Project Description

Since Linear's inception we've proactively invested our foundation always anticipating potential future bottlenecks. This approach allows us to develop a robust infrastructure and application framework without resorting to rushed subpar solutions when scaling challenges arise. This forward-thinking mindset is also why we chose to implement multi-region infrastructure earlier than most companies typically would.

The Challenges

• We always begin by creating a shared record in the authentication service and then use the returned ID to create a matching record in the regional database.
• Deletion operates similarly to record creation but includes an added safeguard: Postgres triggers generate an audit log for deleted records. This ensures that even records removed through foreign key cascades.

Execution

After experimenting with several options for the internal API between the API service and the authentication service, we ultimately chose Graph. While it isn't the most ideal choice for service-to-service communication, we already had solid Graph tooling in place (since our public API uses Graph. Additionally, we leveraged Zeus to generate a type-safe client, allowing the API service to interact with the authentication service seamlessly.