MariaDB Kubernetes Operator

• Q: What is the MariaDB Kubernetes Operator and its function? A: The MariaDB Kubernetes Operator is a specialized software tool provided by MariaDB plc. It is designed to automate the deployment, ongoing management, and scaling of various MariaDB products—including MariaDB Enterprise Server, MariaDB Enterprise Cluster, MariaDB Xpand, and MariaDB MaxScale—on Kubernetes container orchestration platforms.

• Q: How does the MariaDB Kubernetes Operator simplify database deployments on Kubernetes? A: The Operator encapsulates the operational knowledge required for effectively running MariaDB in a Kubernetes environment. This includes automating tasks such as the provisioning of database instances, configuring complex clusters for high availability, managing persistent storage, performing automated backups and restores, orchestrating software upgrades, and enabling self-healing capabilities for database instances, all managed through declarative Kubernetes Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs).

• Q: What are the key benefits of using the MariaDB Kubernetes Operator? A: The key benefits of utilizing the MariaDB Kubernetes Operator include significantly simplified Day-2 operations (ongoing maintenance and management), fully automated lifecycle management of MariaDB deployments, consistent and repeatable deployments across different Kubernetes environments (public cloud, private cloud, on-premises), improved operational reliability, and easier, more agile scaling of MariaDB database instances in response to changing demands.

• Q: Which specific MariaDB products are supported by the MariaDB Kubernetes Operator? A: The MariaDB Kubernetes Operator is primarily designed and optimized for deploying and managing MariaDB's enterprise offerings. This includes MariaDB Enterprise Server, MariaDB Enterprise Cluster (for high availability), MariaDB Xpand (for distributed SQL), and MariaDB MaxScale (database proxy) deployments within a Kubernetes environment.

• Q: Is the MariaDB Kubernetes Operator a commercial or open-source product? A: The MariaDB Kubernetes Operator is typically a component of the MariaDB Enterprise Platform offering and is available to commercial subscribers of MariaDB plc.