In the previous parts of this series we’ve seen how MariaDB stores vector indexes in a table and how to implement HNSW for a good performance. But MariaDB is not implementing HNSW, it calls its vector search algorithm mHNWS, a modified HNSW. Let’s see how exactly it was modified.
Not so greedy!
HWNS, like many, if not most, graph based vector search algorithms is greedy. Think of it this way, when it needs to find just one nearest vector (ef=1), it will walk the graph always choosing the node that will take it the closest to the target at this particular step.
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One of the things I really like about open source is that a project is never only about the software.
Yes, code is important. Very important. But a project like MariaDB exists and grows because of people. People who contribute code, of course, but also people who help users, review bugs, write blog posts, speak at events, answer questions, test new features, build tools, and share knowledge with others.
This is exactly why I’m very happy to announce the MariaDB Foundation Sea Lion Champions program.
It’s a new initiative to recognize the people who help make the MariaDB ecosystem stronger.
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Continue reading “Know a MariaDB champion? Submit a nomination”
I came across an excellent paper by the Linux Foundation. In it I find solid economical evidence for a very fundamental idea: contributions are the life-blood of an open source project.
Contributions in the broader sense (code, documentation, quality assurance, marketing, education, financial support) are central to every project. Open source or not. Giving users what they need and want is what makes any project appealing. It’s just that with open source, the cost to procuring these is not that directly attached to the actual use. So, there is a gap to cross between passive use and active participation.
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Before I share my takeaway from this MariaDB observability poll, I would like to thank all participants and highlight that these recent polls are very popular, and your participation makes us happy.
That said, we recently asked the MariaDB community the following question:
Which observability tools do you use for MariaDB?
I like polls like this one.
Not because they are perfect. They are not.
Not because they replace real field experience. They do not.
But because sometimes they confirm, very clearly, what many of us already see in practice.
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In the first post of this series, I’ve described how the vector index is stored in a table and how it achieves full transactional behavior and ACID properties compatible with the storage engine of the table the user created. But while the table provides persistent storage of the index, it’s in-memory part that gives it the performance. This is how it works.
Distance calculations
This is the most performance sensitive part of the HNSW. According to various estimates, distance calculations account for 80–90% of search time. And this operation time grows linearly with the vector length.
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We are pleased to welcome Datography as a Silver Sponsor of the MariaDB Foundation.
Datography focuses on helping organizations understand, map, and manage complex data environments. As data infrastructures grow increasingly distributed across platforms, services, and geographies, having clear visibility into how data flows and where it resides becomes critical for governance, security, and operational efficiency.
This aligns closely with the MariaDB Foundation’s mission to support the adoption of open, transparent, and reliable data infrastructure.
Why This Matters
Modern organizations rarely operate a single database in isolation. Instead, they manage diverse data estates spanning multiple technologies, environments, and jurisdictions.
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Continue reading “Datography Joins MariaDB Foundation as Silver Sponsor”
If you’ve been around the MariaDB community for a while, you can probably feel it already: things are moving in the right direction.
And no, I’m not talking about one vanity metric, one lucky spike, or one noisy social post.
I’m talking about a broader trend.
The latest Adoption Index data shows something I really like to see: not one lucky spike, but multiple signals moving in the right direction at the same time.
Sometimes people want one number.
One chart. One KPI. One neat little story.
But open source projects do not work like that.
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Continue reading “MariaDB Keeps Climbing: Community, Adoption, and Momentum”
We are pleased to announce the availability of a preview of the MariaDB 13.0 series. MariaDB 13.0 is a preview rolling release, published on 23 March 2026, and it continues the work started in 12.3 while adding a solid set of entirely new features.
And this one is interesting.
This preview release brings a nice mix of new SQL capabilities, better optimizer insight, richer metadata, and practical engine improvements. Not every feature is flashy, but many of them are exactly the kind of changes that make daily work with MariaDB smoother, clearer, and just a bit more powerful.
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