Unlock the Power of Cloud-Native Databases | Alibaba Cloud Highlights

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Global Service Availability
3. Database Product Enhancements
4. Southeast Asia Focus
5. International Market Expansion
6. New Product Introductions
7. Nonstop Data Service and Database Value
8. Native Data Management and Data Serving
9. Future of Database: Cloud Native Approach
10. Four Actions for Future Implementation
11. Database and Infrastructure Code Design
12. Optimizing Performance
13. Integration Capabilities
14. AI for DB and DB for AI
15. ARM-based Database Innovation
16. Intelligent Compression and Smart SSD
17. Distributed Database Solution
18. Unified Data Fabric and Mashup
19. Ganos for Spatial and Temporal Data
20. Enhancing Security and Autonomy
21. User Experience Improvements
22. Industry-Specific Solutions
23. DMS: One-Stop Data Management
24. Open Source Contributions
25. Building a Strong Ecosystem

🌐 Introduction

Good afternoon, everyone! Allow me to introduce myself. I am M, the leader of the product and solution architect of Alibaba Cloud's database business unit. Today, I am here to provide you with an overview of the advancements and achievements we have made in enhancing our database services over the past year. Our main objective has been to improve the quality and scalability of our offerings to better serve our customers. Throughout this article, I will discuss various topics, including global service availability, new product introductions, advancements in data management and serving, and our vision for the future of cloud-native databases. So, let's dive in!

🔍 Global Service Availability

As of January 203, Alibaba Cloud has established its presence in 28 regions globally, with 86 availability zones. In the last year alone, we have introduced two new regions in South Korea and Thailand, along with several availability zones in Tokyo and Jakarta, focusing on our customers in Southeast Asia. Our primary goal has been to enhance our service capabilities in regions with high growth potential, such as Indonesia. By continuously improving our international product capabilities, we have seen great success in providing a reliable and accessible database service to customers worldwide.

💡 Database Product Enhancements

In our efforts to deliver an exceptional user experience, we have made significant enhancements to our database products. These improvements can be categorized into three main areas: performance improvement, hardware and software code design, and optimized database kernel.

Firstly, we have achieved remarkable performance improvements through hardware and software code design. By leveraging our proprietary ARM-based ECS (Elastic Compute Service) and implementing optimizations in database kernel, we have achieved up to 25% cost reduction and 10% higher performance compared to the latest x86 CPUs. This upgrade allows for seamless migration of workloads from x86 to ARM-based ECS without the need for code changes.

Secondly, we have focused on optimizing the database kernel. Through enhancements in CPU layer, such as CPU cache policy and memory models, as well as leveraging 12 OS parameters, we have achieved exceptional performance. Additionally, our smart SSDs offer high compression rates and zero performance loss, resulting in up to 60% cost savings while maintaining high-performance standards.

Lastly, we have introduced the concept of three-layer resource decoupling, consisting of CPU, memory, and storage layers. This innovative approach allows for flexible and independent scaling of resources, reduces overhead costs, and ensures stability even during resource provisioning and scaling operations.

👁 Southeast Asia Focus

In Southeast Asia, we have witnessed tremendous growth potential, particularly in countries like Indonesia. To cater to the specific needs of customers in this region, we have focused on providing reliable and scalable services. Our efforts have been directed towards localization, expanding our presence, and addressing unique challenges faced by businesses in Southeast Asia.

🌍 International Market Expansion

Alibaba Cloud continues to expand its presence in the international market. We believe in the power of globalization and have made significant progress in catering to the needs of customers worldwide. By introducing new products and enhancing our service capabilities, we aim to provide seamless experiences to all our users regardless of their geographical location.

🆕 New Product Introductions

Our commitment to innovation is evident in the introduction of new products and services to the international market. We continuously strive to meet the evolving demands of our customers and provide them with cutting-edge solutions. Some of the noteworthy introductions include:

• Qub X: A distributed, scalable, and high-performance database designed to meet the needs of modern applications.
• Lindon: Our native multi-model database that supports multiple data types in a single unified database engine, eliminating the need for data transmission between different engines.
• Analyze Lake house Edition: An enhanced version of our analytic database that combines data lake and data warehousing capabilities, enabling real-time analysis and efficient data utilization.

These product introductions reflect our dedication to offering diverse and comprehensive solutions to address the unique requirements of our users.

⏰ Nonstop Data Service and Database Value

At Alibaba Cloud, we understand the importance of uninterrupted data availability and the need to derive value from databases. To ensure nonstop data service, we offer unlimited data ingestion and value discovery within the database system. Our focus is two-fold:

Nonstop Data Service: For every database user, 24/7 availability is crucial. We provide nonstop data service, a guarantee that our database systems will remain operational and reliable, minimizing any potential impact on businesses.

Database Value: Storing data is only one aspect of databases; unleashing its value is equally critical. We empower our users with native data management and data serving capabilities. By facilitating seamless data integration, our customers can discover Hidden insights, make informed business decisions, and unlock the true potential of their data.

➡ Native Data Management and Data Serving

To further enhance data management and serving capabilities, we have developed a revolutionary approach called Cloud Native Data Management and Data Serving. This approach consists of two components: Data Management and Data Serving.

Data Management: It involves storing, accessing, and performing operations on data within a database. We have developed a sophisticated Data Manager that ensures effective data storage, operation, and maintenance. Additionally, our Quality-as-a-Service (QaaS) enables customers to pay for exactly what they use, ensuring cost-effectiveness and resource optimization.

Data Serving: Data serving goes beyond traditional data management. Leveraging our expertise and best practices, we provide comprehensive solutions that help customers accelerate their business growth. Our aim is to assist them in achieving their business goals by offering advanced capabilities and personalized recommendations.

💭 Future of Database: Cloud Native Approach

Looking ahead, Alibaba Cloud envisions a future where databases are fully cloud-native. We have identified four significant areas we are actively working on to achieve this vision:

1. Cloud Native: Cloud-native is a leading trend in the database industry, and we are at the forefront of this transformation. By embracing cloud-native principles, we enable efficient resource utilization, scalability, and flexibility.

2. Platformization: In addition to building databases, we optimize and enhance them, making them more suitable for specific scenarios. Our goal is not only to offer databases but also to provide optimized platforms that cater to various workload requirements.

3. Integration: Integration is another crucial aspect of our approach. We focus on providing seamless integration capabilities, enabling users to combine multi-data types and perform advanced processing and real-time analytics.

4. AI Empowerment: We are committed to enabling both AI for databases and databases for AI. By integrating AI capabilities within our databases, we empower users to perform advanced modeling, analysis, and machine learning, unleashing the full potential of their data.

These four pillars form the foundation of our future development and Align with our commitment to delivering innovative and comprehensive database solutions.

👣 Four Actions for Future Implementation

To realize our cloud-native database vision, we have identified four key actions to guide our future efforts:

1. Database and Infrastructure Code Design: We continuously optimize our database and infrastructure code designs to improve performance, stability, and resource utilization. By leveraging hardware enhancements and software optimizations, we achieve exceptional performance and cost-efficiency.

2. Optimizing Performance: Ensuring high-performance standards is paramount. We refine our database engines, ranging from transactional to analytic, to deliver optimal performance. Our goal is to provide databases that exceed traditional performance limitations.

3. Integration Capabilities: Seamless integration is critical for efficiently managing and utilizing data from diverse sources. Our comprehensive integration capabilities enable users to unify data from different databases and effectively analyze and process it.

4. AI for DB and DB for AI: By incorporating AI capabilities into our databases, we simplify operations, enhance security, and enable innovative machine learning within the database environment. Our AI-powered features contribute to better performance, improved diagnostics, and enhanced value extraction.

These actions form the basis of our ongoing development efforts as we strive to build a robust and future-ready cloud-native database ecosystem.

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