What is our primary use case?
We mostly use MariaDB on smaller systems, not for mission critical systems. For mission critical systems, we use Oracle.
We're using version 10.5. The solution is deployed on-premises.
We're a very centralized operation. We install the system on an application, the application runs the services, and people consume those services. We have three systems running this on the database.
How has it helped my organization?
The cost is much lower than other solutions, especially if you look at the functionality compared to MySQL.
What is most valuable?
The speed and functionality are the most valuable features. Compared to other solutions, there is more value and functionality for the cost.
The replication is much easier, and I like the administrative portal.
What needs improvement?
An improvement would be scaling it up to the levels of Oracle, especially when it comes to resilience, so that we can do higher transactions for two databases or power our operation. When it comes to higher availability, that's where it gets more complicated. I think the system needs to be more mature, especially for enterprises.
They could improve the replication rate. I know the connection pool goes up to 20,000 connections. It should be more accessible.
The interface and integration could also be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used MariaDB for over one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution can run for months without any issues.
I would rate the stability as 8 out of 10.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability improves if you use the distributed database. In our case, the performance has been good enough for the applications we use. We haven't had any performance issues to warrant improving it beyond one node. We moved the storage to SSD, so the performance is good from a basic setup.
I would rate the scalability as eight out of ten. It's a little bit complex.
How are customer service and support?
We haven't needed to resort to technical support. Most of the time, we look at the documentation, and we're able to work out things on our own.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have also used MySQL. When Oracle purchased MySQL, it was split into two options: the official version and the open source version. We started having a divergence in the updates, and then the open source version got left behind. We thought it was too caught up in a big enterprise and it wouldn't get the same attention. It was probably stifled because it was going to create competition for Oracle. We thought that maybe MariaDB was catching up fast, getting more features, and improving much faster than MySQL.
How was the initial setup?
Initial setup is very easy. If you're used to MySQL, it's easy, but things get a little bit complex when you're setting up replication. We can get the solution running in less than an hour.
Implementation was done in-house. We required one person for deployment. They are a database administrator.
One person is needed for maintenance. It's a very economical system. Once you get it up and running, there's very little maintenance needed.
You just need to monitor it and see if the IO performance is good. If anything, you have to optimize your queries.
I would rate the setup as nine out of ten.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost is quite good. You can have the open source, free version, which has adequate capacity. Compared to Oracle, MariaDB has a more flexible policy and less officials. Oracle is too big of an organization, and they do certain things that leave a sour taste in our mouth. Dealing with a smaller company is sometimes better, especially for smaller systems.
I would rate the licensing cost as nine out of 10.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We also evaluated PostgreSQL.
With our experience with MySQL, we thought we needed to convert most of the queries to PostgreSQL. MariaDB was much closer to MySQL than to PostgreSQL, and PostgreSQL hasn't moved quickly enough compared to MariaDB.
PostgreSQL is quite high end, but there were differences in the syntax of the scale. We didn't want to be involved in converting the syntax.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution as nine out of ten.
It has a lower cost of ownership, and you need less effort to get it up and running. There's less effort in getting to know the system compared to other database systems. I would encourage people to move to it, especially if they've already used MySQL.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
*Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.