Database Plugins for HiveMind

HiveMind uses database plugins to provide persistent storage for client credentials, permissions, and other critical node state.

While network and agent plugins handle message transport and behavior, database plugins ensure HiveMind nodes can remember clients, authorization, and configuration across restarts.

What is a Database Plugin?

A Database Plugin defines how and where HiveMind stores persistent data. This includes:

  • Client credentials (API keys, certificates)
  • Permissions and access control

Each node loads a single database plugin, which acts as the persistent backend for that HiveMind instance.

Available Database Plugins

🔹 JSON Plugin (Default)

  • Provided natively by the json-database package.
  • Stores all data as local JSON files.
  • Simple and easy to configure.
  • Suitable for testing, small deployments, or single-node setups.
  • Limitations: Not ideal for multi-node environments, lacks advanced caching and scaling.
  • Provided by the hivemind-redis-database package.
  • Uses Redis as the backend.
  • Provides fast, in-memory storage with optional persistence.
  • Ideal for multi-node HiveMind deployments, enabling all nodes to share credentials and permissions.
  • Supports high-throughput scenarios and distributed systems.

🔹 SQLite Plugin (Experimental)

  • Provided by the hivemind-sqlite-database package.
  • Stores data in a local SQLite database instead of JSON files.
  • Aims to provide a lightweight, transactional alternative to JSON for single-node setups.
  • Currently experimental — suitable for testing or small-scale deployments.

Why Database Plugins Matter

  • Security: Store client credentials and permissions safely.
  • Persistence: Keep state across node restarts.
  • Scalability: Redis or similar backends allow HiveMind to operate in multi-node or cloud environments.

Recommendations

  • Use the JSON plugin for local testing or single-node setups.
  • Use the SQLite plugin for lightweight, experimental alternative to JSON.
  • Use the Redis plugin for production environments, multi-node networks, or setups requiring fast and shared access to client credentials.