Lekton Sigma Adds Third Database to Card Processing

In late September, Philipp Delgado, an architect for card processing at Lekton Sigma, took the stage at Yandex Neuro Scale. His presentation detailed a significant technical evolution within the company's infrastructure.

The core of the discussion centered on the team's successful effort to integrate YDB support into their existing card processing solution. This move represents a strategic shift in their database architecture, moving beyond their established systems to embrace a new, distributed approach.

The presentation offered a deep dive into the technical journey, from the initial decision-making process to the final implementation. It provided a valuable case study for engineers facing similar architectural challenges in high-stakes environments.

The presentation at Yandex Neuro Scale served as the public unveiling of a major engineering project. Philipp Delgado outlined the process of adding support for YDB to the Lekton Sigma card processing platform. This was not merely a theoretical discussion but a practical account of a live system modification.

The talk was structured to address several fundamental questions that arise during such a transition. Delgado explained the strategic reasoning behind introducing a third database system into an already complex environment. He also quantified the resources required for such an undertaking, discussing the team size needed to execute the project effectively.

Furthermore, the presentation highlighted the specific technical hurdles encountered during the migration. The shift from a traditional, centralized database like PostgreSQL to a distributed system like YDB presents unique challenges that the team had to navigate.

He shared key technical moments he finds interesting for a wide audience.

The core of the project was a fundamental change in data infrastructure. The team moved from a centralized PostgreSQL environment to a distributed YDB architecture. This transition is critical for systems requiring high availability and scalability, which are essential for modern card processing operations.

Such a migration involves more than just swapping out database engines. It requires a rethinking of data consistency, transaction management, and fault tolerance. The distributed nature of YDB offers different guarantees and performance characteristics compared to a centralized system.

The decision to add a third database system indicates a move towards a polyglot persistence architecture. This approach allows systems to leverage the strengths of different database technologies for specific tasks, optimizing performance and resilience.

• Transitioning from centralized to distributed systems.
• Managing data consistency across nodes.
• Ensuring high availability for critical transactions.
• Optimizing performance for a card processing workload.

The insights from the presentation were tailored for a broad technical audience. Philipp Delgado focused on aspects of the project that would be most relevant to other engineers and developers. The goal was to provide practical knowledge that could be applied to similar large-scale infrastructure projects.

The discussion covered the entire lifecycle of the integration, from the initial 'why' to the final 'how'. By sharing these details, the presentation aimed to demystify the process of incorporating a distributed database into a critical financial system. It provided a roadmap for others considering a similar path.

This knowledge-sharing initiative underscores the importance of community learning in the technology sector. Complex engineering challenges are often solved more effectively when experiences and solutions are shared openly among peers.

The successful integration of YDB into Lekton Sigma's card processing system marks a significant milestone. It demonstrates the company's commitment to evolving its technological stack to meet future demands for scalability and reliability.

This project provides a clear example of how organizations can modernize their data infrastructure. By carefully planning and executing a transition from a centralized to a distributed database, they can build more robust and scalable systems.

The experience shared by Philipp Delgado offers a valuable blueprint for other technical teams. It highlights the importance of strategic planning, resource allocation, and overcoming the inherent complexities of distributed system architecture.