Add Backend Maintainer Trainee & Database Reviewer: Gregory Havenga

Thanks for your interest in becoming a database reviewer! Database reviewers are like backend reviewers but with a special focus on the database. As a result, there are some special challenges they may face in the course of their necessary work.

Before becoming a database reviewer, we ask that you complete the following steps to be sure you're prepared!

Justification

Significant amount of work for Threat Insights has been related to in-depth query and database interaction optimisation, to the extent that I've begun to flag possible database issues during my standard backend reviews. As a result, it probably makes sense to lean into this experience and start using it to reduce the database review load at GitLab.

I also just really enjoy it admittedly.

I am additionally volunteering to be come a Backend Maintainer trainee. I have spent a substantial amount of time reviewing backend MR's, and wish to set myself as a trainee so that any issues in my reviewing can be actively flagged for improvement and mentorship engaged.

New reviewer tasks

• Change merge request to include your name: Add Database Reviewer: Your Name
• Review general code review guidelines
• Familiarize yourself with how to review for database
• Read Understanding EXPLAIN plans
• Read up on what to do if you're feeling overwhelmed by database reviews
• Make sure you have access to database lab reports in postges.ai. If there are no instances listed, file an access request for postgres.ai access.
• Mention the database team manager for awareness
• Assign the issue to your manager to merge

Note that approving and accepting merge requests is restricted to Database Maintainers only. As a reviewer, pass the MR to a maintainer for approval.

Where to go for questions?

Reach out to #database on Slack