This article explains the version support policy for HeatWave MySQL, covering lifecycle management aspects such as version availability, updates, and end-of-support timelines. Understanding this policy helps customers keep their applications secure, optimized, and up to date with the latest MySQL advancements while ensuring smooth transitions between versions.
MySQL 8.0 will reach End-Of-Life (EOL) in April 2026. This means that HeatWave MySQL will no longer provide support or updates for MySQL 8.0 after this date. Customers should upgrade to newer supported version of HeatWave MySQL 8.4 LTS much ahead of the April 2026 deadline. This announcement is to provide customers with sufficient time to migrate their DB systems from 8.0 to the latest LTS release track. This article is exclusive to the cloud service version (HeatWave MySQL). For details regarding MySQL Community, Enterprise, and CGE editions, please refer to the MySQL release notes documentation
MySQL Server Versions
With the new MySQL versioning model as of July 2023, you have the flexibility to select between two release tracks, Innovation or Long-Term-Support (LTS)/Bugfix, depending on your application and environment needs. Both of the release tracks are production-grade quality and supported by HeatWave Service. The HeatWave Service begins supporting new MySQL Server versions as soon as they are released as Generally Available (GA). Customers are advised to regularly update their DB systems to the latest GA version. This can be from either the Innovation or LTS/Bugfix track. Regular updates ensure access to the latest features, bug fixes, and security patches.
Supported MySQL Server Versions
MySQL server versions are divided into Innovation track and LTS/BugFix track.
Innovation Track
If you desire access to the latest features and improvements and enjoy staying on top of the latest technologies, then MySQL innovation track is the best fit for you. This is ideal for developers and database administrators working in fast-paced environments with high levels of automated tests and modern continuous integration techniques for faster upgrade cycles. For example, MySQL 8.1.0 is the first innovation release. If you want the latest features, improvements, and all bug fixes for the MySQL database, use the innovation release track, 9.2.x or 9.3.0.
LTS/BugFix Track
LTS/Bugfix track contains only necessary fixes, so it is a better choice if your environment requires established database software behavior. Features can be removed and added only in the first version of a LTS release (such as 8.4.0 LTS) but not later versions (such as 8.4.1 LTS and 8.4.2 LTS) in the same LTS release. For MySQL 8.0, 8.0.34 is the first Bugfix version where no features will be removed and added in subsequent versions (such as 8.0.35 and 8.0.36) in the 8.0 release.
FAQs:
Q: Why should I upgrade to newer version?
A: MySQL 8.0 will reach End-Of-Life (EOL) in April 2026. HeatWave MySQL will not provide support or updates for MySQL 8.0 after this date. To remain compliant, customers should upgrade to newer version of HeatWave MySQL like the 8.4 LTS version much ahead of the April 2026 deadline.
Q: What will happen if I don’t upgrade MySQL 8.0 to 8.4 after April 2026?
A: To ensure DB system security and compliance, all DB systems which are on 8.0 version will be upgraded to a supported 8.4 LTS version post the April 2026 deadline during the maintenance window. Customers should allocate sufficient time to plan and test the upgrade ahead of time to reduce any impact.
Q: Which is the supported version I should upgrade to?
A: HeatWave MySQL recommends you to upgrade to the latest supported 8.4 LTS version. Please review the LTS release versions documentation.
Q: What is the process for upgrading the HeatWave MySQL – from version 8.0 to 8.4?
A: Please review our Upgrade documentation and documentation related to Major version upgrade for step by step guidance. You may also refer to this Video regarding the upgrade.
Q: Are there any expected downtime impacts during the upgrade process?
A: There is a database-specific downtime of approximately 5-10 minutes or less for Standalone DB systems and less than 30 seconds for High Availability DB systems, during which the database will be unavailable. The downtime can depend on many factors including the configuration of the DB system and the workloads running during that time. Please note that this downtime applies only to the DB Systems. Any application-related downtimes are separate and should be planned for independently by customer. Ensure your teams are prepared accordingly.
Q: Are there any expected performance impacts during the upgrade process?
A: No performance impact should be seen. Customers should allocate sufficient time to plan and test the upgrade to reduce any impact.
Q: Can I roll back to MySQL v8.0 after upgrading to v8.4?
A: No. An upgraded DB system cannot be rolled back. We always recommend that a logical backup be taken before the upgrade and sufficient time is allocated for the upgrade planning and execution.
Q: What are the key benefits of upgrading to MySQL v8.4?
A:
Key Benefits of Upgrading from MySQL 8.0 to MySQL 8.4 LTS
The transition from MySQL 8.0 to version 8.4, a Long Term Support (LTS) release, delivers several strategic enhancements designed to optimize performance, strengthen security, and streamline operations. Below are the primary advantages:
Improved Performance: MySQL 8.4 introduces optimizations within the InnoDB storage engine, enhancing query execution and resource efficiency. This results in accelerated transaction throughput and improved scalability, particularly for demanding read/write workloads. Includes hash_set_operations optimizer, set_operations_buffer_size for buffer pool optimizations.
Another performance feature that was added is the automatic updates of histograms whenever Analyze Table is run on a table. This can be enabled by including the AUTO UPDATE option for the ANALYZE TABLE
Advanced Security Features: Security is significantly reinforced in 8.4. The legacy mysql_native_password plugin is now disabled by default, with a shift to the more robust caching_sha2_password authentication method. Additionally, new granular privileges, such use of FLUSH PRIVILEGES statements and OPTIMIZE_LOCAL_TABLE, provide enhanced control, reducing potential security risks.
Optimized Replication: Multi-threaded replication has been upgraded, with full compatibility between the START REPLICA statement’s SQL_AFTER_GTIDS option and parallel applier threads. This improvement ensures faster replica synchronization, enhancing performance and reliability in high-availability configurations.
Streamlined Architecture: Server related code optimizations have resulted in reduced system complexity, enhancing maintainability and operational stability. The release removes deprecated features, including options like AUTO_INC + FLOAT, –ssl and –no-dd-upgrade, as well as obsolete variables such as avoid_temporal_upgrade. Please review your code and ensure the code is not using these unsupported deprecated features to avoid upgrade failures.
Improve OLTP & mixed workload performance: In 8.4, HeatWave accelerates more workloads which includes SQL functions/operators support such as Window functions, analytic functions (HLL, CUBE, Qualify, table sample, grouping sets) and JSON functions.
HeatWave Lakehouse: MySQL HeatWave includes HeatWave Lakehouse which allows organizations to process and query hundreds of terabytes of data residing in Object Storage—into a variety of file formats, such as CSV,Avro, JSON and Parquet. With 8.4, HeatWave Lakehouse included enhancements with support for Newline Delimited JSON file format, Primary key and Unique key constraints and improved support for missing files. Auto Parallel Load now has a validation mode to validate files before loading them.
HeatWave AutoML: In addition to support classification and regression tasks, HeatWave AutoML has added support for anomaly detection, forecasting and recommender system tasks, including on text columns in 8.4. By automating the ML lifecycle, HeatWave AutoML enables users without ML expertise to accelerate their application development across data stored in MySQL as well as object storage.
Upgrading to MySQL 8.4 LTS positions organizations to leverage superior performance, improved security, and a more manageable database platform, aligning with the needs of modern, production-ready environments while ensuring long-term support.
Q: Are there any compatibility issues to be aware of when upgrading to MySQL v8.4?
A: MySQL 8.4 upgrades are easy and straightforward with some planning in place. To a large extent, you can bring your existing MySQL code base, applications, and tools to the new version. Some deployments might see some compatibility issues. It is important to first test your applications with MySQL 8.4 on a test systems to make sure everything works smoothly before you upgrade the production systems. Check MySQL’s official documentation for the list of changes.
Q: What will happen to my data during the upgrade?
A: Database will be upgraded in place and normally no data loss or data issues should seen. But it is strongly recommended to create a backup beforehand and test the deployment in a Test environment. This safeguard helps prevent potential data loss in case of unexpected issues.
Q: What support is available if I encounter issues during the upgrade process?
A: Please contact the HeatWave MySQL Support team by creating a service request for any upgrade related issues.
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