Sweden's MySQL, which took over development of SAP's SAP
DB open source database software in May, is to rename the product
MaxDB and will work with SAP on developing a further enterprise
database product.
The Swedish open source database supplier will offer MaxDB as a
MySQL product beginning in the fourth quarter of 2003.
MySQL will jointly develop and support MaxDB with SAP, with
MySQL taking the product management lead. Both companies will offer
the product to their respective customers.
Moreover, MySQL will collaborate with SAP on developing a new
MySQL enterprise database that builds on the strengths of the MySQL
and MaxDB open source database products.
As part of the rebranding activities, the Swedish company will
also rename its current MySQL product MySQL Max. MySQL Max is a
database product package including all MySQL storage engines.
SAP agreed in May to hand over lead development of its open
source database software to MySQL in a move that the German company
said would help increase muscle behind the open-source
movement.
MaxDB will target large SAP R/3 environments and other
applications requiring high enterprise-level database
functionality. The software will include interoperability features
to support migration between it and the MySQL database. Users will
be able to build applications using both the MaxDB and MySQL
databases.
The current version of SAP DB is 7.4. All subsequent versions
will carry the name MaxDB by MySQL. The first MaxDB release,
7.5.00, will be a straight rebranding of SAP DB 7.4. The next
version, MaxDB 7.5.01, will offer the added functionality to ensure
interoperability with the MySQL database.
MaxDB version 7.5 will have full backward compatibility with SAP
DB 7.4, the statement said.
When MaxDB is released in the fourth quarter, the current
website www.sapdb.org will move
to www.mysql.com/maxdb/.
From then on, all MaxDB information, documentation and downloads
will be available at the MySQL website.
SAP DB versions 7.3 and 7.4 will be available for download from
the MySQL website until 31 March 2004.
As for licensing and support, MySQL will offer customers two
ways to license MaxDB: they can obtain the product for free under
the terms of the open source General Public Licence or pay for a
commercial licence if they do not want to make their products
open-source compliant.
MySQL provided no price information for the commercial
licence.
SAP will provide support for MaxDB and, together with MySQL, for
SAP DB commercial licences sold by MySQL.
John Blau writes for IDG News Service