The Origins and Differences Between MariaDB and MySQL

Introduction

In modern database management systems, MySQL and MariaDB are two very popular relational database management systems. ServBay, as an integrated development and deployment platform, currently comes with MariaDB by default rather than MySQL. This article will detail the origins, relationships, similarities, and differences between MariaDB and MySQL to help users better understand and use these two database management systems.

The Origins of MariaDB and MySQL

The Origins of MySQL

MySQL was first released by the Swedish company MySQL AB in 1995 and is one of the earliest open-source relational database management systems. Its open-source nature, free availability, superior performance, and ease of use quickly made it one of the most popular database management systems worldwide. MySQL is widely used in various web applications and enterprise-level applications.

The Birth of MariaDB

In 2008, Oracle acquired MySQL AB, raising concerns in the community about the future direction of MySQL. Fearing that the open-source nature of MySQL might be compromised, one of MySQL’s founders, Michael "Monty" Widenius, created MariaDB in 2009 as a branch of MySQL. MariaDB aims to maintain the open-source spirit of MySQL while further optimizing and expanding upon it.

The Relationship Between MariaDB and MySQL

MariaDB and MySQL share a very close relationship. MariaDB was initially developed based on MySQL’s codebase, hence they are similar in many aspects. The goal of MariaDB is to be fully compatible with MySQL, allowing users to easily migrate from MySQL to MariaDB without requiring significant modifications.

Compatibility

1. SQL Syntax: MariaDB and MySQL share a high level of compatibility in SQL syntax, with most SQL statements running normally in both databases.
2. Storage Engines: MariaDB and MySQL share many storage engines, like InnoDB and MyISAM.
3. Client Tools: Most MySQL client tools and libraries (such as the mysql client, phpMyAdmin, etc.) can be used directly with MariaDB.

Differences Between MariaDB and MySQL

Despite their many similarities, significant differences between MariaDB and MySQL have emerged over time.

Performance and Optimization

1. Query Optimization: MariaDB has made numerous improvements in query optimization, especially in terms of performance in complex queries and large datasets.
2. Storage Engines: MariaDB introduced new storage engines, such as Aria, ColumnStore, and MyRocks, which offer better performance and flexibility in certain scenarios.

Functional Features

1. Virtual Columns: MariaDB supports virtual columns, allowing users to create virtual columns based on calculations of other columns.
2. Distributed Databases: MariaDB supports distributed database functionalities, achieving high availability and data synchronization through Galera Cluster.
3. Security: MariaDB introduces more enhancements in security, such as user roles and enhanced password verification plugins.

Community and Support

1. Open-Source Community: MariaDB is driven by the community, and all development processes are open to the public, allowing users to participate in the development. While MySQL is also open-source, its development is primarily led by Oracle.
2. Enterprise Support: MariaDB provides enterprise-level support services to help enterprise users better use and maintain the database in production environments.

Version Comparison Table Between MariaDB and MySQL

To better illustrate the version correspondence between MariaDB and MySQL, here is a comparison table:

MariaDB Version	MySQL Version
5.1	5.1
5.2	5.1
5.3	5.1
5.5	5.5
10.0	5.6
10.1	5.6
10.2	5.7
10.3	5.7
10.4	8.0
10.5	8.0
10.6	8.0
10.7	8.0
10.8	8.0
10.9	8.0
10.10	8.0
10.11	8.0
11.0	8.0
11.1	8.0
11.2	8.0
11.3	8.0
11.4	8.0
11.5	8.0

For more detailed information on the compatibility between MariaDB and MySQL, please visit the official documentation: MariaDB versus MySQL: Compatibility.

Why ServBay Chose MariaDB

ServBay chose MariaDB as the default database management system for the following key reasons:

1. Open Source Spirit: MariaDB maintains MySQL’s open-source spirit, with all developments being open and transparent, aligning with ServBay’s open-source philosophy.
2. Performance Optimization: MariaDB has made numerous improvements in performance optimization, better meeting the needs of high performance and large-scale data processing.
3. Community Support: MariaDB has an active open-source community where users can get timely help and support.
4. Feature Enhancements: MariaDB has made many functional enhancements, providing more flexibility and scalability to better meet the needs of different application scenarios.

Conclusion

MariaDB and MySQL have deep origins and a close relationship, but over time, they have gradually diverged in terms of performance, features, and community support. ServBay’s choice of MariaDB as the default database management system is based on its open-source spirit, performance optimization, community support, and feature enhancements. By understanding the similarities and differences between MariaDB and MySQL, users can better utilize these two database management systems to provide reliable database support for their applications.