What Were the Biggest Database Releases and Trends in 2021?

2021 Database Industry Overview

In 2021, database vendors focused on distributed, cloud‑native, multi‑model, HTAP and AI‑autonomous technologies to meet growing data volumes and complex workloads.

DB‑Engines Ranking

The DB‑Engines ranking (December 2021) combines search‑engine queries, Google Trends, job postings, LinkedIn mentions and StackOverflow activity.

Major RDBMS Updates

Oracle

Oracle 21c became generally available (21.3) in August 2021. Key features include AutoML, native blockchain tables, enhanced In‑Memory capabilities, a native JSON data type, persistent memory storage, SQL macros, JavaScript execution inside the database, and an optimized graph model. Oracle 23c is planned as a long‑term support release for 2023.

Exadata 21.2

Exadata System Software 21.2 adds persistent storage index, persistent column cache, I/O resource management, and shared intelligent scan metadata.

MySQL 8.0

Five minor releases (8.0.23‑8.0.27) were issued, bringing bug fixes, performance improvements, online DDL enhancements, optimized TRUNCATE/DROP for large buffers, multi‑plan cache for parameterized queries, GTID‑only replication, and group‑replication enhancements.

CHANGE REPLICATION SOURCE TO
    SOURCE_CONNECTION_AUTO_FAILOVER = 1,
    ASSIGN_GTIDS_TO_ANONYMOUS_TRANSACTIONS = 1;

MariaDB 10.6

Version 10.6 introduces an atomic data dictionary, nowait/skip‑locked row‑level locks for SELECT FOR UPDATE, invisible indexes, deprecation of the old COMPRESSED row format in favor of page compression, a new binlog expiration parameter ( binlog_expire_logs_seconds), and a sys schema for diagnostics.

SQL Server 2022 Preview

SQL Server 2022 deepens integration with Azure SQL Managed Instance, adding bidirectional HA/DR, Azure Synapse Link for change capture, Azure Purview integration, native blockchain tables, multiple execution‑plan caching, and peer‑to‑peer replication conflict resolution.

PostgreSQL 14

PostgreSQL 14 (released 30 Sept 2021) adds JSON‑b access via subscript syntax, multirange data types, higher transaction throughput under load, improved distributed replication, parallel query planning, a new date_bin time‑bin function, and security enhancements (SCRAM‑SHA‑256, predefined read‑only/write‑only roles).

SELECT ('{ "postgres": { "release": 14 }}'::jsonb)['postgres']['release'];

NewSQL and Distributed Databases

TiDB

TiDB released 16 versions in 2021, adding TiFlash MPP architecture, 28‑81 % Sysbench performance gains, 36 % TPC‑C improvement, expanded MySQL compatibility, HTAP capabilities, stability enhancements, dynamic permission controls, and richer observability (Explain, Dashboard, Plan Replayer).

OceanBase

Eight commercial and community releases delivered 68 % Sysbench OLTP boost, 620 % TPC‑H improvement, Oracle/MySQL compatibility upgrades, global deadlock detection, automatic routing, and multi‑tenant resource isolation for cloud‑native deployments.

MatrixDB (Time‑Series)

Four releases introduced the custom mars storage engine with row‑column hybrid storage, high compression, high‑throughput data loading via MatrixGate (≈5 × 10⁷ points/s), extensible data types, and continuous aggregation for near‑real‑time query results.

Big‑Data Ecosystem

Elastic

Seven major releases (7.11‑7.16) added runtime fields, a frozen tier for snapshot‑based search, cross‑cluster EQL and SQL search, and asynchronous SQL capabilities.

Greenplum

Monthly minor releases culminated in 6.18.2, adding PXF 6.1.0 support, updated JDBC drivers, parallel utilities, optimizer parameters, and enhanced OOM reporting.

Domestic (Chinese) Databases

SequoiaDB

Five versions introduced MySQL‑SDB metadata mapping, deadlock snapshots, MySQL 5.7.34 compatibility, C++ connection‑pool password files, new collection APIs, backup size limits, and performance optimizations for COUNT and bulk deletes.

DM8 (DaMeng)

Eleven releases enhanced Oracle compatibility (views, JSON, multiset, etc.), shared‑storage clustering, distributed DPC, encryption integration, migration tools, and a unified management component (DEM).

QianBase

Version 1.6.6 and subsequent patches added a binlog reader, table/index comparison, multi‑savepoint, query cache, large‑batch delete, range partitioning, RS‑level row‑lock limits, detailed audit logs, backup/restore enhancements, rolling upgrades, and asynchronous replication with high‑reliability modes.

ArkDB

Updates included MySQL 8.0.23 compatibility, a rebuilt replication engine, faster startup, deadlock avoidance, MVCC index improvements, compression support, performance tuning, and enhanced backup/restore capabilities.

OushuDB

Versions 4.8.0.0‑4.3 added an extendable resource manager, native Magma format, external sort optimizer, ANALYZE performance, lock improvements, data caching, Magma enhancements, ARM/Kunpeng support, native ORC format with Bloom filter, and various execution‑engine upgrades.

Cloud Database Updates

Huawei Cloud

GaussDB (openGauss) introduced UStore storage, Paxos‑based DCF HA, and dual‑city HA. GaussDB for MySQL added HTAP, parallel index creation, NDPQ, multi‑address proxy, SSL, cross‑region backup, and instance recycling. RDS series added Application‑Loss‑less‑Transparent (ALT) HA, cross‑region backup, and second‑level monitoring. GaussDB NoSQL (Redis, Influx) added enterprise‑grade features, cold‑hot tiered storage, Flux 2.0 support, anomaly detection, and backup automation.

Tencent Cloud

Introduced DBbrain for autonomous management, DTS‑DBbridge for cross‑account migration and synchronization, and a unified DBhouse management platform covering seven major database types.

Alibaba Cloud

PolarDB MySQL 8.0.1.1.10 and 5.7.1.0.6 added hotspot row optimization, instant add column, implicit GROUP‑BY sorting, and DDL physical replication. PolarDB‑X 2.0 added performance trends, session management, TDE encryption, and transparent data encryption. AnalyticDB (MySQL and PostgreSQL) released active maintenance, SQL diagnostics, and performance optimization features.

JD Cloud

Released StarDB, a financial‑grade distributed database with multi‑data‑center HA, strong consistency, elastic scaling, high performance, comprehensive security, and intelligent management.

QingCloud

Provided updates for MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, and ClickHouse, including performance improvements, new resource configurations, and cloud‑native deployment support.