SkySQL, MariaDB-as-a-service, launches on Google Cloud

Today MariaDB Corporation officially launched SkySQL, a cloud-hosted version of the MariaDB database management system supported and managed by MariaDB’s own creators.

Aside from providing convenient access to MariaDB on Google Cloud Platform starting at $0.45 per hour, SkySQL strikes back at services like Google Cloud SQL and Amazon RDS — managed database solutions that feature forks of MySQL or MariaDB, but are often multiple versions behind the latest releases. Amazon RDS, for instance, only supports up to MariaDB 10.3, whereas MariaDB 10.4.12 is the most recent version.

SkySQL is essentially a cloud-native, Kubernetes-managed instance of MariaDB Platform, a unified transactional and analytics database platform. SkySQL has the full gamut of enterprise features like sharding, load balancing, and auto-failover, and natively supports different types of workloads. Analytics and columnar storage can be run alongside conventional transaction processing and row storage. Data can be located based on its workload—e.g., transactional workloads can draw on SSDs for fast access, while analytics workloads can be shunted to cheaper storage.

SkySQL also leverages standard Kubernetes features and components, such as Prometheus for monitoring and Grafana for visualization. MariaDB Corporation says that using Kubernetes as the substrate for SkySQL means the service could be delivered on any cloud. Right now SkySQL is available only on Google Cloud Platform, but the Azure and Amazon logos on SkySQL’s factsheet suggest that MariaDB Corporation will eventually offer it on these clouds.

MariaDB Corporation’s other big push for SkySQL is around expertise and support. The company’s press release for SkySQL states that SkySQL users have “database automation with personalized oversight, proactive care, and immediate intervention if necessary,” although it’s not clear if there are extra per-incident fees or other support escalation charges.