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Couchbase Introduces Edge Server to Tackle Real-World Edge Application Challenges

  • Writer: Justin Cook
    Justin Cook
  • Apr 8
  • 4 min read

by Justin Cook


Couchbase has announced a new solution designed specifically for edge environments: Couchbase Edge Server — a lightweight, offline-first database and sync server built for fast, reliable performance in resource-constrained edge scenarios.

Edge applications often struggle with cloud dependencies due to connectivity limitations. While local databases seem like a logical fix, many are difficult to deploy and manage on constrained hardware. Whether in airplanes, retail stores, or remote industrial sites, organizations need solutions that deliver low-latency, always-available data access. Couchbase Edge Server addresses these challenges with a compact server optimized for edge hardware that performs even without internet connectivity.


What Is Couchbase Edge Server?

Couchbase Edge Server is a compact REST and sync server built on Couchbase Lite Core (LiteCore), extending the capabilities of Couchbase Mobile. It enables scalable, offline-first data sync at the edge, even on devices with limited compute power.

Key Features:

  • Lightweight and Compact: ~10 MB codebase; typically uses < 50 MB RAM.

  • Flexible Data Handling: Serves existing Couchbase Lite database files or supports CRUD operations with built-in document access.

  • Real-Time Updates: Push-based changes feed minimizes polling and improves sync latency.

  • Advanced Querying: Supports SQL++ queries for powerful, flexible data access.

  • Local Sync: Acts as a sync server for local Couchbase Lite clients.

  • Upstream Sync: Connects to Sync Gateway, Couchbase Capella, or other Edge Servers for broader integration.


Designed for the Edge

Built on the same AI-ready embedded engine powering critical apps on thousands of client devices, Edge Server runs as a standalone component. It supports both downstream and upstream sync, delivering seamless offline-first capabilities.

In environments like retail outlets or manufacturing floors where bandwidth is limited and computing resources are scarce, traditional databases fall short. Edge Server thrives here—running on as little as 1 GB of RAM on single-board computers, it supports tens to hundreds of clients per deployment.

This lightweight footprint reduces costs and simplifies deployments across distributed locations—whether in fast food chains, warehouses, or mobile fleets—offering a full-featured local database backend for web and mobile clients.


Benefits of Couchbase Edge Server

  • Real-Time Multi-Edge Sync: Keep edge servers in sync with each other and with Couchbase Capella in the cloud.

  • Offline Access with Auto-Sync: Applications continue working offline and update automatically when back online.

  • Enterprise-Grade Security: Includes encryption, certificate-based validation, and fine-grained access control.



Couchbase Edge Server is redefining how applications operate at the edge—by combining performance, simplicity, and resilience in a package designed for modern distributed systems.

How does it work?

  1. REST API: A RESTful interface that allows any HTTP client, including browser applications, to access and query data.

  2. Remote Sync: Enables Couchbase Edge Server to sync data with remote upstream Sync Gateway/App Services clients over WebSockets based replication protocol.

  3. Edge Sync: Allows downstream Couchbase Lite applications at the edge to sync data with Couchbase Edge Server.

  4. High Availability (HA): You can connect multiple Edge Servers via their 'upstream' and 'downstream' sync interfaces; this can let one server act as a backup for another, or keep multiple servers synced. Conflicts will be rejected.


Couchbase Edge Server possesses the following features:

  • Compact and lightweight: ~10 MB codebase, typically uses < 50 MB RAM.

  • Flexible data handling: Serves existing Couchbase Lite database files, or can create its own CRUD-based document access.

  • Real-time updates: Push notifications for data changes on the changes feed to save bandwidth caused by polling and reduce latency.

  • Advanced querying: Supports SQL++ queries.

  • Local synchronization: Acts as a database sync server for local Couchbase Lite clients.

  • Upstream integration: Functions as a database sync client for upstream Sync Gateway, Capella App Services, or other instances of Edge Server.


Here is how it fits into the mobile stack:


Fun Things to Know About Couchbase Edge Server


Edge Server REST API

Couchbase Edge Server offers a powerful REST API that allows you to:

  • Retrieve database information

  • Perform CRUD operations on documents

  • Execute SQL++ queries

  • Manage sync and replication

The best part? You don’t need any custom SDKs or libraries. The REST API works seamlessly with standard HTTP clients like Postman, Insomnia, or any other tool that can make HTTP requests.


File-Based Logging (and Audit Logs)

For easier troubleshooting and auditing, Edge Server supports file-based logging. Logs are written to individual files per log level in the configured directory.

Log files follow this naming format:

pgsql

CopyEdit

cbl_<log-level>_<timestamp>.cbllog

This helps you quickly identify and isolate issues based on log severity and time.


Built-In Sync Capabilities

Edge Server is designed for offline-first use cases and includes robust sync features:

  • Downstream sync with Couchbase Lite clients

  • Upstream sync with Sync Gateway, Couchbase Capella, or other Edge Server instances

  • Real-time change tracking via push notifications

  • Flexible support for multi-node and primary-backup configurations


Edge Server:



Edge Servers can directly sync data with each other over web sockets. This is useful when there are multiple Edge Servers that need to keep in sync at the edge or you can setup Edge Server in a primary-backup configuration.

You can use this configuration to allow for High Availability of your application, by switching to a synced Edge Server replica of your primary database.


Remote Upstream Sync with App Services / Sync Gateway

Read and write data or listen for data changes from Edge Server over a RESTful interface from any HTTP client. For example, when Internet connectivity is available, the Edge Server can synchronize data with a remote App Services using a WebSocket-based replication protocol.


Sync at the Edge with Couchbase Lite

Allow downstream Couchbase Lite applications at the edge to sync data with Edge Server.


Couchbase Lite applications running on mobile and desktop edge clients can synchronize data with a local Edge Server using a WebSocket-based replication protocol.
Couchbase Lite applications running on mobile and desktop edge clients can synchronize data with a local Edge Server using a WebSocket-based replication protocol.

Couchbase Mobile & Replication

Couchbase Mobile uses a WebSocket-based replication protocol for efficient, real-time data sync. To use this protocol, the replication URL must specify WebSockets as the scheme. (See: Configure Target for details.)

Using the Couchbase Lite API, you can enable secure, bi-directional synchronization of data between mobile applications and a central server—such as Couchbase Edge Server—via a built-in replicator that communicates with Sync Gateway.


Replication Types

  • Pull ReplicationDownloads changes from the remote server database to the local Couchbase Lite database on the client device.

  • Push ReplicationUploads changes from the local Couchbase Lite database to the remote server database.


Here is how you install it : https://docs.couchbase.com/couchbase-edge-server/current/get-started/install.html and here is a great video from Couchbase themselves: https://youtu.be/GlSSxpB9O6g








 
 
 

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