Change is the only constant in life. In order to keep yourself ahead of the competition, you need to keep on evolving. Cloud sites are changing rapidly and Cloudways is receptive to that change. There is a major database migration taking place.
People are now preferring MariaDB as their relational database management system (RDBMS) choice. And as told earlier in February this year, Cloudways has now integrated MariaDB as a database option for all its users.
MariaDB is a drop-in replacement developed by the original development team and inventor of MySQL. It comes with almost all the features of MySQL. It contains compatible libraries and the interface is a refined one than MySQL. However, MariaDB offers an improved user experience with superior speed and performance along with the additional features of a high-end database. There are fewer bugs and much better licensing.
Similarities between MySQL and MariaDB
Being a fork from the original MySQL, MariaDB looks and feel almost the same if you ignore the details. However, MariaDB has kept up with a lot of changes to its code to make sure it is fully compatible with applications of all types. This means you do not have to do much to change your application’s database to MariaDB, but once you have changed it, you will start noticing the difference between the two databases, specially in terms of speed.
MariaDB is Easier to Use
A lot of different features were either added or modified to make the software easier for developers to interact with. These include:
- Usage statistics: Database admins can have better understanding of the server activity by querying data regarding the usage of table and indexes.
- Progress check: MariaDB offers feedback on several long-running commands that help reduce haste job cancellations.
- Precise timing: MariaDB allows for DATETIME and related values to be specified to the microsecond.
- NoSQL features: Though it is not recommended for most use-cases, but for anyone who wants to add non-relational data, this is a useful addition. Developers can write directly in the underlying datastore, without going through the SQL layer.
- Dynamic Columns: Every row of a table in MariaDB can have a different set of virtual fields.
Performance
If you are working in a high-volume environment, then you know the worth of a microsecond, and so does MariaDB. This is the reason a number of improvements to speed and performance were made into the system, including:
- Optimized: It was rewritten from scratch to make it run more faster and swiftly translate SQL commands.
- Table Elimination: MariaDB completes a request based on what data is actually needed, from only the selected tables that are needed. It does not go through all the created tables.
Better Licensing
MariaDB has libraries and modules that are licensed in a way that they can be used with other closed-source softwares. This eliminates some of the legalities involved and allows for software usage-flexibility.
MariaDB is on Cloudways
MariaDB can now be deployed on Cloudways. You can also switch from your current database to MariaDB in just 1-click. Cloudways runs on an ultra-optimized formula that uses the power of Apache and Nginx together. This makes load-time 100% faster than the industry average.
MariaDB’s deployment is sure to give a boost to all the users as its major focus is on speed and agility. If you are user of Cloudways, you can covert your current database to MariaDB by changing it in the Server Settings and Packages section inside Server Management tab.
A word of caution for everyone: Database conversion is a major task and it can cause breakages and disruptions to your production (live) sites. Therefore, we recommend that you TEST on a separate server before pushing any upgrades.
If you are new, you can sign up now free trial for Cloudways MariaDB Hosting Platform.
Immad Uddin Khan
Immad is a Digital Content Producer for Cloudways - A Managed Cloud Hosting Platform. He is mostly busy in creating all sorts of informative and innovative content types. As a hobby, he loves to travel with his camera to picturesque destinations.
