Batching • WAL • PRAGMAs • Indexing
Performance Tips for DB Browser (SQLCipher)
Encryption adds work, but smart practices keep things snappy. Use transactions, enable WAL where appropriate, add the right indexes and choose practical PRAGMAs for your hardware and workload.
Transactions and batching
- Group many INSERT/UPDATE operations inside a single transaction to reduce fsync overhead.
- For very large loads, import into a staging table, then transform with SQL.
- Validate row counts and sample records after bulk operations.
See also: CSV import/export
WAL and concurrency
Write‑Ahead Logging (WAL) can improve read concurrency and reduce writer stalls. It’s a trade‑off: larger file sets and different fs patterns.
- Enable WAL for read‑heavy workloads; test for your environment.
- Use checkpoints after large writes to keep WAL size in check.
- Ensure tools accessing the DB understand WAL mode.
Commands: SQL/PRAGMA cheatsheet
Indexing strategy
- Create indexes for columns in WHERE, JOIN and ORDER BY clauses.
- Avoid over‑indexing; indexes cost disk and slow down writes.
- For one‑off ETL, add temporary indexes and drop them afterward.
Need examples? See SQL/PRAGMA cheatsheet
Practical PRAGMAs (choose sensibly)
- journal_mode: WAL for read concurrency; ROLLBACK for simple, single‑user cases.
- synchronous: Balance durability and speed; test NORMAL vs FULL for your use.
- cache_size: Increase for big queries if memory allows.
- temp_store: Memory can speed up sorts; ensure RAM is sufficient.
Never change PRAGMAs blindly in production databases. Test with realistic data and back up before tuning.
Apply via SQL editor in DB Browser or see cheatsheet.
Large CSV imports
- Import in chunks; keep transactions reasonably sized.
- Disable non‑critical triggers during bulk load; re‑enable afterward.
- Normalize and clean data first (types, NULLs, whitespace).
Workflow details: CSV import/export
Cipher and hardware considerations
- Higher KDF iterations cost CPU on open; choose values your machines can handle.
- SSD vs HDD makes a big difference for write‑heavy tasks.
- Keep parameters consistent across environments to avoid re‑work.
Background: SQLCipher basics