Oracle Shows Off MySQL 8 Release Candidate
Back in September 2016, Oracle first announced the open-source MySQL 8.0.0 milestone release and has been quietly iterating and developing the next generation database ever since.
On Sept. 25, at long last Oracle debuted the first official Release Candidate (RC) for the MySQL 8.0 release, kicking off the final stabilization period before general availability. The MySQL 8.0 release also marks a numbering leap forward, as the current generally available release is version 5.7.19. MySQL 5.7x first became generally available in 2015, after two years of development effort.
“We felt that using a fresh number was important to communicate the depth of some of the core changes,” Morgan Tocker, MySQL product manager at Oracle wrote in a blog post.
Among the big changes in the MySQL 8 release is improved support for JSON, with new SQL Functions including array and object aggregate functions. JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) has been widely used across the internet for API usage and consumption.
While MySQL solidly remains a SQL-style database, the improved Document Store in the 8.0 series enables it to behave in a manner similar to a NoSQL document database. Document store now benefits from enhanced indexing as well as spatial search capabilities.
The database will also get a new look with improvements to the MySQL Shell, which is an interactive interface for development and administration of the MySQL database.
“The MySQL Shell now lets users add a splash of color, style, and ease of use,” Tocker wrote. “MySQL Shell users can add custom fonts, browse command history, perform multiline editing, and benefit from full Unicode support.”
Cloud-Friendly
Perhaps the biggest single capability in MySQL 8 that will impress database users is the fact that developers have built the new open-source database for the cloud era. Though MySQL was originally built in a world where virtualization, let alone cloud was the norm, the reality in 2017 is that the many new workloads are being deployed in the cloud.
“With the new innodb_dedicated_server option, it’s possible to auto-detect the system memory, and have MySQL adjust appropriately without having to edit configuration files,” Tocker stated.
Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at EnterpriseAppsToday and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.
Sean Michael is a writer who focuses on innovation and how science and technology intersect with industry, technology Wordpress, VMware Salesforce, And Application tech. TechCrunch Europas shortlisted her for the best tech journalist award. She enjoys finding stories that open people's eyes. She graduated from the University of California.
