Old Fish Interview (V) | In-Depth Discussion on Compatibility Design and Practice of Chinese Databases

Introduction

Amid the rapid evolution of database technology, compatibility has become a key concern for users. Recently, the well-known self-media outlet "Old Fish Notes" interviewed Cui Zhiwei, General Manager of the GBase 8s product line, delving into the thinking and practical approaches behind GBase 8s's compatibility design. From the dual perspectives of development and operations ecosystems, they analyzed the differentiated compatibility needs of various user groups. With a two-way optimization strategy, GBase 8s provides developers with compatibility layer support such as syntax conversion and interface simulation, while equipping operations teams with automated management tools, striving to strike a balance between technological innovation and ecosystem compatibility.

Lao Yu: There are considerable disputes about database compatibility in the industry. How does GBase 8s plan its compatibility design? How does 8s intend to address users' concerns about compatibility?

GBase 8s Cui Zhiwei: This issue needs to be understood from the perspectives of different roles. The ecosystem of a centralized database can be divided into development and operations ecosystems, and compatibility primarily falls within the development scope. The user comments you mentioned reflect a typical view from operations personnel—they are more concerned with high availability, backup efficiency, and ease of operation, and since they are not directly involved in application development, compatibility is a lower priority for them. Developers, on the other hand, focus more on getting applications up and running quickly.

User concerns mainly center on three points: first, whether existing applications can be migrated at low cost; second, whether the ecosystem toolchain is compatible; and third, whether long-term version upgrades will break compatibility. GBase 8s has a clear prioritization: first, ensure compatibility of core functions, such as aligning SQL syntax and transaction isolation levels with mainstream databases; second, expand integration capabilities for peripheral toolchains; and finally, ensure system stability through a strict backward compatibility commitment. For example, before major version upgrades, we provide migration testing tools and detailed documentation to minimize upgrade risks.

Lao Yu: So how does 8s specifically balance the needs of these two groups? Will it simplify operations while providing compatibility support for developers?

GBase 8s Cui Zhiwei: The design principle of 8s is "two-way optimization": for operations, we provide automated operations modules and visual monitoring dashboards to significantly reduce the operational complexity; for development, we build a compatibility adaptation layer that supports syntax conversion and interface simulation for common databases. For example, for commonly used features of MySQL or PostgreSQL, 8s has built-in compatibility modules, allowing existing applications to migrate almost without code changes.

Regarding 8s compatibility, we adopt a dual-path strategy: first, enhance the compatibility capabilities within our own ecosystem; second, targeted adaptation to the ecosystem of database products that need replacement. For instance, we analyze the syntax and toolchains of target databases to ensure smooth migration of existing applications while reducing adaptation costs for developers.

In addition, we are building an ecosystem compatibility list that clearly states supported and planned database features, providing developers with a clear basis for technology selection.

Lao Yu: Will 8s proactively promote industry compatibility standards in the future?

GBase 8s Cui Zhiwei: That is our long-term vision. For now, 8s focuses more on "integrating into the existing ecosystem" rather than setting new standards. We prioritize compatibility with mainstream database protocols to lower the barrier to entry. In the long run, we hope to promote common interface specifications across databases through open-source community collaboration, reducing ecosystem fragmentation. This requires industry-wide effort, and GBase 8s is willing to take the lead in investing resources for exploration and practice.