Since v9.0.2 — Project HORIZON

Absolute DB Console

A built-in browser-based administration UI served on port 8080. Schema browser, SQL editor, data grid, EXPLAIN visualiser, backup/restore — zero external JavaScript dependencies.

On this page

Overview

Absolute DB ships with a built-in 8-panel web console served by the REST API on port 8080. No separate admin tool to install, no external JavaScript frameworks, no CDN dependencies. The console HTML, CSS, and JS are embedded in the server binary.

Access the console at http://localhost:8080/ after starting absdb-server. Authentication uses the same RBAC credentials as the database.

Console Panels

The console consists of 8 integrated panels:

1. Dashboard

Server health, active connections, queries/sec, memory usage, replication lag, disk I/O.

2. Schema Browser

Navigate databases, schemas, tables, columns, indexes, constraints. View DDL for any object.

3. SQL Editor

Multi-tab SQL editor with syntax highlighting, auto-complete, keyboard shortcuts. Execute queries and view results inline.

4. Data Grid

Paginated table browser with inline cell editing, column sorting, filtering. Export to CSV/JSON.

5. EXPLAIN Tree

Visual SVG rendering of query execution plans. Shows scan types, join methods, costs, row estimates.

6. Users & Roles

Manage database users, roles, permissions. RBAC, RLS policies, connection limits.

7. Backup / Restore

Create backups, schedule PITR, view backup history. Restore from local or S3/GCS/Azure.

8. Monitoring

Active queries, slow query log, lock waits, replication status, WAL position, buffer pool hit rate.

Accessing the Console

bash
# Start the server (REST + console on port 8080 by default)
absdb-server

# Open in browser
open http://localhost:8080/

# Or with a custom port
absdb-server --rest-port 9000
open http://localhost:9000/

The console is served from the same port as the REST API. Health checks, metrics, and the OpenAPI spec are also available on this port.

Schema Browser

The schema browser provides a tree view of all database objects:

Object TypeActions
DatabasesList, create, drop, switch
SchemasList, create, set search_path
TablesView columns, indexes, constraints, DDL, row count
ViewsView definition, materialized view refresh
IndexesView type, columns, size, usage stats
FunctionsView signature, source, call count

SQL Editor

The built-in SQL editor includes:

  • Multi-tab interface — work on multiple queries simultaneously
  • Syntax highlighting for SQL keywords, strings, numbers, comments
  • Table and column name auto-completion
  • Keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+Enter (execute), Ctrl+Shift+E (explain), Ctrl+S (save)
  • Query history with search
  • Result display: table view, JSON view, CSV export

Data Grid

Browse table data with a paginated, sortable, filterable grid:

  • Configurable page size (25, 50, 100, 500 rows)
  • Click any cell to edit inline (with write permissions)
  • Column header click to sort ASC/DESC
  • Filter bar per column with operator selection (=, LIKE, >, <, IS NULL)
  • Bulk export: CSV, JSON, or SQL INSERT statements

EXPLAIN Visualiser

Run EXPLAIN on any query and view an SVG tree rendering of the execution plan. Each node shows:

  • Operation type (Seq Scan, Index Scan, Hash Join, Nested Loop, etc.)
  • Estimated vs actual rows
  • Cost and execution time per node
  • Buffer hits and misses
  • Parallel workers (if applicable)

Backup & Restore

The backup panel provides a visual interface for:

  • Full database backup (local, S3, GCS, Azure)
  • Incremental backup scheduling (hourly, daily, weekly)
  • Point-in-time recovery (PITR) — select any WAL position
  • Backup history with size, duration, and status
  • One-click restore with confirmation

Security

The console respects the same RBAC system as all other Absolute DB interfaces:

  • Login required — uses database credentials
  • Role-based visibility — users only see objects they have access to
  • Inline editing requires write permissions on the table
  • DDL operations require appropriate schema/table privileges
  • All console actions are logged to the audit trail
  • TLS encryption when the server has TLS configured
For production deployments, always access the console over HTTPS. Configure TLS certificates via --tls-cert and --tls-key flags or in /etc/absdb/absdb.conf.

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~154 KB binary  ·  zero external dependencies  ·  2,737 tests passing  ·  SQL:2023 100%