The document discusses database tools and techniques used by Skype to optimize database performance. It describes:
1) Skype's use of stored procedures to access databases for security and optimization reasons.
2) Tools like pgBouncer and PL/Proxy that minimize connections and allow remote queries to optimize resource usage and enable high availability.
3) The SkyTools framework for batch jobs that handles common tasks to simplify application development.
4) The PgQ queue system for asynchronous processing that provides transactional, efficient message handling between producers and consumers.