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What It Does

Your application needs a database. Monk detects this during code analysis, then provisions and configures it automatically - whether that’s PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, or any of 20+ supported databases. You choose how it’s deployed: self-hosted in containers, cloud provider managed services, or third-party managed databases. Monk handles provisioning, connection strings, and configuration. You write queries, Monk handles everything else.

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How It Works

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Automatic Database Detection

During code analysis, Monk identifies your database requirements: What Monk discovers:
  • Database type (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, etc.)
  • ORM/driver being used (Prisma, SQLAlchemy, Mongoose, etc.)
  • Connection string references in your code
  • Schema files and migrations
  • Required database features (full-text search, JSON columns, etc.)
Monk understands your database needs before you even configure anything.

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Flexible Deployment Options

Once Monk knows which database you need, it offers deployment options:

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Option 1: Self-Hosted in Containers

Best for: Development, staging, proof-of-concept
  • Database runs in a container on your infrastructure
  • Monk handles setup, persistence, and configuration
  • Quick to spin up, easy to tear down
  • Full control over database version and settings

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Option 2: Cloud Provider Managed Database

Best for: Production, simplified operations, automatic backups
  • Uses cloud provider’s managed database service
  • Examples: AWS RDS, GCP Cloud SQL, Azure Database, DigitalOcean Managed Database
  • Automatic backups, updates, high availability
  • You provide cloud credentials, Monk provisions and configures

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Option 3: Third-Party Managed Database

Best for: Specialized features, global distribution, serverless scaling
  • Uses specialized database providers
  • Examples: MongoDB Atlas, Redis Cloud, Neon (PostgreSQL), PlanetScale (MySQL)
  • Often have free tiers or serverless pricing
  • Advanced features like multi-region replication
Progression example (MongoDB):
  • Start with MongoDB Community (containerized) for development
  • Move to DigitalOcean Managed MongoDB for production simplicity
  • Scale to MongoDB Atlas for global distribution and advanced features
The choice is yours. Monk recommends the best option based on your stage (dev vs production), scale, and requirements, but you decide.

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Supported Databases

Monk supports 20+ databases out of the box via integrations: Relational Databases:
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • MariaDB
  • Microsoft SQL Server
  • CockroachDB
  • TiDB
NoSQL Databases:
  • MongoDB
  • Redis
  • Cassandra
  • ScyllaDB
  • CouchDB
  • ArangoDB
  • OrientDB
  • Neo4j (Graph)
Time-Series & Analytics:
  • TimescaleDB
  • QuestDB
  • DolphinDB
  • ClickHouse
Specialized:
  • Elasticsearch / OpenSearch
  • Solr (search)
  • Aerospike
  • GridDB
  • Hazelcast
  • Valkey
Don’t see your database? Check Integrations for the full list, or let us know - Monk’s integration ecosystem is constantly growing.

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Automatic Connection Management

Monk generates and manages database connection strings automatically via Configuration & Wiring: What Monk handles:
  • Connection string generation (postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db)
  • Credentials creation and secure storage
  • Network configuration for database access
  • Connection pooling settings
  • SSL/TLS encryption setup
The benefit: Switch between deployment options without code changes.
Data migration between databases is not yet automated. When switching from self-hosted to managed (or vice versa), Monk updates connection strings but doesn’t transfer data automatically. You’ll need to migrate data manually (export/import) or wait for automatic data migration (coming soon).

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Database Credentials

When using managed databases (MongoDB Atlas, Redis Cloud, cloud provider databases), Monk requests the necessary credentials automatically. For third-party services:
  • MongoDB Atlas, Redis Cloud, Neon - Monk asks for API keys when needed
For cloud-managed databases:
  • AWS RDS, GCP Cloud SQL, etc. - Uses your cloud provider credentials
→ How to obtain database credentials

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Database Configuration

Monk can configure database settings to match your requirements: Configurable settings:
  • Memory allocation and caching
  • Connection pool sizes
  • Query timeouts
  • Storage size and IOPS
  • Replication settings
  • Performance tuning parameters
Ask Monk to adjust any database setting - it understands database-specific parameters for each supported database type.

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Backups & Restore

Backup/restore features are currently in development. While backup APIs exist for some managed services, full Monk integration for automated backups via chat is still being built. Check individual integration docs for manual backup operations.
Databases with backup API support: The following managed databases have backup/restore APIs that Monk can leverage:
  • MongoDB Atlas (M10+ dedicated clusters only)
  • AWS RDS (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, Oracle)
  • DigitalOcean Managed Databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Valkey)
  • GCP Cloud SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL)
  • Azure Cosmos DB
  • Redis Cloud (Pro tier)
  • AWS DynamoDB
See individual integration pages for provider-specific backup operations. Self-hosted databases: For containerized databases, manual backup procedures are recommended:
  • Volume snapshots
  • Database-specific tools (mongodump, pg_dump, mysqldump)
  • Scheduled backup scripts

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Coming Soon

Several database features are actively in development: Data Plane Integration COMING SOON
  • Schema migration automation
  • Database seeding
  • Data synchronization between environments
  • Automatic data migration when switching database providers
Custom Management Actions COMING SOON
  • One-command database operations (vacuum, analyze, reindex)
  • Performance diagnostics
  • Query optimization suggestions
  • Runbook automation for common database tasks

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What Makes This Different

Traditional database setup requires:
  • Choosing between managed services and self-hosting manually
  • Learning cloud provider database consoles
  • Writing connection strings and managing credentials
  • Configuring backups and replication
  • Updating application configs when changing database providers
  • Managing database-specific settings
With Monk: Say what database you need (or let Monk detect it). Choose deployment option. Done.

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Key Capabilities

  • Automatic detection - Identifies database requirements from code
  • 20+ databases supported - Relational, NoSQL, time-series, search, graph
  • Flexible deployment - Self-hosted containers, cloud managed, third-party managed
  • Smart recommendations - Monk suggests best option for your use case
  • Connection string management - Automatic generation and updates
  • Easy switching - Move between deployment options without code changes
  • Database configuration - Adjust settings via natural language
  • Multi-database applications - PostgreSQL + Redis + MongoDB? No problem
  • Secure credential handling - Database passwords stored securely