Backend Configuration

Every Sazabi project needs a backend, which is the system that stores and serves your log data. Sazabi supports two types of backends: the managed Sazabi backend and external backends that connect to your existing logging infrastructure.

Backend types

Sazabi managed backend

The Sazabi backend is the default choice for all new projects. It provides:

• Fully managed infrastructure: No servers to maintain or scale
• High-performance queries: ClickHouse optimized for analytical workloads
• AI-optimized indexing: Designed for the queries Chat runs
• Automatic schema detection: JSON fields are parsed and indexed automatically
• 30-day default retention: Configurable on enterprise plans

When to use the Sazabi backend

Choose the Sazabi backend when:

• Starting fresh with no existing logging infrastructure
• You want all logs in one place for unified investigations
• You prefer managed infrastructure over self-managed
• You want the fastest query performance with Chat

For detailed information about capabilities, retention, and limits, see the Sazabi Backend Reference.

External backends

External backends let you use Sazabi's AI-powered investigation capabilities with logs stored in your existing systems. Sazabi queries your external backend in place without moving or duplicating your data.

Supported external backends

When to use an external backend

Choose an external backend when:

• You already have logging infrastructure you want to keep
• Data residency requirements prevent moving data to Sazabi
• You need longer retention than Sazabi offers
• You want to try Sazabi without changing your logging pipeline

Trade-offs of external backends

External backends have some limitations compared to the Sazabi backend:

• Query latency: Queries go through an additional network hop to your external system
• Feature availability: Some advanced features may not be available with all external backends
• Rate limits: Subject to rate limits of the external provider
• Cost: You continue to pay for storage in the external system

Configuring a backend

Setting the backend during project creation

When creating a project, you can specify the backend:

# Create a project with the default Sazabi backend
sazabi projects create --name "production"

# Create a project with an external backend
sazabi projects create --name "production" --backend datadog

Changing the backend

To change a project's backend, navigate to Settings > Project > Backend in the dashboard.

Detailed backend documentation

For comprehensive information about each backend option:

Next steps