorageProvider | null (singleton)
closeStorageProvider()       // → cleanup for testing

Provider classes are dynamically imported — SQLite and PostgreSQL dependencies are only loaded when their provider is selected.

8. API Routes

All routes (except /config) require JWT authentication. The authenticated user's username (email) is used as the user_id for storage scoping.

Endpoint Method Auth Purpose
/api/storage/config GET Public Runtime storage mode discovery
/api/storage GET JWT Fetch all collections for the authenticated user
/api/storage/[collection] PUT JWT Update a single collection
/api/storage/migrate POST JWT Merge localStorage dump into server storage

Response Examples

GET /api/storage/config

{ "provider": "sqlite", "serverMode": true }

GET /api/storage

{
  "connections": [{ "id": "c1", "name": "Prod DB", ... }],
  "history": [{ "id": "h1", "query": "SELECT ...", ... }],
  ...
}

PUT /api/storage/connections

// Request: { "data": [{ "id": "c1", "name": "Prod DB", ... }] }
// Response: { "ok": true }

POST /api/storage/migrate

// Request: { "connections": [...], "history": [...], ... }
// Response: { "ok": true, "migrated": ["connections", "history"] }

When STORAGE_PROVIDER=local, all data routes return 404 Not Found (config route always works).

9. Write-Through Cache & Sync Hook

File: src/hooks/use-storage-sync.ts

The hook is mounted in Studio.tsx after useAuth() and orchestrates all client-server synchronization.

Sync States

interface StorageSyncState {
  isServerMode: boolean;     // Server storage active?
  isSyncing: boolean;        // Currently transferring data?
  isReady: boolean;          // Init complete (config fetched + initial pull done)?
  lastSyncedAt: Date | null; // Last successful sync timestamp
  syncError: string | null;  // Last error message (null = healthy)
}

Lifecycle

App Mount
  │
  ├─ GET /api/storage/config
  │   ├─ serverMode: false → done (localStorage only)
  │   └─ serverMode: true ──┐
  │                          │
  │   ┌──────────────────────▼──────────────────────┐
  │   │ Check libredb_server_migrated flag          │
  │   │  ├─ Not migrated → POST /api/storage/migrate│
  │   │  │   (send all localStorage → server merge) │
  │   │  │   Set flag in localStorage               │
  │   │  └─ Already migrated → skip                 │
  │   └──────────────────────┬──────────────────────┘
  │                          │
  │   ┌──────────────────────▼──────────────────────┐
  │   │ Pull: GET /api/storage                      │
  │   │  → Write server data into localStorage      │
  │   │  → Components re-render from localStorage   │
  │   └──────────────────────┬──────────────────────┘
  │                          │
  │   ┌──────────────────────▼──────────────────────┐
  │   │ Listen: 'libredb-storage-change' events     │
  │   │  → Collect pending collections              │
  │   │  → Debounce 500ms                           │
  │   │  → PUT /api/storage/[collection] for each   │
  │   └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
  │
  ▼ (ongoing)

Push Behavior (Debounced)

When any storage.* mutation fires:

  1. Facade writes to localStorage (immediate, synchronous)
  2. Facade dispatches CustomEvent('libredb-storage-change', { collection, data })
  3. Hook captures event, adds collection to pending set
  4. After 500ms of no new mutations, hook flushes:
    • Reads each pending collection from localStorage
    • Sends PUT /api/storage/[collection] for each

Graceful Degradation

  • If /api/storage/config fails → stays in localStorage-only mode
  • If push fails → logs warning, sets syncError, does not block the UI
  • Components always read from localStorage — no loading states for storage

10. Migration Flow

When a user first enables server mode (or a new user logs in for the first time):

1. Hook detects serverMode = true
2. Checks localStorage('libredb_server_migrated') flag
3. If not migrated:
   a. Reads all 9 collections from localStorage
   b. POST /api/storage/migrate with full payload
   c. Server calls provider.mergeData() — ID-based deduplication
   d. Sets 'libredb_server_migrated' flag in localStorage
4. Pull: GET /api/storage → overwrite localStorage with server data
5. Subsequent mutations sync normally via push

This ensures existing localStorage data is preserved when transitioning to server mode.

For the operator-facing summary of this behavior, see Migration: Local to Server in Part 1.

11. Configuration

Environment Variables

Variable Default Required Description
STORAGE_PROVIDER local No Storage backend: local, sqlite, or postgres
STORAGE_SQLITE_PATH ./data/libredb-storage.db No Path to SQLite database file
STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL — If postgres PostgreSQL connection string (sslmode=disable local, sslmode=require cloud)

Why Not NEXT_PUBLIC_*?

Next.js NEXT_PUBLIC_* variables are inlined at build time as static strings. This means:

  • Every storage mode would require a separate Docker build
  • Cannot change storage mode without rebuilding

Instead, the client discovers the storage mode at runtime via GET /api/storage/config. One Docker image supports all modes.

12. User Scoping & Security

Per-User Isolation

Every row in user_storage is scoped by user_id:

(admin@libredb.org, connections) → [{"id":"c1", "name":"Prod DB"...}]
(admin@libredb.org, history)     → [{"id":"h1", "query":"SELECT..."...}]
(user@libredb.org,  connections) → [{"id":"c2", "name":"Dev DB"...}]
  • user_id = JWT session username (email address)
  • Client never sends user_id — server always extracts from JWT cookie
  • Every query includes WHERE user_id = $username — no cross-user access possible

Authentication

  • /api/storage/config is public — returns only { provider, serverMode }, no sensitive data
  • All other /api/storage/* routes require a valid JWT session via getSession()
  • Unauthorized requests receive 401 Unauthorized

OIDC Users

OIDC users (Auth0, Keycloak, Okta, Azure AD) have their preferred_username or email claim mapped to the same username field used as user_id. See OIDC.md for SSO configuration — it pairs well with server storage for team deployments.

13. Docker Deployment

SQLite Mode

# docker-compose.yml
services:
  libredb-studio:
    environment:
      STORAGE_PROVIDER: sqlite
      STORAGE_SQLITE_PATH: /app/data/libredb-storage.db
    volumes:
      - storage-data:/app/data

volumes:
  storage-data:

The Dockerfile includes better-sqlite3 native bindings and creates the /app/data directory.

PostgreSQL Mode

services:
  libredb-studio:
    environment:
      STORAGE_PROVIDER: postgres
      STORAGE_POSTGRES_URL: postgresql://user:pass@db:5432/libredb
    depends_on:
      - db
  db:
    image: postgres:18
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: libredb
      POSTGRES_USER: user
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: pass

No volume needed on the app container — data lives in PostgreSQL.

For step-by-step operator instructions (including healthchecks and verification), see Docker under SQLite and Docker Compose (App + PostgreSQL) in Part 1.

14. Adding a New Provider

To add a new storage backend (e.g., MySQL, DynamoDB):

Step 1: Implement the Interface

Create src/lib/storage/providers/your-provider.ts:

import type { ServerStorageProvider, StorageData, StorageCollection } from '../types';

export class YourStorageProvider implements ServerStorageProvider {
  async initialize(): Promise<void> { /* create table */ }
  async getAllData(userId: string): Promise<Partial<StorageData>> { /* ... */ }
  async getCollection<K extends StorageCollection>(
    userId: string, collection: K
  ): Promise<StorageData[K] | null> { /* ... */ }
  async setCollection<K extends StorageCollection>(
    userId: string, collection: K, data: StorageData[K]
  ): Promise<void> { /* upsert */ }
  async mergeData(
    userId: string, data: Partial<StorageData>
  ): Promise<void> { /* batch upsert in transaction */ }
  async isHealthy(): Promise<boolean> { /* SELECT 1 */ }
  async close(): Promise<void> { /* cleanup */ }
}

Step 2: Register in Factory

Update src/lib/storage/factory.ts:

// Add to StorageProviderType
type StorageProviderType = 'local' | 'sqlite' | 'postgres' | 'your-provider';

// Add dynamic import in getStorageProvider()
case 'your-provider': {
  const { YourStorageProvider } = await import('./providers/your-provider');
  instance = new YourStorageProvider(process.env.STORAGE_YOUR_URL!);
  break;
}

Step 3: Add Tests

Create tests/unit/lib/storage/providers/your-provider.test.ts with mocked driver.

That's it — no changes needed to the facade, API routes, sync hook, or any consumer components.

Related Documentation

  • ARCHITECTURE.md — Overall system architecture
  • OIDC.md — SSO configuration (pairs well with server storage for team deployments)