Add initial DB pooling and optimization doc

[johnewart]

Description Of Changes

A doc covering the available database configuration options related to pooling and performance; includes information on why an external database pool manager is important (and when you should consider using one). Covers the environment variables used and what they do along with some examples, references to relevant SQLAlchemy documentation and some troubleshooting / back of the napkin calculations for how to estimate pool size. It specifically focuses on the async configurations, in particular the asynchronous read-only configurations as that is what our higher-performance endpoints use.

Code Changes

No code, just a .md file

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2 Skipped Deployments

Project	Deployment	Actions	Updated (UTC)
fides-plus-nightly	Ignored		Feb 12, 2026 0:14am
fides-privacy-center	Ignored		Feb 12, 2026 0:14am

[greptile-apps]

Greptile Overview

Greptile Summary

Added comprehensive documentation for database connection pool optimization focused on async read-only configurations. The documentation provides:

• Detailed explanations of all FIDES__DATABASE__ASYNC_READONLY_DATABASE_* environment variables with SQLAlchemy references
• Strong recommendation to use external connection pooling (PgBouncer, AWS RDS Proxy) for production deployments with clear architectural diagrams
• Performance optimization guidance including pool sizing formulas, load testing procedures, and monitoring metrics
• Multiple configuration examples for different traffic scenarios (high-traffic, medium-traffic, development)
• Troubleshooting section covering common issues like pool exhaustion and connection limits
• Accurate technical details that align with the actual implementation in database_settings.py and ctl_session.py

The document is well-structured, technically accurate, and provides actionable guidance for production deployments expecting high traffic volumes.

Confidence Score: 5/5

• This PR is safe to merge with no risk - it only adds documentation without any code changes.
• This is a documentation-only PR that adds a comprehensive guide for database pool optimization. The documentation is technically accurate, matches the actual implementation, provides valuable production guidance, and cannot introduce bugs or regressions since no code is modified.
• No files require special attention

Important Files Changed

Filename	Overview
docs/DATABASE_POOL_OPTIMIZATION.md	Comprehensive documentation for async database connection pool optimization with accurate technical details, best practices, and clear examples. Well-structured guide that matches the actual code implementation.

[greptile-apps]

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