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+# Phase 1: Data Foundation - Context
+
+**Gathered:** 2026-02-24
+**Status:** Ready for planning
+
+<domain>
+## Phase Boundary
+
+Create database schema (tables, indexes, migrations) and model layer for the monitoring system. Requirements: INFR-01 (tables with indexes), INFR-04 (use existing Supabase connection). No services, no API routes, no frontend work.
+
+</domain>
+
+<decisions>
+## Implementation Decisions
+
+### Migration approach
+- Use the existing `DatabaseMigrator` class in `backend/src/models/migrate.ts`
+- New `.sql` files go in `src/models/migrations/`, run with `npm run db:migrate`
+- The migrator tracks applied migrations in a `migrations` table — handles idempotency
+- Forward-only migrations (no rollback/down scripts). If something needs fixing, write a new migration.
+- Migrations execute via `supabase.rpc('exec_sql', { sql })` — works with cloud Supabase from any environment including Firebase
+
+### Schema details
+- Status fields use TEXT with CHECK constraints (e.g., `CHECK (status IN ('healthy','degraded','down'))`) — easy to extend, no enum type management
+- Table names are descriptive, matching existing style: `service_health_checks`, `alert_events` (like `processing_jobs`, `document_chunks`)
+- Include JSONB `probe_details` / `details` columns for flexible metadata per service (response codes, error specifics) without future schema changes
+- All tables get indexes on `created_at` (required for 30-day retention queries and dashboard time-range filters)
+- Enable Row Level Security on new tables — admin-only access, matching existing security patterns
+
+### Model layer pattern
+- One model file per table: `HealthCheckModel.ts`, `AlertEventModel.ts`
+- Static methods on model classes (e.g., `AlertEventModel.create()`, `AlertEventModel.findActive()`) — matches `DocumentModel.ts` pattern
+- Use `getSupabaseServiceClient()` (PostgREST) for all monitoring reads/writes — monitoring is not on the critical processing path, so no need for direct PostgreSQL pool
+- Input validation in the model layer before writing (defense in depth alongside DB CHECK constraints)
+
+### Claude's Discretion
+- Exact column types for non-status fields (INTEGER vs BIGINT for latency_ms, etc.)
+- Whether to create a shared base model or keep models independent
+- Index strategy beyond created_at (e.g., composite indexes on service_name + created_at)
+- Winston logging patterns within model methods
+
+</decisions>
+
+<specifics>
+## Specific Ideas
+
+- The existing `performance_metrics` table already exists but nothing writes to it — verify its schema before building on it
+- Research found that `uploadMonitoringService.ts` stores data in-memory only — the new persistent tables replace this pattern
+- The `ProcessingJobModel.ts` uses direct PostgreSQL for critical writes as a pattern reference, but monitoring tables don't need this
+
+</specifics>
+
+<deferred>
+## Deferred Ideas
+
+None — discussion stayed within phase scope
+
+</deferred>
+
+---
+
+*Phase: 01-data-foundation*
+*Context gathered: 2026-02-24*