Avoiding PostgreSQL Pitfalls: The Hidden Cost of Failing Inserts

A simple insert query turned into a silent performance killer. Our frontend pings our server every few minutes to track device activity. Each ping attempts to insert a row into a DevicePingDaily table, which has a unique constraint on (device_id, date) to ensure only one record per device per day. In Django, the logic looked like this: try : DevicePingDaily . objects . create(device = device, date…