Making PostgreSQL Realtime

PostgreSQL is one of the most powerful and popular databases in use today, and is increasingly used for systems of record at all types of organizations. This works well for many use cases, but things get difficult when you try to build a modern, reactive app connected to your Postgres database. Postgres is fast, but it’s just not designed for realtime, reactive mobile apps.

Today we’re excited to introduce a solution: Realm’s new PostgreSQL Data Connector. This new connector creates a simple two-way bridge between Postgres and the Realm Mobile Platform, effectively making Postgres realtime for mobile apps. Data flows reliably and in a fault-tolerant manner between Postgres and the Realm Platform, which then handles realtime sync with your mobile apps automatically. This means changes made on mobile clients are automatically reflected back to your Postgres database in realtime, and data changes made in Postgres sync in realtime with client-side databases. You can now easily make truly reactive mobile apps with PostgreSQL and Realm.

Realm Mobile Platform as an alternative to REST APIs

The Realm Mobile Platform replaces traditional methods of using REST APIs to get data in and out of backend systems for use in a mobile context. Our automatic realtime sync service efficiently syncs only what has changed in the data model without the need for manual data requests or bandwidth-hogging polling. Realm automatically handles the realtime sync of your native objects—without the need for JSON—between clients and the Realm Object Server (the server-side component of the Realm Mobile Platform). The Realm Object Server can then provide the API integration point between your mobile application and PostgreSQL database to consolidate API management in the backend, where network issues are not a concern. This architecture reduces the number of API calls that each device must make and reduces the need for complex idempotent APIs that can handle unreliable network connectivity.

PostgreSQL Data Connector Demo

Here’s a video to show you an example of how we can link Postgres and Realm Mobile Platform:

Using sample data from a fictional DVD Rental company, we’re able to modify inventory levels via a mobile app or within Postgres and see those changes sync in realtime. It’s a simple example of how Realm can dramatically simplify making Postgres realtime for your applications.

Realm connects your mobile app and Postgres with automatic realtime sync.

We’re excited to show you how Realm can work for you in your environment. You can visit Github for the code and an in-depth overview of how to connect the Realm Mobile Platform and PostgreSQL to create reactive, realtime mobile applications with data stored in PostgreSQL.