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User Guide

For non-technical operators and application teams

This guide explains how to use Prism for data access without requiring deep technical knowledge. Start here if you're new to Prism.

Quick Start Path​

5 minutes: Getting Started Learn what Prism is and why it matters

10 minutes: Core Concepts Understand the three-layer architecture

15 minutes: Using Prism Request and configure your first namespace

Total: 30 minutes to productive use

Guide Contents​

1. Getting Started​

What you'll learn:

  • What Prism is and what problems it solves
  • Core benefits: fast time to value, backend flexibility, automatic reliability
  • Quick value comparison (with vs. without Prism)
  • Your first namespace in 3 steps
  • When to use Prism (and when not to)

Read time: 5 minutes

Start reading →

2. Core Concepts​

What you'll learn:

  • The three-layer architecture (Client API, Patterns, Backends)
  • How layers work together transparently
  • Namespaces and isolation
  • Data models (KeyValue, PubSub, Queue, Stream, TimeSeries)
  • Backend capabilities and interfaces
  • Configuration ownership (client vs. platform)
  • Automatic PII handling and observability

Read time: 10 minutes

Start reading →

3. Using Prism​

What you'll learn:

  • How to request a namespace (step-by-step)
  • Choosing durability levels (best-effort, eventual, strong)
  • Estimating capacity (RPS, data size, retention)
  • Access control and compliance policies
  • Common configuration patterns
  • Modifying namespaces (scaling, retention, access)
  • Monitoring namespace health
  • Troubleshooting common issues

Read time: 15 minutes

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4. Data Patterns​

What you'll learn:

  • How Prism selects patterns automatically
  • Core patterns:
    • WAL (Write-Ahead Log) for durability
    • Claim Check for large messages
    • Outbox for transactional messaging
    • CDC (Change Data Capture)
    • Tiered Storage for cost optimization
    • Multicast Registry for high availability
  • Pattern composition (combining multiple patterns)
  • Performance characteristics and tradeoffs
  • Pattern monitoring

Read time: 10 minutes

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5. Operations​

What you'll learn:

  • Daily operational tasks
  • Capacity management (scaling up/down)
  • Troubleshooting (high latency, missing data, backend errors)
  • Data management (retention, cleanup, export)
  • Access management (grant/revoke)
  • Alerting configuration
  • Backup and recovery
  • Backend migration with zero downtime
  • Performance optimization
  • Best practices for operations

Read time: 10 minutes

Start reading →

Who This Guide Is For​

Application Developers​

You want to add data access to your application without managing infrastructure.

Start with:

  1. Getting Started - Understand what Prism does
  2. Using Prism - Request your namespace
  3. Use provided client libraries (Python, Go, Rust)

Team Leads​

You need to decide if Prism fits your team's needs.

Start with:

  1. Getting Started - Value proposition
  2. Core Concepts - Architecture overview
  3. Data Patterns - Reliability guarantees

Operations Engineers​

You manage applications using Prism and need to troubleshoot issues.

Start with:

  1. Core Concepts - How Prism works
  2. Operations - Day-to-day tasks
  3. Using Prism - Configuration details

Platform Engineers​

You deploy and maintain Prism infrastructure.

Start with:

  1. This user guide (understand user perspective)
  2. Architecture Guide - Deep technical details
  3. ADRs - Architectural decisions
  4. RFCs - Technical specifications

Beyond This Guide​

For Deeper Understanding​

After completing this guide, explore:

For Development​

Building on or with Prism:

Getting Help​

Documentation​

Support​

  • Command help: prism namespace --help
  • System status: prism status
  • Platform team: (contact internal support channel)

Feedback​

Found an issue or have suggestions for this guide?

Start Your Journey​

New to Prism? Begin with Getting Started →

Ready to use Prism? Jump to Using Prism →

Need to troubleshoot? Go to Operations →