MySQL 9.7 LTS Launch: First Major Release Since 8.4 Brings Enterprise Features to the Community

Oracle announced that MySQL 9.7.0 is now generally available.

This marks the start of a new LTS series and is the first significant LTS release since MySQL 8.4. Prior to the release, developers worried about decreasing MySQL development activity and whether Oracle would continue its long‑term investment, with some users considering migration to other open‑source databases such as PostgreSQL.

According to the official Oracle blog, the new version incorporates several innovations from recent development cycles, including replication observability, telemetry, and query‑optimization improvements.

Key enhancements are:

Improved MySQL REST service.

Introduction of the Hypergraph optimizer.

New security features such as dynamic data masking and OpenID authentication.

Developer‑focused capabilities like in‑database JavaScript and JSON Duality support, including DML operations and auto‑increment for JSON Duality Views.

Numerous bug fixes and security patches.

Mike Frank, Oracle’s Product Management Director, wrote that the version is important not only because it establishes the next LTS baseline but also because it reflects MySQL’s broader development direction, emphasizing earlier access to upcoming capabilities and more open collaboration with the community.

This version is significant not just for setting the next LTS baseline, but also for embodying MySQL’s broader development direction… we have been talking about giving users earlier visibility into upcoming capabilities, expanding access to important features, and collaborating with the MySQL community in a more open way.

Recent analysis of the MySQL code repository shows a decline in development activity and a shrinking contributor base, a trend that has been amplified by recent Oracle layoffs, heightening community concerns.

With the 9.7 release, several capabilities that were previously exclusive to the Enterprise edition are now available in the Community edition.

Mike Frank added that the long‑term goal is to establish a tighter feedback loop with the community and co‑define the roadmap.

The long‑term goal is clear: build a tighter feedback loop with the community and co‑create the roadmap.

At the same time, many in the community question Oracle’s commitment to MySQL and its community edition. After related meetings, Oracle is working to reassure users while a tracking branch has been started to extend MySQL’s capabilities.

The new MySQL 9.7.0 adds several operational features for DBAs, including flow‑control monitoring for cluster throttling, extended replication thread statistics for observing latency and throughput, automatic eviction and re‑join of unhealthy cluster members, and a primary‑election mechanism that prefers the most up‑to‑date eligible node during failover.

In the MySQL Community Server, JSON Duality Views now support DML, auto‑increment, and the Hypergraph optimizer, improving optimization of complex queries.

Øystein Grøvlen, Oracle’s Senior Principal Software Engineer, explained that the classic left‑deep optimizer framework makes certain optimizations difficult, whereas the Hypergraph optimizer elevates several important choices to first‑class citizens in the optimization process.

The classic MySQL join optimizer is based on a long‑used left‑deep search framework. That framework has been improved many times, but its basic structure makes some things hard… The value of the Hypergraph optimizer is that it turns several important choices into first‑class citizens of the optimization process rather than after‑thoughts.

Peter Zaitsev, founder of Percona, warned that while the Hypergraph optimizer can speed up many queries, it will not make every query faster and users should test its impact on their workloads instead of assuming it is automatically better.

MySQL 9.7’s Hypergraph optimizer will make many queries run faster, but optimizers are like that— not every query will improve. You must test its effect on your application; don’t assume it’s better just because it’s newer.

The Enterprise edition also introduces dynamic data masking, which applies masking policies to table columns at query time without requiring application changes.

When updating the mysql-community.repo package, a bug (MySQL Bug #120315) may silently disable the 8.4 LTS repository and enable the 9.7 LTS repository, causing servers to switch to the new major version during routine package updates.

Overall, MySQL 9.7 LTS brings a mix of new features, performance improvements, and operational tools while the community watches Oracle’s ongoing commitment.